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Some perspective on how out of touch this bloke is

Sally McManus

by Sally McManus

03 Dec 05:40am

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Filed under: Equal Pay, Equality, Rugby Union, Sexism, Sport

70 comments

David Campese recently gave us a nice insight into what he thinks about the role of women when he publically questioned why a female journalist would be covering a rugby union tour. 

Didn't exactly score many tries with women this past week

What could a “girl” possibly bring to the table in such a role? What would she know about rugby union - a man’s sport?

Surely to say that a woman can accurately grasp the concept of scrums and line-outs is almost as ridiculous as suggesting that women’s rugby is a real sport.

One can only assume that Campo would prefer this highly experienced, highly respected, journalist was doing something more fitting of a woman, like covering fashion for her paper or better yet, doing a true women’s job, like working as a community sector worker or something of that nature.

Thankfully, as the instant outpouring of anger from men and women across the country as a result of his comment has shown us, not many people think like Campo anymore.

The vast majority of Australians know the days of women being undervalued in the workplace are on the way out. Women shouldn’t be limited to what jobs they can do or paid less than men.

People recognise that for far too long jobs in sectors such as the community and social sector have been seen as ‘woman’s work’ – and paid poorly as a result.

But thankfully, a big step towards rectifying that takes place today.

Today marks the first day the historic equal pay increases will be awarded to the 150,000 community sector workers around the country.

The community sector is a largely female dominated and for some antiquated reason that’s been seen as an excuse to pay workers in the sector a pittance.

Women earn on average 18 per cent less than men – and it is the undervaluing of female dominated sectors such as the social and community services sector that has held back improvements to this pay gap.

Today’s equal pay increases are a vital step towards bridging that gap.

Earlier this year, the Federal Government announced that it was going to fund its share of equal pay rises for workers in the social and community services sector and then one by one – some more slowly and hesitantly than others – the states have come on board and committed to funding their share. Today that money will be landing in the accounts of those deserving workers.

It’s an historic decision and one that has been a long time coming. And it was only made possible because of the Fair Work Act which has changed the law on equal pay in this country.

Community sector workers play a vital role in our community. They work with the most vulnerable in our society, supporting people with disabilities, assisting families in crisis and providing our homeless with shelter.

They’re fundamental to our social fabric, but those working in the community sector earn about 30 per cent less than those doing comparable work in other sectors – until today.

The pay increases, which range from 23-45 per cent, are also crucial in helping retain people in the sector. Low retention rates in the social and community services sector is a notorious issue and a direct result of the sector’s low pay.

But today is not just about underpaid workers being paid what they deserve - it’s about equal pay. It’s about valuing women and valuing the work of the social and community services sector.

Australians should be proud of the decision to finally right this wrong and give workers equal pay.

Not many people could goose-step like David Campese, and thankfully not many people think like him anymore either.

Comments on this post close at 8pm AEST.

Most commented

70 comments

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    • Bill says:

      05:15am | 03/12/12

      Who is this guy? I’ve never heard of him.

      Reply

    • gnome says:

      08:02am | 03/12/12

      If you click on the name you will find he is the secretary of the Australian Services union NSW ACT Branch- obscure- sure, but still someone with lots of opinion to offer, though little of it relevant.

      Anyway, rugby isn’t my game either.  If I want to read about football, I want to read information from someone who knows more about the game than I do.  Most women know more about rugby than I do, so that’s OK, but no-one is going to get rich selling me articles about rugby.  Other codes though, I wouldn’t bother reading an article by someone who hasn’t played the game at the top level. 

      Only a woman or a fool couldn’t understand that.

    • Bill says:

      08:25am | 03/12/12

      I was referring to this Campese bloke. Who is he? Is he a journalist? A politician? From which state? Perhaps the author of this article should have explained to the readers who this person is because I’ve never heard of him and still don’t understand why he is the subject of this blog.

