Peter Hartcher’s vile smear (disgusting 'homophobia' attacks on Australia's conservative PM)

news.com.au ^ | 6th May 2015 | Andrew Bolt

[naturalman1975]

The author of this piece, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Peter Hartcher, also suggested - falsely and disgracefully - on 2GB a few minutes ago that this was on Tony Abbott’s instructions and it was open to “speculation” that this was driven by Abbott’s homophobia:

Australia’s ambassador to France offered his resignation after an incident while greeting Tony Abbott as he arrived in Paris on Anzac Day.

According to multiple sources, the ambassador, Stephen Brady, was on the airport tarmac with his partner of 32 years, Peter Stephens, waiting to meet the incoming plane around 7pm Paris time.

The prime minister’s traveling party sent an instruction that Mr Stephens should not take part in the greeting but should wait in the car.

The ambassador, a career diplomat and formerly the official secretary to two governors-general, refused the instruction.

In his interview on 2GB Hartcher alleged that Abbott himself “did not want the Ambassador’s partner to be part of the greeting party” at the airport. “I don’t know and can’t say that it was a homophobic moment,” he winked.

Hartcher’s suggestion of homophobia is based on zero evidence, and is on the face of it is preposterous. Hartcher seriously believes the Prime Ministers gets someone to ring ahead to make sure no gays greet him at the airport? Really?

[naturalman1975]

This story is being joyfully beaten up by the left wing press in Australia today.

The simple facts - diplomatic protocol states that the Prime Minister of Australia is greeted on arrival on such trips by Australia's Ambassador. If the Prime Minister is accompanied his spouse/partner (in the case of Tony Abbott, his wife Margie), then the Ambassador's spouse/partner may accompany the Ambassador. If the Prime Minister is travelling without his spouse/partner, the Ambassador greets him alone.

In this case, the Prime Minister's wife was not with him, and so normal protocol was that the Ambassador's partner should not be there.

Despite that, the Ambassador Mr Brady, chose to bring his partner Mr Stephens with him. And threw a tantrum when he was told to follow normal protocol.

Let's be clear on this - what Mr Brady was told was entirely based on the fact that his partner was being treated in exactly the same way as a female wife would have been. Doing it differently would have meant treating his partner differently because they are gay. Far from being a snub, this is supposedly what people like Mr Brady and Mr Stephens want, isn't it?

Other facts of relevance - during this same trip, the Prime Minister had drinks at the embassy with Mr Brady and Mr Stephens - in exactly the same way he would have had drinks with an Ambassador and their wife. And went out to dinner with Mr Brady and Mr Stephens - in the same way he would be likely to go out with any other Ambassador and their wife. In other words, Mr Brady and Mr Stephens were treated with all the normal respect and courtesy any Ambassador and his or her spouse or partner would be afforded, in every case where protocol and convention said they should be.

There was no 'special treatment' one way or the other.

This becomes a story because the left wing press loves looking for excuses to attack Tony Abbott as 'homophobic'.