Twenty four hours after Channel 7′s burning at the stake of NSW Transport Minister, David Campbell, for the alleged crime of being a homosexual visiting a gay club, the beleaguered politician fronted the media with a contrite statement absolving all but himself of any responsibility in the now sordid affair. Aside from family issues, Campbell has no case to answer. The man had clocked off from work, he was discrete insofar that no-one would be confronted with his after-hours activities, save for a parasitic Channel 7 journo intent on sullying the man’s reputation. The positioning of the cameras was for security, not scrutiny as the journo seemed to think.
The whole situation reaks of a stink greater than the agenda presented by Channel 7. Campbell may not have been the most worthy of government ministers, but this forced outing was undeniably brutal, unnecessary and seemingly politically vindictive.
Her article began by reminding us of that tawdry incident at the Iguanas Nightclub last year. The one where Ms Neal, according to witnesses, and police, abused and intimidated the staff. Ms Devine adroitly used the word ‘allegedly’ twice in one paragraph. Whereas the police, the court, even the PM, could not absolve Ms Neal from censure in the Iguanas’ Nightclub debacle, it seems Miranda is able to whitewash Neal’s behaviour in the incident, preferring to question Della Bosca’s suitability for State government. Any suggestion by Kevin Rudd that Neal seek counselling is turned back on itself, with Devine blaming the subsequent public humiliation for any ‘anger management issues’ that Neal may have experienced. Doublepeak in any language.
resigning, this wasn’t good enough for Ms Devine. Della Bosca had to die a painful death, if only in her article. She began by skewering him with personal attacks about his appearance, ‘his cystic acne scars’ and his general physical appearance, and his ‘unworldliness’ for desiring a younger woman. Crossing the divide for a moment, Miranda even denigrated Neill for being ‘attractive in a giggly, baby doll way’. Miranda, is your feminist slip showing a tad too much?
Rather than this being the tale of three people caught up in a tawdry affair, Devine brazenly attempts to paint this as a picture of one wanton male leading two damsels into distress. In doing so she has hung up her journalist’s hat, and revealed her feminist slip flapping embarrassingly around her knees.
