Ex-MP’s cynical take on ‘culture of accusations’
A FORMER federal MP made shocking rape parallels after a Gold Coast woman was sentenced for the stalking of surfer Mick Fanning.
Replying to a Bulletin story, former Liberal MP Cameron Thompson called the woman’s actions – which included notes expressing a desire to kill Mr Fanning – “outdated” in a series of Twitter comments.
He wrote: “Stalking is so outdated. Instead, she could have accused him of rape, and then told the ABC.”
Mr Thompson also labelled the accusations against Attorney-General Christian PorFriday ter “the worst witch-hunt since Lindy Chamberlain”, and called an article questioning what rapists look like “manhating diatribe”.
The Attorney-General was accused of raping a former debating teammate in 1988 in an anonymous letter sent to the Prime Minister’s offices and to several Federal MPs. Mr Porter says it never happened.
Mr Thompson, a federal MP for Blair before being ousted in 2007, said the comments on Friday were a “cynical take” on what he claimed was a culture of accusations.
“I really don’t want to make more of it than (saying) these days allegations, complaints
about people, talking about toxic masculinity, toxic cultures here or there, is easier to do than ever,” he said.
“There’s every incentive for people to exploit that. So every now and then what people need is a dose of cynicism. It’s just one witch-hunt after another.”
It follows claims from a long-serving former Liberal MP a culture of secrecy “excludes women” within the party.
Dr Sharmane Stone, an LNP MP between 1996 and 2016, told media this week: “It’s all about maintaining power, control and government.
“They would be feeling the pinch to not come forward (about sexism) or do anything that might rock the boat, especially in the current environment because the seats are so evenly divided.”
Other former female LNP MPs have also come forward to share their stories of a “Canberra boys club”.
But Mr Thompson told the Bulletin he believed his time in government had been “more respectful” and did not think his comments betrayed any toxic culture within the party.
“I don’t think it reflects on the Liberal Party in any way. The last Liberal government I was involved with was the Howard government. I think in those days there was generally in society a lot more respect.
“The source of the toxicity seems to come from these exchanges more than it comes from any slice of society. It comes with treating each other with two minutes of consideration in a tweet.
“It’s just not the same as a considered opinion. So people can be outraged all day about a particular thing and they’ll forget about it, five minutes later they’ll be outraged about something else.”
Other comments on Mr Thompson’s social media include labelling supporters of Mr Porter’s alleged victim – who committed suicide last year – a “lynch mob” and accusing ABC’s Four Corners program of fabricating the allegations.