“I’m going to call the media out on this. The government denied a visa to Floyd Mayweather – and the media didn’t put it on the front page. We denied a visa to the richest sports star globally to come here. When the government sends a very clear message [like this] quite frankly my expectation is that the media will put it on the front page.
“You’re happy to now talk about the fight in another country. It didn’t occur here because this government made a very clear decision. The media has a role to play. It is one thing to have public outcry and another to acknowledge the government did the right thing.
You didn’t cover it to the extent you could have. That’s disappointing.”
That is a slightly edited summary of a comment Senator Michaelia Cash made at an event in Sydney last week.
Our Watch hosted a small event to re-launch The Line campaign which encourages and educates young people about respectful relationships. To know the line and see the line.
The day before research published by Hall & Partners Open Mind made it clear just how necessary this campaign and this work is. One in four young men said being violence is a sign of strength. 16% of young men say women should know their place.
Natasha Stott-Despoja, Anne Hollands and Senator Cash each delivered compelling and stirring speeches about the importance of this work, the prevalence of attitudes and behaviors that are contrary to respectful relationships and the need for change.
When they opened the panel up for questions I asked what they made of the world celebrating Floyd Mayweather, a convicted criminal with a history of being violent towards women.
“I was sickened by the celebration but I was buoyed by the fact so many people did see how wrong that was,” Natasha Stott Despoja said. “Even a year ago I’m not sure we’d have been having the conversation that we did. It’s generational change and we have to accept we are in this for the long term.”
Senator Cash then made the comment above. Whilst her comments in the main referred to the media more generally, at least to some extent she seemed to be referring to Women’s Agenda and the fact we didn’t cover it to the extent that we could have.
I was, admittedly, a little thrown by that and have given it some thought.
I believed we had covered it. In actual fact we didn’t cover Floyd Mayweather being denied a visa to Australia. I revisited my inbox from the time and did receive an email from Change.org about a petition that had been started seeking this outcome.
I do remember reading it and finding it quite astonishing that there was even any discussion: aren’t violent criminals regularly denied visas to enter Australia?
Admittedly I hadn’t realised the extent of Mayweather’s fame (or riches) at that point, but my view then, and now, is that this decision should have been straightforward.
Had Mayweather been allowed entry into Australia I agree with Senator Cash that this would have attracted criticism. Is that the product of a conspiracy against this government? I’d argue not.
The government absolutely did the right thing by denying Mayweather a visa so why didn’t it make the front page or garner any smashing editorials?
I have an idea. I have gone back and I can’t find a single press release or transcript from any senior minister in the government making the case as passionately as Michaelia Cash did last Friday.
I can’t find an op-ed anywhere that anyone in the government wrote to explain to all Australians why a man like Floyd Mayweather is unwelcome here.
The only official government statement I can find is this:
“The Government takes very seriously its role in protecting the Australian community from the risk of harm by non-citizens who engage in criminal conduct and/or conduct that is of serious concern. Visa applicants must demonstrate they are of good character, as required under the character test in the Migration Act 1958, before they are granted a visa.”
That statement might explain why the “very clear message” from government was lost and didn’t make it to the front page.
The media absolutely has an obligation to report on domestic violence responsibly. In this regard it’s a topic where the media’s credentials are hard to flaw.
The Herald Sun, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian are a few of the major media outlets that have been running serious and consistent campaigns around this scourge – not just in recent months but in recent years. The ABC hosted an entire episode of Q & A purely on this topic in February. The Project has consistently and responsibly covered this issue; 60 Minutes are running a program on this subject on Sunday night. The Australian Women’s Weekly & Marie Claire are two major magazines that have been reporting these issues in depth.
If you look at women’s websites like Daily Life, Mamamia and Women’s Agenda you will see that barely a week has passed in the past few years where coverage hasn’t been focused on this topic.
Why? Why are so many column inches being dedicated to this sad and awful topic? Because women’s lives are being lost at an alarming rate. And whilst the media is mostly united in its acceptance that this is entirely unacceptable, the government’s commitment has been less consistent.
We’ve been begging the government to reverse $300 million in funding cuts for services that support victims of domestic violence. We’ve been begging the government to reinstate funding to legal services that assist victims of family violence. We begged the government to respond to the legitimate question posed by the 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty: why are you saying one thing and doing another?
We’ve been begging the Minister for Women to step up all year. To acknowledge this issue and the root causes. To tackle gender inequality and show some – any – leadership for women. We’ve been begging the government to show this problem the money.
We’re not alone in recognizing those requests are being dismissed.
Today is Lt General David Morrison’s final day as Australia’s Chief of Army. Only two weeks ago he said to me there is a paucity of leadership in government to tackle domestic violence. A paucity of leadership.
Yes the government denied a visa to Floyd Mayweather but, quite frankly, that’s the least it could do. Perhaps the story wouldn’t have simply appeared in the sports pages if it formed part of a consistent narrative on the government’s part about gendered violence. If it had been highlighted and prioritized in media interviews. If this government consistently demonstrated respect and commitment towards women.
I have no doubt about the veracity of Michaelia Cash’s commitment to women in Australia. Given a position in Cabinet she would undoubtedly be able to influence policy and leadership to a greater extent. The fact she isn’t in Cabinet coupled with the fact the Minister for Women in the Cabinet is effectively absent, is a significant part of the problem.
We don’t advocate for women because of any hidden agenda. Our agenda is very clear. We are unashamedly bias towards the equitable treatment and representation of women. Construing that as being a conspiracy against the government is, quite frankly, disappointing.