Australian PM Gillard in Political Putdown of the Decade

This is long (15 minutes) but well worth persevering through. This ABC News video, available here on You Tube, shows Australian Prime Minister verbally eviscerate the Leader of the Opposition, calling him out on sexism, misogyny and hypocrisy.

There are occasions when a politician approaches a tricky situation with a good argument, the evidence to back it up and is able to deliver both in a devastatingly brilliant manner.

The Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, had proposed a motion of no confidence in the Parliament's Speaker over inappropriate and sexist text messages. Gillard's critique of Abbott's past sexist remarks and behaviour, which included taking part in events where Gillard was described as a bitch and a witch, was highly effective. She also expressed her anger at comments at an event, attended by opposition figures, that her recently deceased father died of shame.

In the end, the Speaker kept his job by one vote - only to resign later, leaving Gillard's already fragile coalition in an even more fragile condition.

If only the Prime Minister could be as committed to all forms of equality and introduce equal marriage.