’Boys club’ bullies

THERE seems to be a bad culture of misogynism and female bullying going on in Federal Parliament and it has to stop.

It was the main factor that caused Julie Bishop to lose that crucial three-way vote, that could have made her Australia’s 30th prime minister, but unfortunately the odds were stacked against her, thanks to the “boys club” mentality that now prevails in federal parliament. David Clapham, Woree cars or motorbikes or have noisy gatherings of family/friends.

I reflect that I have children who may have loud parties, for I believe it is better teenagers drink under adult supervision.

Years ago, a neighbour had party after party. Their teenage visitors sometimes blocked my driveway. Music and revelry went right through the night.

A shift worker, I needed sleep. But, I understood. I had been a teenager myself. A bit of alcohol, a lot of singing. It’s all just a bit of fun.

Recently my kids “came of age” and had a party. This time, the police called.

“Good evening sir, a complaint has been lodged by your neighbour. Your music is too loud.”

Really? On a Saturday at 1am with 12 teenagers.

To those who patiently ignore the noise, your neighbours will not remember that you did not complain.

There is no empathy. Jeremy Hillard, Bentley Park 1609: English explorer Henry Hudson sails into the New York river that now bears his name. 1848: Switzerland adopts new constitution as a federal union with strong central government. 1910: The world’s first recorded female police officer, Alice Stebbins Wells, is appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department. 1944: First US troops reach German soil

in World War II. 1953: Nikita Khrushchev becomes First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. 2014: Olympian Oscar Pistorius is found guilty of culpable homicide, one day after his shock murder acquittal over the death of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. BIRTHDAYS: Grant Denyer, Australian TV personality (1977-); Jennifer Hudson (above), American actress and singer (1981-).