The furore over how deputy prime minister and leader of the National party - Barnaby Joyce - conducts his personal life has caused the prime minister to issue an edict that forbids members who hold ministerial portfolios from having sexual relations with their staff.
Any politician holding public office must conduct his or her personal affairs under the scrutiny of both the media and the opposing political party. Indiscretions can draw newspaper headlines that can lead to voter disapproval at the ballot box. That is an outcome that is judged by the public according to their own personal moral standards.
What happened within the deputy prime minister's family relationship is very common in the lives of many people. A long marriage which produced several children became frayed and led to separation. During that separation, it seems that Joyce found comfort with a member of his personal staff, and the result was that she became pregnant. The relationship is now permanent and he has declared that she is his " partner ".
A century ago, such a revelation would have seen such an offending politician hounded from office. Even in this more liberated age some colleagues are calling for him to stand down as leader and he has discreetly taken personal leave. As a result, he will not assume the post of prime minister while the holder of that office is overseas.
Once again sex raises its ugly head. A long time ago, divorce was almost impossible without the court finding a " guilty partner " to shoulder the blame. We eventually adopted " no fault " divorce and created the Family court to settle the details. Today, divorce is merely the allocation of property to allow the parties to go their own way.
We have just legalised same sex marriage at the same time that obtaining a marriage certificate before cohabitation has gone completely out of fashion. The advent of oral contraception removed the bogey of pregnancy from casual sex and it is now rampant across young age groups. The statistics show that of those who do marry, more than a third of such unions end in divorce.
It seems that what some term the " pecking order " applies when it comes to sexual indiscretions. What is tolerated in lower ranking state politicians becomes a more serious crime in their higher Federal ranks, and those who attain ministerial level are held to an even higher standard. Now the prime minister has seen fit to impose a code of conduct that specifically makes it an offence for ministry holders to engage in sexual relations with any of the people who are paid to serve them. No specific penalty is attached, but removal from the ministry seems to be threatened.
That is an almost laughable edict. It differentiates between a married politician having a torrid affair with a member of the public and a similar relationship within the confines of the office. A quick look at the history books will reveal that where sex is concerned human judgement falls by the wayside nomatter the rank of the people involved. The lure of sex has resulted in the fall of empires and the rejection of thrones. This present scandal will fade into obscurity - to eventually be replaced by another !
Anyone thinking sex can be abolished with an edict - is lving in la-la land !
No comments:
Post a Comment