If anyone is in any doubt whatsoever about just how eeevil the Liberal Party is then they should have a look at this debate on the ABC's Lateline between the abominable Scott Morrison and the sassy, feisty and undeniably empowered Tanya Plibersek.

Here she is saying what really needs to be said about those shameful and mysogynous signs calling Julia Gillard a witch and a bitch at that wingnut rally against the carbon tax:

TANYA PLIBERSEK: There needs to be an apology from the Leader of the Opposition for associating himself with the people who are prepared to call the Prime Minister of this nation, agree with her or not, like her or not, names that you would get thrown out of the pub for calling the person serving you beer.

Tanya, yougogirl! She made a very strong point here - though I must admit this comparison had no direct relevance to me. I mean, I wouldn't be in the pub in the first place on account of all that second hand smoke - and my yeast allergy (merely the smell can make me burst out into hives, you know).

But considering that leaders need to always be mindful of swaying the public at large, it was a very good choice of words. You see, the great unloofahed really don't understand anything much unless you couch it in their very simple terms, making reference to their backward culture and lifestyle. That's why you should talk about the footy, meat pies, drinking, smoking and pubs ... that sort of thing. And that's exactly what she did. (That said, this was on the ABC. Most of those watching would have been highly educated people anyway, who would of course vote for Labor or the Greens. Still, there might have been the odd working class Neanderthal who stopped for a peek while channel surfing for the latest rugby updates. And if she got her message through to even a few of those morons it was worth it.)

She continues:

I think it is appalling and most Australians believe it is appalling, whether they agree with Julia Gillard or not, that Tony Abbott does not have the judgment to move away from the signs that we saw at that rally the other day, or, indeed if he claims that he didn't know about them, to apologise for associating himself with those sentiments.

I couldn't agree more. It was appalling. Just appalling.

Any decent man would simply concede defeat at this point. But not Scott. Oh no! He had the sheer brazen gall to accuse her and the media generally of applying a double standard.

SCOTT MORRISON: I think this is a massive diversion for the Labor Party. When the Labor Party wants to apologise for being at rallies that called John Howard Satan and called him Hitler. When the Labor Party wants to take off their website which refers to Tony Abbott and Goebbels. When the Labor Party for the union movement that literally tried to smash down the doors of Parliament House, well you know I think we could have that debate.

But we're not calling on the Labor Party to do that.

But why should we, Scott? These were completely reasonable reactions at the time. We were living under a fascist dictatorship, remember. And anyway John Howard was a big tough man, wasn't he? Didn't his best mate Dubya call him the "Man of Steel"? Surely he could have shrugged such insults off ... Or was he some kind of a wuss. Is that's what you're saying Scott. hmm? That your revered former leader was a wuss? I'm sure he'd be very pleased to know that, Scott.

Stupidly, he adds:

I don't think there's much to be profited from this type of discussion. It's clearly a diversion. John Howard never complained when he was insulted. He got on with running the country.

Note the quasi-fiscal terminology. He just can't stop talking about profits, can he? And by the way Scott, don't you mean ruining the country?

After Morrison's appalling spray, Tanya was understandably livid:

TANYA PLIBERSEK: Nobody insulted him in the way that this Prime Minister has been insulted. The level of ....

SCOTT MORRISON: He was called Satan ..

TANYA PLIBERSEK: ... sexism ..

SCOTT MORRISON: and he was called Hitler.

TANYA PLIBERSEK: The level of sexism ...

SCOTT MORRISON: Oh come on Tanya!

TANYA PLIBERSEK: ... this is absolutely personal.

SCOTT MORRISON: Come on. Satan and Hitler is not ...

ALI MOORE: Alright ...

SCOTT MORRISON: ... personal.

Yes, Tanya, this was deeply sexist, and intensely personal. And the personal is political, as we always say. Which is why it's fine to take it personally (and politically). So Julia Gillard and every woman in the country (and the world, for that matter) should feel deeply violated by that budgie smuggling pugilist's refusal to apologize for those hateful signs.

Not only that, but we attitudinally reconstructed males should all feel violated on their behalf, too. (And by the way, if any wimmin think this isn't on, and that we're trying to hijack your agenda, let me assure you I did ask Eva Cox at a rally if this was okay. And she said sure, no problems.)

Back to the debate on Lateline: It was just so true that these "witch" and "bitch" signs were far worse than anything Howard had to endure. But pathetically, Morrison counters with the argument that he was called Satan and Hitler.

Yeah, well, remember that those calling Howard Satan were mostly atheists. So, the insult couldn't have carried any weight, could it? And being called Hitler? Well, John HoWARd was undeniably worse than Hitler. So being compared to him was actually a compliment.

Clearly, this talk of bias from Morrison is just more sickening right-wing propaganda. Goebbels himself could have scripted it.