For better or worse, Dominic Perrottet is now the premier of New South Wales. After digging in even a little bit, it’s hard to see the situation as anything but terrible.
Not only did Dominic Perrottet recently hold a COVID-19 press conference without an Auslan interpreter, meaning crucial health information wasn’t translated for the 1 in 6 Australians living with varying degrees of hearing loss and/or deafness, but knowing everything that he stands for, he probably believes anyone can pray anything away if they just try hard enough.
This traditional, family-first man, who is now premier of NSW, gives almost everyone a lot to be truly concerned about. And if not you directly, maybe someone you care about.
Apples and trees
Let’s examine Perrottet’s family real quick. His brother, Jean Claude, went to trial in the district court in 2017 for three counts of sexual assault on a Sydney University student at a St John’s College formal in 2015, after he thrown out of an after-party for being too drunk.
Police claim they overheard him telling a family member that “it was just second base, it was a bit of handwork”. He was found not guilty, and is now the secretary of the NSW Young Liberals, currently pushing against the state government’s mandated vaccination policy for vulnerable employees.
Jean Claude said he would never assault a woman, because it was against his religion, but some are reminding the Perrottet family that technically, so is child abuse within the Catholic Church.
Speaking of, Dom opposes laws to force Catholic priests to tell police if a priest confesses to child sex abuse in the confessional, “no matter what sins are confessed”. He then later said cover-ups in the church aren’t great, but the threat of imprisonment for pedophiles isn’t, either.
Dominic Perrottet in 2016, following the election of Donald Trump #nswpol pic.twitter.com/kG4jhP6r47
— Gavin Coote (@GavinCoote) October 2, 2021
Family values
On the topic of kids, in 2017, the father of six himself publicly opposed same-sex marriage for the same Groundhog Day reasons every conservative, homophobic politician has, saying it’s a child’s “fundamental right” to grow up with their own mum and dad. He also implied that these views aren’t homophobic.
Funny that children don’t have a right to be protected against predatory people within the Catholic Church, but they do against their own loving same-sex families, Dom.
Dom has warned Australia to stop “throwing money” at welfare, believing it’s the reason for divorce and single-parent families. Not domestic violence. Not alcohol and drug abuse. Not financial problems or physical and mental health issues. Not even communication problems or loss of connection and infidelity. Nah. It’s all because of welfare.
He believes marriage is penalised and single parenthood subsidised by the welfare system – again, somehow overlooking the rights and safety of kids who are living with a potentially abusive parent or parents.
What history tells us
Two years ago, Dom opposed the decriminalisation of abortion – he was one of the most vocal opponents at the time. He acknowledged that some women fall pregnant in “different and sometimes impossible conditions”, and he should have stopped there, but continued to say “But our first response as a community should be to help, not to harm”.
A dash of critical thinking and empathy might remind Dom that help and harm are subjective, especially if you’re looking at it through a religious lens.
Dom’s wife, Helen, who is a former Australian Federal Police officer and who worked in public relations for the Australian Defence Force, is also gaining attention at the moment, where some people are questioning how they can juggle their six kids and his new promotion. A common consensus seems to be that their wealth is helping significantly.
Dom’s chief of staff also resigned amid revelations the salaries of two of his personal ministerial staff were paid by the scandal-ridden insurance body, icare, back in August 2020.
No doubt some people will admire Dominic Perrottet’s unapologetic views, just as Trump supporters justify their love for who he once was. But those views aren’t reflective of 2021 and the people who make up our hugely diverse, problematic, but beautiful landscape. The only thing people are excited for, as history repeatedly shows us, are his economic promises.
On behalf of all of NSW, I can confidently ask, “what the fuck is coming up next, 2021?”
