Victoria is in state election mode and lo and behold, a deeply misogynist Ditch the Witch campaign is in full swing. Billboards are being ferried across Melbourne depicting Premier Jacinta Allan as a witch.
Franco Puleo, who owns Gotham City brothel in South Melbourne, is among the people funding the $105,000 Ditch the Witch advertising campaign.
The campaign is using misogyny to get Jacinta Allan out of power in Victoria.
I’ve spoken to many sex workers who say Puleo is as sexist as this campaign.
I have it on authority the campaign has the support of the Liberal Party and it is the work of Liveable Victoria – an organisation focused on planning and other state issues.
The Herald Sun ran a page on the campaign in its print edition and used the slogan in the copy in the same way it uses slogans for its own campaigns. Interestingly, the Herald Sun refused to name the organisation and people behind the campaign. Possibly because the editorial department is firmly focused on securing a Liberal Party win in the state.
As an aside, the Herald Sun – indeed the entire News Corp stable – has a very friendly article running across mastheads about Pauline Hanson. It’s the reflections of a journalist and photographer who spent 72 hours with her. It was a very different tone to its Ditch the Witch reportage.
The Ditch the Witch campaign reflects the Liberal-aligned Ditch the Witch campaign against Julia Gillard in 2011.
Regardless of whether you back Allan or not, no woman deserves to be demeaned with tired and stupid sexist tropes. Period.
I cannot imagine a ‘Boot the Bastard’ campaign against a male politician passing muster in Australia – but here we are again!
As someone who consumed exceedingly high rates of sexism and misogyny everyday, it really is not surprising the Ditch the Witch slogan has resurfaced.
Hate speech – which is what this is – has no place in Australian politics – indeed in any part of our lives.
Surely, Allan’s political failings are enough to drive her opponents’ debate and discourse?
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