    • K^2 says:

      09:16am | 03/12/12

      Bill, there is this amazing thing called the interwebs mate.
      Try using a search engine and find out who David Campese is.
      In brief for you, he’s one of the most decorated Australian rugby players from the past 20 years.  I agree with gnome, if the author of this story wants to take it as a sexist slur thats her problem, David seems to be saying that a woman couldnt understand how to report a game properly, because more than likely she hasnt played it, I want commentary and reporting from someone who has been at the top level, no matter what the sport is - if that sport was netball and a woman said that guy shouldn’t be commentating/reporting because how can a man understand” I doubt we’d be seeing the man hating articles.  I would tend to agree with a woman who said a man wouldn’t understand the game (Australian womens netball), the same as a woman who has played in the league at top level.  Its simple logic.

    • Rhys says:

      09:18am | 03/12/12

      Jesus Christ Bill. Google it. He was a winger for the Wallabies and one of the best ever.

    • iansand says:

      09:41am | 03/12/12

      Quite right Bill.  I could not name one AFL player who played for Australia, although I suspect the reasons for your ignorance and mine may be different.

    • jim says:

      04:23pm | 03/12/12

      what a terrible terrible has-been. But that would suggest that he sometimes was…. he is (and always was) a moron. And a soft player….

    • Macca says:

      06:44am | 03/12/12

      First of all, Campo’s comments were clearly archaic. Maybe it was going to a co-educational high-school, or maybe it was studying and practicing a profession with a female representation, but I’ve never been a position where I considered something unacheivable for a women. Sadly, my naivety is not shared by my female friends who still battle societal and workplace preconceptions. However, generationally, this seems to be changing.

      Now, to the gender pay gap. I think this is still a bit of a myth. To a degree. Caring or community-service roles do pay less than other roles. I do not believe this is based on gender, but simply on the measurable financial benefits of the roles. However, I struggle with a position that like candidates for like roles are paid differently on the basis of gender. There are discrimination laws to prevent this and I know of no case-law that would indicate an organization adopting such a practice.

      Unfortunately, we’re all a bit hypocritical in Australia. We all wish Teachers, nurses etc. could be paid more, but bugger if you’re going to increase our taxes. Similarly, we raise concern about the dominant market positions of Coles and Woolies but fail to buy our groceries from our local corner store. The public was outraged at the loss of jobs at Qantas, and then jumped on low-cost carriers for their overseas trips.

      Ultimately, the Gillard government has done something the public would widely agree with. Pay-rises, of course we like that. However, the nature of community service jobs is that the community pays for the service. Please don’t feign outrage next-time you see your child-care bill.

      Reply

    • gobsmack says:

      06:54am | 03/12/12

      Equality is the key here.  As a society that values equality we should strive to ensure equality applies in all spheres of endeavour.

      For too long academia has favoured the academically gifted.  We all know that particularly intelligent students can breeze through exam with minimum of effort.  It is about time we give due credit to those less gifted who need to put in an extra 20 hours study to get a bare pass.  That effort should be rewarded.  We should divide exam results by IQ to achieve a fairer outcome, one that rewards effort and achieves equality.

      On the sporting field, the overweight athlete carrying an extra 20 kilos has to put in far greater work to get over the finishing line.  That extra effort should be rewarded.  Handicaps are used in horse racing, so why not use them in sport.  It is high time that unfit people are represented on the winning podiums.  We should strive for equality in sport.

      Reply

    • Rugger me says:

      07:11am | 03/12/12

      Campo still gets a free pass from me for that over-the-shoulder pass to Timmy Horan in the 91 World Cup that led to a try and won us the game…

      He also scored a try in that game too.

      What were we talking about again? Apollo Creed?

      Reply

    • VVS says:

      10:10am | 03/12/12

      One of the greatest moments in Australian rugby history

    • Campo is a Legend says:

      07:13am | 03/12/12

      David Campese arguably Australia’s greatest rugby player is concerned about the game he loves. He has raised questions about players, coaches, and the executives running the game.  Sally I’m sorry to say but when David Campese talks I listen so stop trying to use his name to create publicity for yourself.

      Reply

    • iansand says:

      09:36am | 03/12/12

      Was it 2 tries in 4 matches?  It would never have happened in Campo’s day, and the game is poorer for it.

