Scary headlines ignore the real story about sexual harassment

Shocking statistics in the news don’t always hold up to close scrutiny, says Paul Murray

IF you trusted some sections of the media this week you’d believe there are huge problems with sexual harassment at universities — and that we are a nation of problem gamblers.

The only problem is, the reports didn’t show that.

Just the headlines and the spin people put on it.

Let’s take the Human Rights Commission report into sexual harassment first. Some media called this a major study, but it wasn’t.

It was a survey sent to 350,000 students but only 10 per cent bothered to fill it out.

Of those, they were given 14 examples of sexual harassment.

The number one response was “inappropriate staring”.

So replace the headlines of an epidemic of harassment with: fewer than 5 per cent of all uni students think they have been inappropriately stared at.

But that wouldn’t make news would it?

Then we got headlines about a nation of problem gamblers. 220,000 to be exact. But here’s the reality. Just 1.1 per cent of gamblers have a problem, meaning 98.9 per cent of people don’t have a problem.

I don’t blame the advocates for trying to bend and beat up numbers to make their point, but it’s a disgrace that so many in the media didn’t dig any deeper than the first page of these reports to tell the real story.

A SHOCKING ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION

LOCAL councils always find ways to shock us with their stupidity, but this week it got dangerous.

A local council in Sydney rejected an application for a new synagogue because it could be a potential terrorist target.

That’s right, one group of people with no history of violence in our community were told they can’t pray together because someone of another faith may want to blow it up.

Imagine if it was reversed, a council said no to a mosque because someone might try to attack it.

Even worse, this cowardice was endorsed by the land and environment court. Luckily under state laws the planning minister can make the final call and can overrule this insanity.

The pressure is on, will they fold too or will someone please stand up for a truly free Australia?

A REPUBLIC ISN’T A YES / NO QUESTION

DON’T trust anyone who says they want a republic but won’t tell you how it works.

I’m willing to discuss a republic, but only one kind.

A republic where the president is appointed, not

voted on by the public.

A direct election republic would be a disaster.

There would be an election, a campaign and one where ALP and LNP would run — leaving half of the country angry at the person left in charge.

There would also be huge issues between a president who was personally directed who’d have the power to sack a prime minister of the other party.

I understand the case republicans have for national identity.

But I will not accept a process that pretends this is a yes/no question, where the fine print might be a republic that would ruin our system of government.

So the next time someone says they are a republican, ask them how it works.

This Monday night on Paul Murray LIVE, special guests Graham Richardson, Ross Cameron and Janine Perrett.