Dear Shadow Minister,

You obviously don't read all the posts on
this thread. Celivia confirmed for us the
fact that Craig Emerson WAS separated from
his wife, prior to his two year affair with
Julia Gillard. Celivia even gave us a link
to confirm that fact. If you scroll back,
I'm sure you'll find it.

No problems Examinator, but please send me the email(s). I want to see what I said.

A case that comes to mind of a male politician being subjected to public scrutiny over his private life is the allegations which were running against Bill O'Chee (former Nationals senator).

A number of stories ran with the allegation that Bill was a deadbeat dad, claims that Bill O'Chee denied in the stories I saw. I don't know what truth if any was in the allegations.

The boundary over public and private is a difficult one when people seek to lead the country. As others have pointed out the choices people make in their private lives are often a far better indicator of what they really believe than polished public statements yet most of those same situations can be incredibly complex and open to misrepresentation from outside.

R0bert

That's right, Foxy!
One can't simply assume that someone did something terrible and then continue to talk/act as if the assumption is fact.
Oh wait.. they can, and they did!
But I just feel that this is unfair and uncalled for!

As others have said, and I agree: attack politicians for the decisions they make for the country and for the people.
Tsk!
Me thinks that there is enough to talk about if one does just that!

RObert is right that it sometimes is difficult to know where to draw a line, but in this case there is a very clear, hard line.
JG's past relationship has nothing to do with the decisions she now makes as a PM.

Yabby,
"...I would never be that judgemental. "

Hear, hear!
I'm sure that Runner has heard similar words from a certain guy called Jesus.

I'm very happy with how this thread turned out. Hardly anybody agrees with Runner, for good reasons.

The vast majority of posters are far less judgmental than Runner, who has tried hard all of his life to follow Jesus- who has unfortunately failed to convey his messages about judgment to Runner.
Fortunately, the messages didn't get totally lost. They seemed to have taken a detour, 'coz these teachings magically ended up in Yabby's (an atheist) head, who must therefore have telepathic powers.

Runner over all thanks for the thread free speech is on display here from us all.
I thank you for allowing us to see how rabid some can go to undermine our first lady PM an Honorable mention to Shadow Minister.
Over all we all should not ask for moderator to kill any thread, not sure we should let such a chance to see how some think be hidden.
Please runner understand my opinion of you has not changed you did ask me why I left the church if it was only a minority that upset me.
2 Reasons, I could not tell the good from the bad.
And so very many sought power not love.
I must say I have been a much better person from the day I understood only I am in charge of my life.

Did anyone else see Craig Emerson on Q&A last night? The affair seems to be a bigger problem for him than Julia. Everytime he defended her over something there was a sort of ooooooh from the audience. Of course when they had the affair she wasn't the boss, but it illustrates one of the issues with workplace affairs.

I'm also wondering why a two year relationship that apparently happened after he left his wife is called an "affair".