    • ramases says:

      07:26am | 03/12/12

      Here’s a concept for you to get your head around. You say that women should be treated the same as men and I agree, lets start with the topic at hand, sport. There should be one sport, not men and women’s sport but one. No men’s and women’s golf, tennis or any other sport you can name. Both sexes required to compete against each other for the sponsors dollar as this would mean and equal playing field and save billions on duplication. Of course now the feminists will come out and say but there are differences in the sexes that must be taken into account with one breath and in the same breath demand equal rights. Hypocrites.
        Work, one set of rules for all , no extra goodies for women like maternity leave or special Work Place Health and Safety Laws but one set that both sexes must adhere to.
        You want a level playing field for women but expect special consideration also. Make up your minds, either we have a level playing field or we have a mixed playing field where one sex gets an advantage over the other in certain things, you cant have it both ways. Campo might have been wrong in what he said but it echoes the thoughts of a lot of men out there who have seen the special consideration given to women over men and scratch their heads in wonder at the duplicity of the feminist movement and their stated aims.

      Reply

    • TChong says:

      09:10am | 03/12/12

      ramses
      No maternity leave ?
      Why?
      Come on , be realistic. Australia is a wealthy country, and can afford it.
      After all,we dont live in Somalia.
      What are the “special Work place Health and Saftey Laws” you refer to?
      Which law , specifically offers protection to women, but not men ? (excluding the Defence forces)
      ( As some one who believes in equality, I would be outraged, and will join you in condemning any law that provides workplace protection to women, while negating men.)

    • Kika says:

      10:20am | 03/12/12

      I think you would find that the main reason women get more maternity leave is that they have just pushed out a 3-4kg bowling ball of a child and are probably lactating. It may be a bit hard to get back to work in 2 weeks or so when this is all happening.

      BTW Men are getting better paid leave from their employers and the goverment is now going to pay an additional 2 weeks for men to take paternity leave as well. Things are changing.

    • ramases says:

      12:02pm | 03/12/12

      Okay, who’s idea was it to have the baby, the Tax paying public or the couple? Oh dear it was the couple, so why should the tax payer pay for the woman to have leave for a decision that was made by one or two people. Taking responsibility for ones actions should be part of living in Australia but it seems that now everybody expects others to pay for their decisions. Id also like to know what the hell Somalia has to do with women being paid Maternity Leave. Its not about how rich we are supposed to be but as I said taking responsibility for ones own decisions. This nanny state mentality has got to stop before we all just sit at home and expect the Government of the day to pay us for nothing.
        Its been a while since I was in the workforce and things may have changed but back then women were not allowed to lift anything heavier than 20kgs whilst men were expected to lift much more, just one example. On the picking fields, toilets were provided, occasionally, for the women but not the men who had to find a convenient tree, small things but still examples of preferential treatment for one sex over the other.

    • Kika says:

      12:33pm | 03/12/12

      OK - Ramses in your first post you didn’t mention ‘paid’ maternity leave. You said maternity leave. I replied to you confirming why we need leave after having babies.

      As for whether it should be ‘paid’ or not - well, most people can’t afford these days for only one person to work. Most people need 2 people working to get through the week. So if one person drops out to have a baby that leaves one stressed out dad and one unhappy mum and baby at home. What happens then? Birth rate declines. While the birth rate hasn’t grown significantly since the baby bonus or paid maternity leave has come in, the fact that they are phasing our the bonus and focusing on the paid leave is helping to keep women in work (i.e. employers don’t have the entire burden of paying for her leave) and hence more tax money coming in later on.

      When you have healthy families, you have a healthy society and the more tax payers in the force now making more tax payers for the future, the better.

      Yes, there are arguments to having a lower population too - but the examples of this are the Scandinavian countries where Mum and Dad get 12 months off work paid because they’ve got the resources, the funds and as such are one of the happiest places to live on earth.

