The Ernies

[Gob]

Imagine an awards ceremony where the “winners” were not decided by the Hollywood Foreign Press or a panel of peers, but instead by which nominee received the loudest howls of derision from the female audience.

Sound like a hoot? [No, it sounds like hell on earth] It is The Ernies, the awards night dedicated to shining a light on the worst excesses of Australian sexism, which last night celebrated its 20th ceremony. And with this year’s winners including Alan Jones (who scored the Gold Ernie and Media Silver Ernie for his “women are destroying the joint” comments) and Basketball Australia (who copped “the Warnie” Sports Silver Ernie for shunting the women’s Olympic team to London in economy while the blokes flew business), it’s clear there were no shortage of nominees for 2012.


And the winners are...



Gold Ernie (and Media Silver Ernie)

Alan Jones: “Women are destroying the joint, Christine Nixon in Melbourne, Clover Moore her. Honestly. There's no chaff bag big enough for these people.”



Industrial Silver Ernie

David Farley, CEO Australian Agricultural Company when demonstrating a machine in the abattoir said: “So it's designed for non-productive old cows. Julia Gillard's got to watch out.”



Political Silver Ernie

Barry O'Farrell, said about Linda Burney, “I am not sure which other member could be the hooker, perhaps the Member for Canterbury.”



Clerical Silver Ernie (The Fred)

Family Voice Australia, argued against changes to the provocation defence saying: “The exclusion would effectively rule out the classic case of a husband unexpectedly arriving home to find his wife engaged in a sexual act with another man... these circumstances have traditionally been held to warrant a reduction in the seriousness of the offence from murder to manslaughter.”



Judicial Silver Ernie

Senior Constable Cary Coolican: “Many sexual assault victims were too drunk or stoned to remember the details of the attacks... we would be encouraging people to make responsible choices regarding who they drink with and the quantity that is consumed. Some decisions may result in risky behaviour and unsafe actions.”



Sports Silver Ernie (The Warney)

Basketball Australia, for flying the women's Olympic basketball team to London economy class, and the male team business class.



The Elaine (for remarks least helpful to the sisterhood)

Kelly O'Dwyer MP, for calling Tanya Plibersek, Nicola Roxon and Deborah O'Neil, “the handbag hit squad.”


The 'Clinton' for repeat offenders

Archbishop Peter Jensen

[MajGenl.Meade]

Maybe I'm an awful person but I don't actually see why this is so bad?

Senior Constable Cary Coolican: “Many sexual assault victims were too drunk or stoned to remember the details of the attacks... we would be encouraging people to make responsible choices regarding who they drink with and the quantity that is consumed. Some decisions may result in risky behaviour and unsafe actions.

Don't some decisions result in risky behaviour and a decrease in safety?

It has similarity to those police warnings such as "when you go on holiday, cancel the newspaper and mail delivery so that thieves are not encouraged to break in". Doesn't it? This is not to blame the victims for the crime. Merely to point out that certain actions can more easily lead to a non-desired result.

Meade

[Sue U]

David Farley, CEO Australian Agricultural Company when demonstrating a machine in the abattoir said: “So it's designed for non-productive old cows. Julia Gillard's got to watch out.”

Come on, that was funny!

[Lord Jim]

I agree with both Meade and Sue....

They made the exact points I was planning too....

[The Hen]

Alan Jones takes his Gold Ernie status a step too far.

VETERAN broadcaster and 2GB host Alan Jones has claimed Prime Minister Julia Gillard's father died of "shame" because of the political "lies" his daughter told.

THE radio star was talking at a Liberal Party event and was unaware that his highly insensitive comments were being recorded.

Alan Jones said Prime Minister Julia Gillard's father had died of "shame". "To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for parliament," Jones said.

VETERAN broadcaster and 2GB host Alan Jones has claimed Prime Minister Julia Gillard's father died of "shame" because of the political "lies" his daughter told.

He told a group of 100 Young Liberals that John Gillard's death was the fault of his proud child.

He went on to suggest Ms Gillard's tears of grief, for a man she publicly said she "will miss for the rest of my life", were what sparked a sudden leap in political polling for her.

Mr Gillard, a former psychiatric nurse, died in Adelaide on September 8, age 83.

The remarks occurred during Mr Jones' 50-minute speech at the annual $100-per-head Sydney University Liberal Club President's Dinner, on the top floor of Sydney's Waterfront restaurant in The Rocks last Saturday.

After referring to Ms Gillard's track record with telling the truth to voters over issues including the carbon tax, Mr Jones said her father's death was caused by the Prime Minister herself.

"The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame," Mr Jones told a group of party members and MPs, including Alex Hawke, Ray Williams and Sussan Ley.

"To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for parliament.

"Every person in the caucus of the Labor Party knows that Julia Gillard is a liar."

Some members of the audience gasped with surprise.

The radio star went on to say Ms Gillard had enjoyed a recent spike in polls sparked by her tears. He also said she was being given an easy ride by the "brainwashed" Liberal Party who had backed down because she was a woman.

Organisers of the dinner were not aware a journalist from The Sunday Telegraph, who had purchased a ticket, was present.

While paying tribute to her father in parliament on September 19, Ms Gillard spoke of the rough and tumble of politics and how that affected the family.

She said her father "felt more deeply than me, in many ways, some of the personal attacks that we face in the business of politics, but I was always able to reassure him that he had raised a daughter with sufficient strength not to let that get her down".

Mr Jones made several mentions about why Liberal leader Tony Abbott should be Australia's next PM.

"His overweening weakness is his humility. You will never ever hear this bloke argue his ability, his virtue, or indeed his competence," he said.

"He is a man of incomparable integrity and conviction."

The broadcaster said it was vital every member of Mr Abbott's party united behind their leader in the lead-up to the election. Mr Jones said some members of the Labor caucus were scared of the Liberal leader and others thought he was sexist.

Yesterday Mr Jones did not respond to approaches from The Sunday Telegraph.

The event was staged by Sydney University Liberal Club president and aspiring MP Alex Dore. Mr Jones has endorsed his political endeavours.

Yesterday, Mr Dore said Mr Jones had not made the comments about Ms Gillard's father. Later, informed there was a recording of the speech, his position changed.

"It was a very long speech and I did not hear it. I have always found Alan to be respectful," Mr Dore said.

He said there was "no need" to "pick apart Alan's speech. All you are doing is reducing it to a very small thing which distracts from the issues facing Australia".

Mr Williams would not be drawn on Mr Jones' remarks.

"I will just let this one go through to the keeper, the room was a bit a noisy at the time, I can't remember him saying it," he said.

Fellow MPs Mr Hawke and Ms Ley could not be reached.

Mr Abbott had previously expressed his condolences for the Prime Minister.

"This is a tragic time for (Ms Gillard) and we all feel for her at this very sad time," he told parliament. "It is a remarkable parent who produces a prime minister of this country."

During the five-hour event, three spoof songs were sung by Young Liberals member Simon Berger, Woolworths' government realtions manager.

 

Cheap shots.

[MajGenl.Meade]

[The Hen]

At least advertisers have been leaving Mr Jones in droves since his comments found their way to the public ear.

Good.

Stupid moron, him.

[Gob]

I like the fact that Gillard has refused a phone call from him, it would be far too tempting to tell him what you actually thought of him. (Mind you, I'd have been round to see him well before now, if it had been my dad he'd insulted that way.)

[MajGenl.Meade]

Interesting. The man should not have said such things. But you think it was the dad who was insulted? I don't. He was insulting the lady. Whoever she is.

Meade