Counsellor came unstuck for daring to share Arndt article



Even when they went under the name of "The Marriage Guidance Council of Australia", RAWA were clearly under feminist influence.  As a social psychologist, it was axiomatic to me that anger in a relationship was always destructive and detrimental to a resolution of difficulties, but RAWA held that it was fine for a women to be angry.  She was entitled to it.  They appear to have swung even further Left since then.  Men should avoid them like the plague.  They are heavily biased in favour of women so are more likely to inflame the situation than improve it.  They are NOT a neutral arbiter

A domestic violence case manager and men’s counsellor who says he was forced to resign after being confronted by his employer for sharing an article by Bettina Arndt has lost an unfair dismissal claim.

Robert Tiller was employed by Relationships Australia Western Australia for eight years and was a member of a separate organisation, Men’s Focus Group, which met to discuss the challenges of working in social services.

Mr Tiller said as a men’s counsellor, he had been “privy to countless tragic stories (from men) of emotional and physical abuse from their partners, including parental alienation from their children, strategic violence restraining orders and what they’ve seen as the loss of their lives and livelihoods resulting from Family Court decisions”.

Members of the Men’s Focus Group debated and circulated research and articles, including a column by Ms Arndt published in The Australian in 2016.

After a member of the group sent documents shared by the men to RAWA, its executive ­director, Susan Visser, expressed concern that Mr Tiller was using his work email to circulate views inconsistent with the organisation’s philosophy. Ms Visser told the Fair Work Commission that Mr Tiller appeared to be endorsing the view that domestic violence was gender-neutral and did not arise from a gender power ­imbalance, a position contrary to RAWA’s philosophy.

RAWA chief executive Terri Reilly said the view that domestic violence was not gender-based was “not only wrong but dangerous”, and “at its highest these views propose that domestic violence is a conspiracy promoted by feminists”.

Ms Reilly and Ms Visser met for 90 minutes with Mr Tiller in March this year and Ms Reilly told him the emails were a problem.

Mr Tiller said she said that because he had shared Ms Arndt’s article from his work email, he was aligning RAWA with Ms Arndt’s conclusions on domestic violence. He said the article was sent in the context of the group’s ongoing discussions and was not meant as a political statement.

“Mr Tiller says at one point he observed Ms Reilly move to the edge of her seat. In a sharp tone, she said ‘Bettina Arndt is right-wing’ and challenged her credibility as a journalist,’’ commis­sion­er Bruce Williams said in his decision.

“Mr Tiller says he replied that the article had been printed in The Australian newspaper, to which Ms Reilly rolled her eyes.

“Mr Tiller said that Ms Arndt was a clinical psychologist and that her article had referenced a number of academic studies. He added that some of her findings matched his observations as a ­couples’ counsellor where the male partner can often experience different forms of abuse and violence from his female partner.

“Ms Reilly restated that RAWA’s domestic violence policy was clear that ‘violence is gendered’ and Ms Arndt’s article ­directly opposes RAWA’s position that violence is primarily experienced by women.”

Mr Tiller said Ms Reilly told him that in order to preserve his professional reputation, he would be allowed to resign instead of having a dismissal on his record.

Ms Reilly rejected his ­account, telling the commission that when she confronted him over the views in the emails, he replied “but it’s what I think” and they were mainstream. She denied saying Ms Arndt was right-wing. She said when she asked him “Where do we go from here”, he replied “I guess I will resign”.

Her version was essentially supported by Ms Visser.

While Mr Williams found all three witnesses to be credible, he accepted the evidence of Ms Reilly and Ms Visser that Mr Tiller volunteered that he would resign.

Mr Williams was highly critical of how the meeting was handled, however.

SOURCE 






Comments by Bettina Arndt on the Rob Tiller unfair dismissal case

The Commissioner ultimately rejected Mr Tiller's unfair dismissal claim because he found that Rob resigned rather than being fired. Commissioner Williams said that if Relationships Australia (RAWA) had dismissed Rob, that dismissal would have been unfair, and he gave a list of reasons for that conclusion.  It’s unusual for a Commissioner to make comments of that kind in circumstances in which he found that there was no dismissal, and that may be an indication of Commissioner Williams’ concerns about RAWA’s behaviour.

He was very critical of the way RAWA had handled the matter, stating that the CEO’s intense 90-minute meeting confronting Rob over the allegations was "highly prejudicial" and "gave every appearance of having prejudged the matter".

The Commissioner discussed RAWA's domestic violence policy "historically framed by a feminist analysis of gendered power relations," saying that applying that philosophy to the cases where women engaged in violence against men, or between same-sex couples, was uncertain and "problematic.”

He went on to point out that, while Rob was obliged to abide by RAWA’s policy, it was "not entirely satisfactory given the internal inconsistencies and deficiencies".

"Whatever views and beliefs Mr Tiller did hold I find there is no evidence he had not been carrying out his duties in accordance with RAWA's policies."

He found management was influenced by Rob's Facebook posts which they found personally offensive.  The Commissioner said that "Whilst individuals will react differently to attempts at humour, judged objectively these Facebook posts and cartoons were innocuous,".

We are all very disappointed with the news but pleased that the media coverage is highlighting RAWA’s feminist domestic policies and the dismal failure of the organisation nationwide to properly support men.

But many thanks to all the people who supported Rob’s crowd-funder which has raised over $11,500. 