    • ramases says:

      03:57pm | 03/12/12

      Kika, and why pray tell do they need two parents working, could it be that they want their cake and eat it too. If a couple have stretched them selves so thinly then it strikes me a irresponsible to bring a child into the equation but the prevalent thinking is that’s its okay because the Tax Payer will foot the bill and we can live in the manner we’ve become accustomed to.
        Your statement that employers don’t have the burden of paying for her leave doesn’t take into account the employer having to take on a new employee to fill the position for that 12 months and all the associated costs entailed. The extra tax money coming in will in no way pay for the largess that is expected by those taking advantage of the other tax payers to fund what is a personal decision to have a baby. Take responsibility for your own actions should be the mantra not let the Government and the tax payer take the responsibility a point that somehow seems to be missing from your posts.

    • Tim says:

      07:30am | 03/12/12

      Ah the pay gap myth again.

      Must be so fun to constantly feel like a victim instead of taking responsibility for your own choices.

      Reply

    • MK says:

      10:13am | 03/12/12

      Yup this Author is obviously as out of touch with reality as Campo!

      “People recognise that for far too long jobs in sectors such as the community and social sector have been seen as ‘woman’s work’ – and paid poorly as a result. “
      NO
      No
      Double No

      Jobs arent highly paid becasue they are men’s jobs
      Men Choose work that is highly paid

      Why did the chicken cross the road?
      The way you lot carry on (you lot being the wage gap myth propaganda birgade)
      I don’t think the chicken did cross the road,
      It saw the rooster cross the road,
      then the chicken complained and complained
      and lobbyed to have the non existent invisible barrier in the road demolished,
      then lobbied to have the road moved and built on the other side of the chicken,

      when all it had to do,
      was cross the road

      just cross the road

    • Guy says:

      01:00pm | 03/12/12

      MK I think whatever point you were trying to make was lost when you decided to go on an insane and incoherent rant about chickens.

    • Tubesteak says:

      07:34am | 03/12/12

      If that Mark bloke can commentate on the cricket despite not being a former capped player then I suppose there’s room for the inexperienced to comment. He seems to do ok and is often more professional than some of the former players

      “community and social sector have been seen as ‘woman’s work’ – and paid poorly as a result.”

      Wrong. Pay is determined in the public sector by reference to the war for talent with the private sector. Considering the private sector doesn’t pay much (doesnt generate much if any profit so cant expect salaries to be high) you can’t expect public sector salaries to be high

      It has nothing to do with “women’s work”

      “Women earn on average 18 per cent less than men”

      This is because women do less work than men in less demanding roles that often generate little profit. Women that have the same qualifications and same experience in the same role are paid the same. I know this is the case in law and accounting firms because I have worked there

      Reply

    • Pattem says:

      12:52pm | 03/12/12

      @Tubesteak: “Women that have the same qualifications and same experience in the same role are paid the same.”

      Absolutely agree.  This little, but so important fact, seems to get lost or forogtten in a lot of the equality debates.

    • Bitten says:

      02:11pm | 03/12/12

      Don’t go using logic again Tubesteak, you know it’s considered ‘cheating’ by the proponents of ‘woman-think’.

    • Lafée says:

      07:37am | 03/12/12

      “Women shouldn’t be limited to what jobs they can do ....”

      Um, Sally ... are you suggesting women should be taking on jobs they CAN’T do?

      Reply

    • chuck says:

      07:42am | 03/12/12

      Who else but a woman would want to query the role of a hooker in RU and want to be a part of a scrum?
      Campo was one of the greats and he has a right to his opinion as most women don’t have a clue about that “brutish” sport. All we need is women on the board and it will be reduced to the same level as Aust rules!

      Reply

    • D says:

      07:45am | 03/12/12

      Ugh. I’m VERY skeptical about that 18% figure - I’d be more interested to see the figure for average difference in pay PER HOUR OF WORK, rather than that misleading statistic. Stuff like that puts me right off whatever message people are trying to get across.

      RE Campo; he’s an idiot. Simple.

