Scott Morrison has a history of underestimating strong women. As Michelle Grattan writes, he did it as CEO of Tourism Australia - leading to his sacking - and he’s doing it again now.

Two recent examples involve former Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate and Australian of the Year Grace Tame. Morrison let rip in parliament when it was revealed Holgate had given a $5,000 Cartier watch to four employees as gifts. Would he have reacted the same way had the CEO been male?

Then there was his decision to appoint the conservative and combative Amanda Stoker as assistant minister for women, when such an appointment would inevitably provoke a strong negative reaction from some quarters. So it did, with Tame claiming Stoker had supported a fake rape crisis tour on campus, among other things. Stoker rejected the claims, defending her record on promoting justice for women. But Morrison could easily have made a less controversial appointment, Grattan argues, and it’s strange he didn’t.

Meanwhile, the Morrison government also finally responded to Kate Jenkins’ year-old report into sexual harassment in workplaces, but here, too, it came under fire.

Emma Golledge and her colleagues at the Kingsford Legal Centre at UNSW argue the government’s response falls significantly short of demands by many women to fully implement all 55 recommendations in the report. For the government to respond effectively to Jenkins’ damning findings, they write, it must deliver radical change.

The government is finding itself under pressure on the country’s slow vaccine roll-out, as well, and last night’s news that people under 50 are advised against getting the AstraZeneca vaccination due to the extremely small risk of blood clots will only delay things further. We will have more analysis coming on this later in the day.

Amanda Dunn

Section Editor: Politics + Society

Mick Tsikas/AAP

Grattan on Friday: Scott Morrison finds strong women can be tough players

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Scott Morrison is inclined to underestimate tough women - and these tough women now present a serious political challenge

Mick Tsikas/AAP

The government’s ‘roadmap’ for dealing with sexual harassment falls short. What we need is radical change

Emma Golledge, UNSW; Dianne Anagnos, UNSW; Madeleine Causbrook, UNSW; Sean Bowes, UNSW

The government's response to Kate Jenkins' landmark report on sexual harassment in the workplace includes several positive measures. On the whole, however, it doesn't go far enough.

AAP

New setback for vaccine rollout, with AstraZeneca not advised for people under 50

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The vaccine rollout was thrown into fresh uncertainty on Thursday night after the government received medical advice against using the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 50 because of the very small risk of blood clots.

TRACEY NEARMY/AAP

Company directors can’t serve two masters: what went wrong at Australia Post

Jason Harris, University of Sydney

Director's responsibilities are to the company, not the the owners, even if those owners are the government.

Matthias Schrader/AP/AAP

AstraZeneca’s blood clot risk is incredibly small. Australia shouldn’t follow the UK’s lead of offering under 30s another vaccine

Nathan Bartlett, University of Newcastle

All vaccines and medications come with risks. But the risks of delaying vaccination are far higher.

Shutterstock

What is thrombocytopenia, the rare blood condition possibly linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine?

Anthony Zulli, Victoria University; Maja Husaric, Victoria University; Maximilian de Courten, Victoria University; Vasso Apostolopoulos, Victoria University

Scientists have called it "vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia", or VIPIT. The condition is characterised by a shortage of platelets in the blood.

Shutterstock

Most Australians support First Nations Voice to parliament: survey

Jacob Deem, CQUniversity Australia; A J Brown, Griffith University; Susan Bird, CQUniversity Australia

New research reveals high support for a First National Voice to be enshrined in the Constitution.

Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

What happens when your arts minister suffers from cultural cringe?

Jo Caust, The University of Melbourne

Arts Minister Paul Fletcher has taken aim at what he calls a 'cosy club' of arts elites. But his claim of 'unprecedented' arts funding and a push for greater fairness don't add up.

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