In a 36 second clip currently going viral on Twitter, a Liberal senator has just demonstrated exactly why the women of Australia were so angry on Monday as they marched in 42 towns and cities across this country.
Our Federal Government seemingly still does not understand. And that couldn't have been more obvious than when Western Australia Liberal senator Ben Small spoke over the top of Jagajaga Labor MP Kate Thwaites as she tried to explain why the women of this country are so angry.
During an ABC panel on Tuesday, Thwaites was asked whether criticism of the Prime Minister had been too harsh after Monday's march.
Watch: The interaction here. Post continues after video.
Scott Morrison had angered many when he refused to turn up to the protest happening eight minutes walk from where he stood, instead choosing to tell Question Time marches like the one attended by 100,000 women and their allies were being "met with bullets" in other countries.
Women took Morrison's comment to mean they should've been grateful that they weren't shot, while walking the streets to protest for their own safety and respect.
"No," the Victorian MP answered on Tuesday.
"The Prime Minister could just not be further from what is going on in this country.
"I was out at that march, as well as a lot of other Labor figures and some government figures were as well. The power, the anger, the feeling that people’s voices aren’t being heard. That is what the PM is not acknowledging."
Her answer, however, was interrupted by Senator Small, who tried to make the point that "the same Prime Minister who opened his door and invited the same representatives into his office?"
A visibly furious Thwaites tried to respond with, “Are you really going to talk over me on this issue?" as Small continued to interject.
"Ben, we’re talking about respect for women in the workplace, are you going to talk over me?" she tried again.
"I will let you keep going then," was her final resolute reply.
"I went on ABC TV to talk about why the #March4Justice was so important and Morrison Government Senator Ben Small decided to talk over me. It's so distressing just how much this Government doesn't get it," she later wrote on Twitter.
The response to the interaction has been cutting because this was a real-time example of what women have been trying to explain: Our voices are not being heard.
We are talked over, mansplained to, and silenced again and again by the men in the room.
After watching the Federal Government's reaction to the outpouring of anger from women across Australia in the 'March 4 Justice' rallies on Monday, I wrote an article titled They're still not listening.
Scott Morrison wasn't listening when he didn't understand why his offer to 'meet behind closed doors' was rejected by protest organisers.
Peter Dutton literally wasn't listening when Labor Leader Anthony Albanese started reciting Brittany Higgins' speech in Parliament and he stood up and asked that "he no longer be heard."
Ben Small certainly wasn't listening when he refused to stop talking as Thwaites tried to answer a question directed at her - an experience that too many women are familiar with.
Women are marching the streets trying to be heard. And as Kate Thwaites reiterated, "it's distressing just how much this Government doesn't get it."
Read more:
- "I will not lower my voice." 22 of the best signs from women's protests around Australia.
- 'On Monday, I marched in Canberra's historic protest. This is what the photos didn't show.'
- Australian politics has a message for women: There's nothing to see here.
Feature image: ABC.
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