Melbourne, May 20 (ANI): Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Adrian Piccoli is enraged over New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally’s remarks about his hair and suits.
The politician said he is sick of being “sexualised” and was fed-up with Keneally”s comments about his suits and his lack of hair across the floor of the NSW Parliamentary Bear Pit.
Things came to a head when Piccoli asked Speaker Richard Torbay to intervene after the latest taunt.
“I take great offence at constantly being sexualised by the Premier. If it”s not my suits, it”s my hair,” News.com.au quoted Mr Piccoli as saying.
Piccoli later called out that he was “happily married” and Keneally could be heard to retort, “Oh, you wish”.
Former sex discrimination commissioner Pru Goward, who is now a Liberal MP, said the Premier”s behaviour would be considered unacceptable other workplaces.
“This is a particular job, it is not an average job. Most Australians in their workplaces are not allowed to do this sort of thing,” she said.
“What happens in Parliament is privileged but the truth is in any other workplace if a boss or a peer in public ridiculed somebody along those lines, not just once but frequently – she does it every week – it wouldn”t be accepted behaviour, people just would not get away with it.”
“We”ve been very conscious not to refer to anything about her dress,” Piccoli said.
“Nobody makes reference to the way she dresses. I referred to her hair once after she referred to mine.”
Speaker Richard Torbay told Mr Piccoli in his three years controlling the Bear Pit of State Parliament it was “the worst point of order” he had ever heard. (ANI)