You Cannot Be Trusted

Local News, By Christian Taylor, 28th July, 2008

Jeff Kennett, former state premier, president of AFL club Hawthorn and first rate ignoramus, has caused an uproar with his justification of the sacking of bisexual footy trainer Ken Campagnolo.

According to Jeff, once they found out Campagnolo was bi, they had to get rid of him, because he posed a threat to the young male members of the club. In saying this about Campagnolo, he’s essentially said it about all of us – you cannot be trusted because of your sexual urges.

“The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men – massaging young men – it ran an unnecessary risk and that’s why it decided it was best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do the right thing,” said Kennett to Melbourne’s Herald Sun.

“When you are in charge of a group of young boys, as this club was as I understand it, it’s got to make sure.”

The fact that Campagnolo has worked for over 20 years without a single incident seems to count for nothing, when weighed up against Kennett’s homophobia, and twisted notions of what Campagnolo might do.

Kennett went on to equate homosexuality to paed0philia, saying, “It’s the same if you have a paedophile there as a masseur, right? And you might say the paedophile would do no damage, but once it was pointed out to you, you have a duty of care to those underage children not to put them in a situation of risk.”

Campagnolo, who was sacked last year from the Bonnie Doon Football Club after 22 years of service, has taken the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Campagnolo is already homeless as a result of being unable to gain employment in his hometown of Mansfield since being outed. Kennett’s latest comments add insult to injury. “I am not a paedophile. Does that mean every straight male doctor cannot treat any female patient?”

Rodney Croome, spokesperson for the Australian Coalition for Equality, says that Jeff Kennett should immediately step aside from his role in depression advocacy group Beyond Blue, because his remarks are exactly the kind of comments that drive young gay people to suicide.

Croome says that it’s about time that AFL develop a strong anti-homophobia policy. Not only will it protect people like Campagnolo, but it will also “benefit the Game by tackling the kind of prejudice which can harm team spirit and cohesion.”

Kennett has since tried to backtrack, saying, “I am not interested in the sexuality of a particular person. What I am talking about is duty of care and litigation, so I’ve been completely taken out of context.”

Of course, context doesn’t even come into it. No re-contextualisation of these words could possibly make them valid statements.

Your Thoughts

mollyfud

said ages ago

What, you mean like, say the action of trying to help a bisexual man get his job/position back? "There is none so blind as he who WILL not see!"

orsman01

said ages ago

What, you mean like, say the action of trying to help a bisexual man get his job/position back? And then when it didn't work, telling the world that of course, it was a futile exercise really cos being bisexual he's like a paedophile and so doesn't deserve to win. Yeah! That's the one!

mollyfud

said ages ago

And then when it didn't work, telling the world that of course, it was a futile exercise really cos being bisexual he's like a paedophile and so doesn't deserve to win. Yeah! That's the one! Aghh! But he didn't say that, thats your "speculation". "By demonstrating your own particular bias you enlighten us." Orsman01, "you don't half know how to make a simple situation complicated".

orsman01

said ages ago

I guess I can only presume you need to repeatedly quote me because you can no longer think of anything original to say? Well, then perhaps it just goes to show that I'm saying the right things. ;-)

mollyfud

said ages ago

I guess I can only presume you need to repeatedly quote me because you can no longer think of anything original to say? Well, then perhaps it just goes to show that I'm saying the right things. ;-) Ever play master mind? Your right but in the wrong place/way! But seriously, I can't believe you can't see that we are arguing the same thing, just we have different slants on what is refered to by one small word that on its own means absolutely nothing or anything more to the point. The word? "It's"! Its the keyword in this whole debate! Your going to say its pedophile but it isn't! It's "It's" Please, you have humoured me this far. Clear your mind! Think to your self, Could I be wrong, and then, take a step back (mentally) and look at what your saying about Ken and how the a similar thing (not exactly the same, yes I give you that) but dam similar! Lets agree to disagree on this, and get on with our lives. Thank you for having me here, and I did learn some things.

Bren

said ages ago

Mollyfud, yet again you obfuscate and blur the issue with the same irrelevant tangents. You seem to prefer blaming everyone else for their perception of Jeff's comments instead of actually recognising that Jeff offended a lot of people and that their hurt feelings are justified because the way he expressed himself associated pedophilia and homosexuality in a way that strongly implied "duty of care" requires these two very different things be treated similarly in a workplace context. The other point you keep glossing over is that whether he said it by accident or on purpose is not the key issue (although the longer he refrains from apologising, the less sincere he appears). Actually, I have simply referred to the reported quotes of Jeff Kennett and commented, like any other reasoned thinking person, on the glaringly obvious insinuations of his words. I'm not the one inventing hypotheticals, remember? It is notable that Kennett did not deny his words, he merely claimed they were misunderstood. In any case, it is not for Jeff (nor you either) to declare how everyone else ought to interpret his words. It is, however, Jeff's place to unambiguously apologise for, retract, and reject any negative insinuations he was seen to have made with his apparent poor choice of words. If he were sincere, he would do this. The longer he refrains from doing this, the less sincere it makes him seem You are wrong, you say? Fair enough. If only it were that easy for dear Jeff... :D But again, you blur the issue by questioning the offendees rather than the apparent offender (Jeff Kennett). That is wrong, yes. Hypothetical, irrelevant. What is highly relevant is for Jeff Kennett to unambiguously apologise for, retract, and reject any negative insinuations he was perceived to have made with his poor choice of words. (As much as it pains me to indulge in yet another one of your hypotheticals..) Were Jeff to do that, it would cast even further doubt over his sincerity. He would be better off not further compromising his own credibility by saying any more silly things.

orsman01

said ages ago

Bren - fair, concise, logical, respectful and to the point. Would that I had been able to express myself so lucidly and succinctly without becoming frustrated and completely bogged down in Mollyfud's hypothetical, defensive rhetoric. However, my prophesy is that your comments will fall upon stony ground and if they illicit any response whatsoever, it will merely be repetition of the same subjective, hypothetical nonsense. To be honest, I'm not even sure that English is this gentleman's first language, given how unclearly and confusingly he makes his repetitive, illogical points. Hence I gave up trying.

orsman01

said ages ago

And what a great word "obfuscate" is! ;-)

Peteski_au

said ages ago

I remember this story, but dont remember hearing any follow up. What ever happend about this, Did he get his job back, did Kennet apologise to the guy? And the case, what happened with the case? Follow up Maybe?

Asherbella

said ages ago

There once was a dope named Jeff, Whose thoughts left me a whole lot bereft, He fired a massuer, Who liked both him and a her, Ignorance made him blind, a bit deaf

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