Teal independent Zali Steggall has blasted both Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton for poor parliamentary behaviour on both sides of the major party divide.
She has condemned ‘heckling, bullying, shouting and intimidation’, describing having experienced a ‘mob mentality, a complete unwillingness to even condone the idea that someone else could speak in the chamber’.
The only problem is that in her self-righteousness Steggall can’t see past her own nose. She too is part of the problem.
Steggall is absolutely right that debates in parliament often descend into childish name calling and rude and unedifying behaviour. Such as just days ago when she labelled Peter Dutton ‘racist’ for expressing views that she didn’t agree with.
The few of us who tune into Question Time see the poor conduct Steggall speaks of most days. We have also now witnessed her partaking in it.
I can also confirm that the yelling and name calling often seen in Question Time is even worse when observed from the press gallery seats behind the Speaker’s chair. The mics don’t pick up everything that goes on for those watching at home.
But Steggall’s poor behaviour in the chamber when attacking Dutton wasn’t mere heckling. She delivered her insult while on her feet having been granted the Speaker’s call which is clearly against the standing orders.
When Steggall labelled Dutton racist for asking questions about the vetting process of Gaza refugees coming to Australia, she was forced to withdraw the unparliamentary remark, which she duly did.
Teal independent Zali Steggall (pictured) laments bad behaviour in parliament but not her own
But she went on to repeat the slur outside of the Parliament anyway. Thereby doubling down on her bad behaviour rather than simply admitting that the heat of the moment got the better of her.
It must be wonderful to have so little self-reflection as to be willing and able to point the finger at others for acting precisely how you act yourself. Pot, kettle, black. Hypocrisy is thy name. Do as I say not as I do.
These cliches sum up Steggall’s mantra these days. Just days on from her poor parliamentary conduct she is brazenly calling out similar conduct by others.
Perhaps the real problem is the culture of parliament writ large, a culture that the longest-serving Teal is now so immersed in that she can’t recognise her own bad behaviour.
Probably in part because it is applauded on platforms like X where bad behaviour is the norm not the exception so much of the time.
Steggall has now been a federal MP for five years, since winning her seat at the 2019 federal election. She’s becoming institutionalised to the bad behaviour all around her such that she can’t see her own poor conduct as a consequence. The proverbial frog boiling slowly.
It must be wonderful to have so little self-reflection as to be willing and able to point the finger at others for acting precisely how you act yourself