      Reply

    • Brian says:

      07:57am | 03/12/12

      Campo…who really cares what this woman has to say, look at who she works for and how high she has risen…how much crooked stuff has she done to get to the top in a UNION…...............scratch the surface and you never know what you will find about people who run Unions are concerned.

      Reply

    • George says:

      08:01am | 03/12/12

      I agree with community sector workers getting a pay rise. However I don’t think a secretary should get as much as a brain surgeon. Which seems to be what this 4th reich of feminism is about.

      Reply

    • FHB says:

      09:14am | 03/12/12

      Woman get equal pay.  There is no evidence anywhere that they do not receive equal pay for the exact same jobs. 

      What they do get is lower pay because they work less hours per week and less weeks per year.

      If you want to earn the same income as a man you have to work like one and not expect to earn the same in 30 hours as some poor shlump who puts in 60-70 hours per week plus free overtime for the company, the problem is too many women simply wont do it.

      The absolutely hysterical studies in which feminists site differing pay are so ludricously tampered it should serve as nothing less than embarrassing for those pushing the dated line.

      These “studies” done by feminists where all the differing factors in the workplace like men working more unpaid overtime and being more proactive in asking for pay rises are summarily dismissed or factored out of the equation in an effort to push the “same job” “different pay” angle.

      The problem is there is absolutely no proof that women get less pay when they DO negotiate higher earnings and work more paid overtime, a fact NO feminist will ever discuss, much like the validity of there “studies”.

      Why on earth would any business employ men at all when they could pay women less?  Well, they don’t pay women less that’s why.

      What an affront to logic this whole argument is.

      Reply

    • hillsman says:

      09:27am | 03/12/12

      campo…a goose step without the step

      Reply

    • Jim Bob says:

      10:18am | 03/12/12

      I agree he was awesome at his peak

    • CT says:

      09:30am | 03/12/12

      Its quite simple math.  If you are a “producer” you get paid more, if you are “administration” you get paid less this has to do with what you bring to the business.  Administration is a pure cost on a business, producers bring money back in so they offset their cost to the business by what they produce, and therefore justify higher pay.  If you did a proper analysis, and looked at what percentage of working women are actually in production roles, rather than administration roles I think you would find a co-relation in the pay discrepencies.  In any business where women are “producers” they earn equal pay - engineering, design, construction, mining etc etc, women get paid the same salary as men in equal positions.

      Its easy to skew statistics in your favour when you cherry pick bits out isn’t it Sally?

      Reply

    • Adam says:

      09:30am | 03/12/12

      Campo is spot on. Enough political correctness.  We want ex players as commentators, we want an Aussie coach.

      Reply

    • Kika says:

      10:27am | 03/12/12

      Adam - The woman involved was a journalist - not a ‘commentator’. If a woman cannot cover a story about a sporting team is a man not entitled to cover stories about:- 1) Women’s tennis 2) Women’s swimming 3) Women’s golf 4) Women’s netball? Or are men inherently qualified to do so because they are men and know about sport instinctively?

    • Ben C says:

      12:04pm | 03/12/12

      @ Adam

      The problem with limiting commentary (and journalism) to those with experience within the field they are commenting on, is that of the current batch of journalists in print, not too many would have cut their teeth inside the sport itself. Many would have been devout followers of the sport, and developed their connections via their jobs as reporters/journalists.

      For example, Bruce McAvaney at Channel 7 calling the AFL - he has no experience whatsoever within the game. Same with Ray Warren at Channel 9 calling the NRL, or the swimming.

      Admittedly, having experience within the sport would help, but it may also hinder, as there are politics involved (Phil Gould still harbours illwill towards David Gallop over Super League).

    • Rob says:

      12:47pm | 03/12/12

      Kika, no man would not want to cover netball, women’s hockey, women’s cricket, women’s rugby, women’s golf becasue it would be a step backwards in a career, and contribute to resolving by stealth a wage parity myth that doesn’t exist. Apart from that he would be discriminated against going in the ladies dressing room. But women have access to the NRL dressing room and get pissed off If a bloke doesn’t want them in there.

