Mathias Cormann - Here's a Girlie Swipe, guess there is no need to duck.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann defends calling Bill Shorten an 'economic girlie-man'

Updated Sun at 1:36pmSun 19 Oct 2014, 1:36pm

Photo: Mathias Cormann has defended himself for calling Bill Shorten an "economic girlie-man". (AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo)

 

Well BUGGER ME!! 'economic girlie-men' is not a reflection on girls and I suppose if I made some banal sounding comment about foreigners with German accents being Nazis then that would have nothing to do with Germans, or indeed Belgians.

I thought I was reasonably widely read and yet I have never heard the phrase coined before. Perhaps Mr Cormann inspires to all things Arnie, possibly including having a son hidden under the stairs.

So now I am in a truly uncomfortable position, and not only cos I am trying to train up my new metal knee. Penny Wong objected too, and I do very much not want to be sided with her, cos I find it impossible to believe most of what she says and I truly doubt her motivations in just about everything she does.

So Mr Cormann, this is my problem with what you said.,

• It wasn't original and now you want to hide behind the rather sad shadow of a has been.
• Any derogatory phrase that has girlie in it is bound to offend more than a small handful of women and girls, and when given the chance to address this you just didn't bother.

I don't want to live in a world where political correctness becomes a muzzle and we are afraid to speak our minds in case some one, some where takes offence, but clearly Mr Cormann could do with a bit of muzzling about now.

I long for a time when 'throwing like a girl' and 'running like a girl' and yes 'balancing a budget like a girl' are perceived as compliments not as derogatory swipes.