There are a lot of strange things that come up in politics, but this one is certainly up there with some of the more bizarre moments in recent history.
We’re still scratching our heads regarding what Greens Senator Larissa Waters’ marital status has to do with her line of questioning during Question Time yesterday.
Clearly, Nationals Senator Barry O’Sullivan must have thought it somewhat relevant when he called out, “you’re married aren’t you?”.
He made the comment as Waters was asking the chamber whether Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as other Catholic Liberal MPs, would respond to the Pope’s urgent call for action on climate change.
Waters responded immediately: “No, I’m not and that’s an irrelevant question, my marital status has nothing to do with this chamber.”
Good call. Indeed, we can’t think of any time the question was asked of a man, nor any circumstance where it could possibly be relevant during Question Time.
O’Sullivan too must have later questioned the relevancy, issuing an apology for the “undue outburst” but then declaring Waters and the Greens are hypocrites for speaking out about human rights only to then, “mock people of certain religious beliefs”.
Waters was also labelled a “bigot” by Queensland LNP senator Matt Canavan during Question Time (a comment that was later withdrawn) and called “disgusting” by Senator George Brandis.
But it’s the topic of her marital status that Senator Waters found particularly inappropriate.
Below’s a reminder about when and where it’s inappropriate to ask if a woman is married.
• During Question Time — as well as any official business in politics
• During a job interview.
• The first time you meet a woman
• During any kind of business meeting or correspondence
• In communications online, including email and social media
• Anytime it’s absolutely none of your business — which is probably more often than you think
Anything you’d include on the list?
As for asking why somebody’s NOT married or when they’re going to GET married, just never do it.