      Look, I know men are on the planet by invitation only, and must abide by female philosophy, but occasionally recalcitrant men transgress into making Utopian decisions on their own behalf - sorry I mean   ‘recommendations’ on their own behalf, But that is usually put to bed (I know poor choice terminology) swiftly by the social police.

      Hence you get unfortunates like Campo who need some discipline. Then again care is needed because ‘discipline’ can cross the line to pleasure if you get the drift. So I sympathise with you, and dealing with the recalcitrant misfits making up the non productive 48% who form the drones for the Queen bees.

      I reiterate no one has ever given those drones any recognition for what they achieve because it might offend. Anyhow you should give it a shot (could be liberating for all women). You are right though with your ‘instinctively’.

    • lostinperth says:

      09:44am | 03/12/12

      Someone makes a point about someone who has never played the game being sent to cover an international tour. And it turns into another rant about how hard done by women are when it comes to pay.

      Who is going to pay for this 23 to 45% increase for more public servants.

      Some jobs pay more because they are dangerous, unpleasant, require lengthy learning through apprenticeships or university courses, require long hours in remote locations.

      Some jobs pay less because they aren’t most of the above or because they get other trade off’s - like teachers getting 12 weeks annual leave, or public servants getting job security and tenure.

      If you aren’t prepared to meet the criteria of the high paying jobs then don’t complain about your pay level.

      Reply

    • Mayday says:

      01:11pm | 03/12/12

      My son earns good money because of the work he does; climbing high towers, squeezing into small smelly places, handling gases and dangerous substances etc. 

      There are women engineers in his place of work who earn less because they do NOT take on the dangerous jobs in the plant, their choice.

      My other son works in hospitality and once again he is on the same rate of pay but generally earns more because he works longer shifts and at night, many of his female co workers do NOT want these shifts.

    • ronny jonny says:

      04:04pm | 03/12/12

      Do a TAFE course and entertain kiddies all day, you don’t deserve high pay. I work in the security industry, traditionally male dominated business with low pay, I feel discrimated against because female detectives get paid more than me. It isn’t fair!

    • david says:

      09:54am | 03/12/12

      I work in that sector. Hopefully i (and other men) can get that pay increase as well.

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      10:57am | 03/12/12

      Just a point on equality.

      Paternity testing as per yesterdays ‘Body and Soul’, where fathers need partners’s approval to do a paternity test. Not so when reversed the man fingered either pays up or does a test. Mother though can hide their tawdry habits by refusing to agree to a test and their partner can be hoodwinked for life into believing a sibling to be his when it is not.. Now there’s equality.

      Reply

    • old mate says:

      11:15am | 03/12/12

      How many women tough it out on oil rigs? How many would be willing to fight in Afghanistan? How many get up at 6am and lay bricks till their backs give out at age 40? How many women work in city sewers? The workforce does not discriminate against women - women discriminate against the workforce.

      It is laughable to whinge over pay discrepancies when men do tougher jobs and work an average of 10 hours per week more than women. If women spent more time working towards their goals and less time whinging about “the patriarchy”, they might actually close the gap.

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      11:28am | 03/12/12

      Look just to settle this equality philosophy, could some woman give men credit for what men achieve , rather than it all being down to discrimination.
      I mean I have never seen one person comment, not one, on the basis of men having achieved anything on their own right, and recognising men for doing that.

      I mean this gender crap is beyond reality.

      A 25-40% pay increase. Is this based on productivity or qualifications. I can see this leading to a need for Uni qualifications across the board for employment in these ‘carer’ positions. Does this disqualify half the people employed there, thus discriminating them out of the workforce. More problems to come.

      All of my adult life society has had a love affair with making life easier for women and indifference towards men and boys. Please don’t ask for the examples petals, because you already know. We are 48% of the population and easy to form opinions of being second rate as most boys leaving the education system would feel, indeed indoctrinated to that feeling.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      11:30am | 03/12/12

      I am all for giving allowances to women for taking time out of their careers to have children.

      Just as I am all for giving allowances for men who are not allowed to take time out of their careers to spend time with their families.