The financial support has enabled Rob to regroup and work on establishing a full-time private practise. We are delighted that he’s now pretty busy with many new Perth clients and also skype and telephone counselling with people all over Australia.

And he’s about to run a workshop on The Impossible Business of Keeping Women Happy: Don’t dare live with them but can’t live without them? How to navigate the treacherous world of finding the right partner, keeping her happy and hanging on to your house.

Via email




  

Pacific trade pact set to pass Federal parliament

Surprising for the opposition to do anything but oppose. I guess that they supported it because Trump opposed it.  They are that shallow

Labor will support a massive Pacific trade deal involving 11 countries after a long debate among MPs in the party room.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership now looks set to pass the Senate with bipartisan support, after the government could not secure crossbench votes.

Opposition trade spokesman Jason Clare told Labor party MPs on Tuesday they should support the deal, which the government says will deliver $15.6 billion a year in economic benefits.

About 23 Labor MPs spoke on the TPP, with a slight majority of them opposed to it.

Mr Clare said the deal would give Australia improved access to 13 per cent of the global economy, and improved environmental and labour standards.

He also said after Donald Trump's withdrawal from the TPP it made strategic sense for Australia to draw closer to the region.

Opponents of the bill said there were issues with recognition of foreign qualifications, protections for local workers and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions.

But Mr Clare argued there was only one new ISDS provision - with Canada - and that could be dealt with if Labor wins government.

One MP moved an amendment saying the TPP was not in line with Labor party policies, but it was defeated, and then MPs voted to support the bill.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Labor had thrown workers under the bus.

"Labor has betrayed Australian workers, and our sovereignty, by paving the way to locking our nation to the dangerous TPP," Senator Hanson-Young said.

"This is a trade agreement that gives corporations the power to sue governments for raising wages, protecting the environment or reducing the cost of life-saving medication."

Business groups have urged Labor to support the deal, but some unions have opposed it

SOURCE 






Live sheep export phase-out hits roadblock

A push to end live sheep exports has been shelved in federal parliament after coalition MPs opposed to the trade refused to vote to ban it.

Legislation to phase out live sheep exports within five years and end the trade to the Middle East during the northern summer passed the Senate on Monday morning.

But Labor's push to have the bill debated in the House of Representatives was headed off in the afternoon with the government prevailing 72-70.

Liberal MPs Sarah Henderson and Sussan Ley both oppose the trade but their recent elevation to the frontbench forced them to vote with the government.

The newly-promoted pair are hopeful a soon-to-be released review into the Agriculture Department will keep the issue in the spotlight

"Labor's actions today were a disingenuous attempt to disrupt parliament masquerading behind the cause of animal welfare," they said in a statement.

"Our personal conviction on this issue remains and we will continue to advocate for a change in coalition policy and for a phase out of this awful trade."

Liberal backbencher Jason Wood, who has previously spoken in favour of phasing out the trade, also voted against debating the bill.

Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon accused Ms Ley and Ms Henderson of abandoning their convictions. Ms Ley was behind a private member's bill mirrored by the Senate legislation.

"Today Sussan Ley and Sarah Henderson took their 30 pieces of silver and voted against their own proposition to phase out the live sheep export trade," Mr Fitzgibbon told AAP.

"It's obvious their passionate speeches in support of their own bill were full of hollow and insincere words."

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said Australia had a responsibility to stay in the trade, attacking Labor for "crab-walking" towards banning cattle exports. "They are coming to an industry near you," Mr Littleproud told Sky News.

Earlier, crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm, who used to work as a vet and agribusiness consultant, said animal welfare advocates were racist for wanting to end the trade to the Middle East.

"The people who buy our sheep are brown and those who don't want to sell them our sheep look down on them," he told parliament.  "Just imagine if these brown people tried to stop us eating ham at Christmas by refusing to sell us pigs."

The Greens, and independents Derryn Hinch and Tim Storer, were behind the Senate bill.

SOURCE 






Pauline Hanson comments on the banning attempt

The Greens and Labor parties have shown utter contempt for Australian producers and families by shutting down debate on a bill to ban the live sheep export trade and then forcing it through the Senate.

“All Australians are appalled by the deaths and treatment of some sheep being transported overseas, none more than sheep farmers themselves, but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” Senator Hanson said.

“Live exports bring in billions of dollars a year to our economy. Yet the Greens and Labor have not given proper consideration to those farmers, communities and the workers who rely on the income derived from the live sheep export industry.”

“Clean up the way sheep are exported by all means. Fine those who break the law or strip them of their exporting licence if they are found to be doing the wrong thing. But we have to take a measured approach.”

“Did we learn nothing from the impact of shutting down the live cattle export industry?”

“Does the Labor party not understand that farming communities across Australia are still reeling from the damage done by their party when they banned live cattle exports?”

“This is just another case of the Greens seeking to tear an industry down without offering any solutions to the Australians whose lives will be utterly ruined by their slash and burn policies.”

“The total lack of empathy shown by the Greens and Labor towards Australian farming communities is sickening. With so many Australian farmers being forced off the land and suicides at epidemic levels, they need to learn that it is not just people’s livelihoods that are at stake, it is their lives.”

SOURCE 

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).    For a daily critique of Leftist activities,  see DISSECTING LEFTISM.  To keep up with attacks on free speech see Tongue Tied. Also, don't forget your daily roundup  of pro-environment but anti-Greenie  news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH .  Email me  here