When Scope Creep Meets Dishonest Sexual Assault Allegations
Commentary
What brilliant timing. Last month, Senator Lidia Thorpe’s sexual accusations in parliament captivated the media by putting sexual misconduct firmly back on the public agenda, detracting attention from Labor ministers under attack for misleading parliament.
The Australian press uniformly took Ms. Thorpe’s allegations seriously, reiterating her claims of sexual assault even though her own explanation suggested she was “inappropriately touched.”
Scope creep is rife in today’s discussion of sexual misconduct, with even the most minor sexual misconduct blown up out of all proportions.
Naturally, the media trotted out last year’s Jenkins report on harassment in parliament using the Thorpe kerfuffle as further proof of an allegedly toxic culture in this august body….