Drunk senator forced to quit

News.Com.AU ^ | December 7, 2003 | Lincoln Wright

[Wumpus Hunter]

Drunk senator forced to quit By Lincoln Wright December 7, 2003

AUSTRALIAN Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett has been forced to quit over allegations that he assaulted and verbally abused a female Liberal Senator.

Senator Bartlett has been told to put his political career on hold until he sorts out his drinking problem.

Victorian Democrat Lyn Allison became the Democrats' acting leader yesterday, after Senator Bartlett drunkenly manhandled and abused Liberal senator Jeannie Ferris on Thursday night.

Democrats say it is now unlikely that Senator Bartlett will return to the job until his drinking bouts come to an end.

Senator Bartlett mauled and hurled abuse at Senator Ferris in a late-night fracas over allegedly stolen wine.

Senior Democrats were privately concerned that the party's compassionate image, and even future, were at stake unless the issue was resolved immediately.

"There are issues to be worked through," Senator Allison said.

It was too early to say whether Senator Bartlett would return to his leadership role, she said.

There was no vote to replace him - Senator Allison took over because she was his deputy. Only the party membership can vote on a leader.

A shattered Senator Bartlett said in a statement: "Physical aggression is never appropriate, and regardless of any of the other circumstances surrounding the incident, it is not acceptable".

A furious Natasha Stott Despoja took time off from a wedding yesterday to say Senator Bartlett's behaviour was simply unacceptable.

Senator Ferris was still angry about what happened, even after Senator Bartlett stood aside.

"I'm sorry it came to that. That is his decision," she said. "It was always going to be a question of whether the Democrats want to keep a leader who behaved like this. I don't feel it is about vindication."

The Democrat party room listened to Senator Bartlett - who is well liked - as he apologised yesterday for "causing damage to to our hard-won reputation".

The seven Democrat senators held a long nationwide phone hook-up to discuss the incident.

Queensland senator John Cherry said the phones had run hot all morning.

Many of his colleagues were appalled by Senator Bartlett's behaviour, and especially outraged that he repeatedly told Senator Ferris she was a "f...ing bitch".

Senator Bartlett is due to leave for Indonesia today for two weeks, and the party wanted to sort out its response before he went.

Video footage recorded just after 10.30pm on Thursday did not show the actual moment when Senator Bartlett grabbed Senator Ferris.

But the footage does show a shocked Senator Allison looking on and then turning in disgust to a colleague, Andrew Murray.

The row started after Senator Bartlett apparently took five bottles of wine from a Coalition Christmas party back to his office.

Senator Ferris asked for the wine back, sparking the angry scene inside the Senate chamber.

[Wumpus Hunter]

At first I thought this was gonna be about the Swimmer, but it still shows that the democRATs are a-holes in Australia too.

[goldstategop]

Wasn't this all about sex and its time to move one? ;-)

[Prime Choice]

There you go...getting my hopes up that Teddy Kennedy had finally been bounced out of the Senate.

Ah, that would have been the FINEST Christmas present of all. : )

[demlosers]

And I thought this was about the bloat-boy from Cape cod.

[martin_fierro]

Paging Ted ("Skipper of the U.S.S. Oldsmobile") Kennedy

[Aeronaut]

You both beat me to it.

[speedy]

You proved that when we see the words "Senator" and "drunken" in the same sentence, our minds immediately flash on to one overstuffed babbling sot.

[dighton]

Mods, ban this tease for life.

;-)

[Paleo Conservative]

Victorian Democrat Lyn Allison became the Democrats' acting leader yesterday, after Senator Bartlett drunkenly manhandled and abused Liberal senator Jeannie Ferris on Thursday night.

Here's senator Bartlett standing next to senator Lieberman.

[glaseatr]

I see that the Dem's in Aussie land are having the same liberal problems as San Fran. Just can't keep them damn liberals in the fold so yell, scream and cuss them to the ends of the world.

ROFLMAO, this is just too good to be true. Damn shame they blame alcohol when we all know it's just another liberal under some Dem's skin.

[Clintonfatigued]

I was so sure this was about Ted Kennedy. Oh, well......

[GreenLanternCorps]

FYI:

The Democratic Party in Australia is a more liberal party than the Liberal Party.

The Liberal Party is a center-right party that governs the Commonweath in a coalition with the National Party.

[Tamzee]

It was cruel to get our hopes up like that...

[Vigilanteman]

If only his buddy Orin Hatch would get him so wound up he provoked a heart attack . . . (the swimming champ, that is).

[Tamzee]

I wouldn't be surprised to see him kick off anytime now...
he has got to be on sixth or seventh liver ;-)

[Arpege92]

Darn, I thought this was about Ted Kennedy!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Darn! I was hoping it was about Joe Kennedy's youngest son. Still...

The row started after Senator Bartlett apparently took five bottles of wine from a Coalition Christmas party back to his office.

Five bottles? Holy moly. The man was planing to get seriously plastered.

[Wumpus Hunter]

"The man was planing to get seriously plastered."

Or it takes him 5 bottles to get laid.

[Unknown Freeper]

Wumpus, this is false advertising. This should have been about Subdriver Ted.