The TRUTH behind the ‘night encounter’ photo that ‘set women back 100 years’
Australia’s Queensland: Following her remarks on three ladies who attended the Queensland Parliament on Wednesday August 17, the Premier of Queensland has been accused of ‘setting women back 100 years’. According to an Instagram post by MP John-Paul Langbroek, he and MP Sam O’Connor gave a tour of the capital to a group of his constituents.
When #TheFabulousGoldie girls visit @queenslandparliament #LocalMPs, Langbroek wrote in the caption. The women, Tamika Smith, Brooke Henley-Smith and Lauren Duitsch, were captured in the post photos posing in and around the president’s chair. According to reports, O’Connor invited Tamika, the 2021 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, to parliament after she praised ‘her home-building business MyBellaCasa on Queenslanders fleeing domestic violence’, according to The Daily Mail .
Annastacia Palaszczuk, however, didn’t seem to like the tour. On August 18, she denounced the images. “I loved watching the footage of the member that he uploaded this morning of his little late night date…in the Speaker’s chair,” she told the Legislative Assembly.
three women with MPs John-Paul Langbroek and Sam O’Connor
The Daily Mail reported that although rendez-vous is a French word meaning rendezvous, it “has raunchy undertones when used in English”. Henley, a real estate agent, responded to Palaszczuk’s statements. “You’re setting women back 100 years,” she continued, “and I’m disgusted by your rude comments.”
Outside the legislature, Langbroek attacked the 53-year-old lawmaker. Referring to his Gold Coast guests, he said: ‘It was a terrible stereotype of the Prime Minister this morning saying I had, and I quote, ‘a late night date.’ These couples had joined me for dinner at a charity event, which I was happy to sponsor.
Imagine the uproar if I made similar remarks about the prime minister having a “late night date” or hinted at anything about his good looks, the 61-year-old continued. She grossly erred by making demeaning and sexist remarks about women in social media comments.
The Prime Minister’s remarks were condemned along with Amanda Camm, Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, who also demanded an apology. She said: “The Prime Minister must repent on behalf of Tamika, Brooke, Lauren, three incredible young women in our community, and on behalf of all women. The lady who holds the highest office in this state finds the allegation of a late meeting offensive.
After all the criticism, a representative from Palaszczuk’s office said, “The Prime Minister’s comments were about the MP’s lack of respect for the Speaker’s chair. The Prime Minister is shocked that anyone is taking what she said to mean anything other than respect for the House. She had no intention of offending anyone. They were said during the question and answer period. When an MP raised concerns, the Premier withdrew her remarks.
Palaszczuk was not the only person to make such a statement, however. In a since-deleted tweet, Brittany Higgins’ partner David Sharaz added: “In Queensland this is how the LNP uses Parliament after hours during sitting weeks.” Both Langbroek and O’Connor are members of the LNP, or Liberal National Party of Queensland.
However, in response to the criticism, he issued the following statement in an attempt to calm tempers: “This is in no way a reflection on the women in the photo and the criticism directed at them is absolutely irrelevant. C This is the Speaker’s chair, which I am emphasizing.There seems to be a completely separate protocol to how the House is run in Queensland.