      What do you mean thats not fair?

      Reply

    • Kika says:

      12:40pm | 03/12/12

      My husband is taking time off next year when our baby is born - he’s quitting work and studying so he can be at home with us while I’m off on leave.

      You can. Why not? I’m going to be the bread-winner and I’m totally fine with that.

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:23pm | 03/12/12

      Some blokes CAN do that, however MOST cannot. Not if they want to keep paying the mortgage, put food on the table etc I wish my missus had a career that could afford me to sit at home and do the house husband thing - but alas, she doesn’t. I wish my workplace would pay me to stay at home for a few months - but they don’t.

      I could elect to take a leave of absence unpaid - but most families in the country cannot afford that - nor can the country afford to compensate families in such a way. Its a sacrifice one way or the other. Usually women sacrifice careers/employment advancement in order to stay home and raise the children whilst men sacrifice family time in order to keep working to make money to pay the bills. Contrary to popular belief - they don’t actually pay themselves to make it ‘fair’ for people.

    • sami says:

      02:46pm | 03/12/12

      Why are they ‘not allowed’? Of course they’re allowed. That’s what parental leave is for. And as well as that, there’s discussions with your partner about who will be a stay at home parent, if that’s what you want to do. Though I recommend that discussion taking place before producing offspring.
      Make sense?

    • Rob says:

      02:49pm | 03/12/12

      Kika the difference is your job is guaranteed when you return to work. Your husband’s is not

    • Steve says:

      12:25pm | 03/12/12

      A Union stooge giving morality lessons, too funny.

      Reply

    • the nothing person says:

      12:35pm | 03/12/12

      If David Campese is out of touch with reality , then he should become a Liberal party politician,a journalist,  a radio shock jock, and the next Australian Rugby Union Coach !!

      Reply

    • the nothing person says:

      12:37pm | 03/12/12

      my grandfather once said
      ” Only chicks play Rugby Union instead of Rugby League”

      Real men play cricket! Real women run and play politics!!

      Reply

    • Carolyn says:

      01:12pm | 03/12/12

      Why do we care what some has-been footie player has to say? Is he continually and currently contributing in a beneficial manner to society? Or is he living off past-glories, and being thusly rewarded (i.e. footie leads to television or media gig which leads to boardroom membership which leads to being granted CEO status which leads to being honoured with token Doctorate from educational facility that has massive footie programme etc, etc).

      Seriously, why are we listening to him and taking him….seriously??

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      02:44pm | 03/12/12

      Carolyn, Are you OK. Please sit down and take a deep breath. Don’t stress yourself. It’s probably similar to the Doctorates granted to Leisel Jones, Kate Blanchett, and Nicole Kidman. But it is not the same as positions donated to J. Gillard and Q. Bryce. And at least Campo did something. Nor is it the same as a tainted education system or legal system which unequivocly favours females with culpable intent.

      That’s all bye the bye and while women peddle misrepresented half truths they’ll get nowhere. Men indoctrinate their sons to You are responsible for your own destiny, no handouts, leg-ups, no quotas. You are reponsible no one to blame. Sorry fellas shouldn’t have given that out.

    • Carolyn says:

      04:04pm | 03/12/12

      Dad, is that you???

      Sorry Rob (and ta for your response). I’m no feminist, and I believe that men are short-changed in this country big-time - especially within Family Court, access to children, divorce settlements etc.

      My post was not meant to be taken as some chest-beating, anti-male sentiment. I was simply asking why this was even making news. Am just sick of what makes the news (yes I am aware this is an ‘opinion’ site as opposed to a ‘news’ site).

      That’s all. Agree with you regarding our education system and the over-favouring of females.

      Personally, my gender gives me the proverbials most days. I would prefer the conversation and company of a half decent bloke than thirty minutes of inane babble that comes out of the mouths of my female coworkers.

      That’s all.

    • Joe Blow says:

      02:17pm | 03/12/12

      So I’ll be interested to see how this new journo goes describing the pressure that players are under late in a close game, the impact of tackles, why a player made a particular decision etc.  If you have never played a game in any form how do you know which parts of the game are difficult to execute and which are not.  For example - never having done synchronised swimming I’d have no idea as to how hard it is to hold your breath while floating vertically upside down - nor whether it gets harder at the end of a routine.

      And in response to a previous poster - if women were actually fair dinkum about equality in sport they’d start by handing back 2/5ths of the ‘equal prize money’ they get for playing a mere 3 sets of tennis vs the 5 that the men play.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:31pm | 03/12/12

      A lot of ‘Community Sector’ Workers are also part time employees - which is also why the money they are paid is crap. Not because they are women. Looking out from my office right now, into a building full of ‘Community Sector Workers’ I’d say that…..its a 50-50 mix of men and women, which also is reflected in the management team. I’ve fixed the payroll system many times and I know they are all on the same pay system with different ‘bands’ for different skill levels/history/responsibilities - I didn’t see any distinctions in the software for Males and Females.

      The only worries around here is whether or not they’ll have jobs next year when the Qld and Federal governments start re-doing funding for various projects we provide. No funding, or cut down funding = job losses. Not only that, it means that some of the most severaly disadvantaged, the most marginalized, the most handicapped, mentally ill, abused men, women and children will have no support in the community either.

      So remember thaqt when you are cheering on Government Funding cuts to the ‘gravy train’ and gloating how they will now have to ‘get a real job’.

      Reply

    • Ian Matthews says:

      03:03pm | 03/12/12

      i call bullshit! He has an opinion and he expressed it. So what? As they say in the classics, “Get over it.”.

      Reply

    • Bho Ghan-Pryde says:

      03:20pm | 03/12/12

      What a PC beat-up. He was obviously commenting on the experience side of the equation. It just came out wrong and gives the PC tossers a chance to pile on.

      Reply

    • Jane says:

      04:31pm | 03/12/12

      Well, if nothing else, the comments here have proven Australia is seriously lacking in decent men.

      Reply

    • Testfest says:

      04:51pm | 03/12/12

      Yep, a blog post with about 60 comments on it is totally representative of the entire adult male population of this country. Sigh.

    • Peter says:

      06:21pm | 03/12/12

      You would hope its not representative, but I could see why, just from the one reply you’ve received so far, you could have cause to despair. Its hard to know if the name or the reply gives the least hope for humankind.

    • Mark says:

      04:45pm | 03/12/12

      Some of you people really need to read a book or an essay once in a while.
      You may quickly realise that you know very little about what you think you know and nothing about almost everything else.
      Campese is ignorant and these posts prove he is not alone.
      Some of you are clearly evolved.

      Reply

    • Rob says:

      05:00pm | 03/12/12

      Nice last sentence Mark. Please explain to the unwashed.

    • Duck Star says:

      05:35pm | 03/12/12

      I feel very sorry for all the men who commented here who feel that they are treated so unfairly in life that they need to moan about how women have it so much better and how they are now all subject to the dictates of evil feminazis…

      As for sports journalists, I require that they have a good knowledge of the game, and that the write in an interesting and insightful way - having played the game or the gender of the journo is not particularly pertinent to the matter. In fact, many players may make poor writers and have no place in print.

      Reply

    • Kate says:

      05:53pm | 03/12/12

      The pay gap certainly does exist. When I had to find a job I had the choice of becoming a low-paid waitress, shop assistant or a higher paid car detailer. I chose car detailing - work boots, uniform, mud and semi-physical labour (wasn’t THAT hard). I worked there for six months, got the yard in shape cos the ALL male employees were too stupid to organise things properly. I did better than an equal job but found out the guys in the same position were on more money tgan I was. When I handed in my notice I was offered more money but told them to shove it - on to greener pastures. I have experienced first hand that even if a woman takes on a make role they are not recognised as equal, even when they are the best darn employee they have!

      Reply

    • Servaas says:

      05:54pm | 03/12/12

      What is sad to me is how people are using Campo’s statement to self-righteously promote their own ‘advanced level of morality’.

      Reply
 
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