Kevin Rudd makes his acceptance speech on Wednesday night (Image: ABC)

The events which saw Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister, ousted in favour of Kevin Rudd were a spectacle to transfix the nation and to confound the rest of the world. Why would a nation which is sitting pretty economically (at least when compared with most of the developed world) want to change its leadership? Sure, Gillard had her faults, but so does every politician – don’t we know it. However compared with how bad things could be (Greece, anyone?), Australia has done pretty well in the six years since the global financial crisis started. So why the anger at a government which has been largely successful in what it set out to do?

Julia Gillard herself probably knows the answer. Love her or hate her, there is no disputing that she is at least a moderately intelligent woman. And as a woman with some level of intellect, she would know that beneath Australia’s international veneer of civilised sophistication, lies a vindictive, backward society based on misogyny, ignorance and raw bitchiness. Julia Gillard’s merciless treatment at the hands of the Australian media ought to shock all Australians into a bit of soul-searching. In the past month alone, we’ve witnessed a Perth radio host ask Ms Gillard if her long term partner is a homosexual and a Brisbane restaurateur provide a menu to a Liberal Party fundraiser featuring “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail: small breasts, huge thighs and a big red box”. Then consider all the other personal – not professional – attacks which she endured during her term (including infamously Alan Jones’ vile remarks that Ms Gillard’s then-recently deceased father had died of shame). This type of repeated personal attack has a name – it’s known as harassment – and it is a punishable offence if one does it in one’s workplace. However if this kind of attack is played out in the media, for the whole nation to see, it is simply politics.

This is not purely a gender issue – although as Ms Gillard rightly pointed out in her concession speech on Wednesday night – it is not unaffected by gender either. While women should not be afforded any special treatment in politics simply because of their gender, it seems apparent that Julia Gillard was subjected to a higher level of personal attack than any comparable male leader. Many will say that this was a result of Julia Gillard being unprecedented in her ineptitude, but this is neither true (for reasons set out above regarding the management of the nation) nor reasonable. Former Labor leader Mark Latham was widely ridiculed for his vision of the nation, yet attacks against him were largely restrained to the political sphere. Even when allegations were personal – such as his alleged assault of a Sydney taxi driver – commentators usually gave thought as to why such a personality would make a bad leader for the nation. At the very least, no-one was making jokes about his genitals.

Julia Gillard speaks to the press after her ousting on Wednesday night (Image: The Age)

Julia Gillard’s treatment while in power is a direct result of Australia’s tough social culture in which the strongest survive and anything outside the mainstream is beaten into submission. It begins from school days – Australian children are taught to ‘toughen up’ to survive the schoolyard, or else risk social exclusion. This indoctrination does not occur as a result of formal teaching methods, but rather a general consensus that bullying is normal, and that people should grow a thicker skin to tolerate it better. This culture of bullying, intimidation and social exclusion continues into adult years, and has become a regular feature of Australia’s public discourse. It is manifested most visibly in the ‘tall poppy syndrome’, where Australians must be careful not to become too successful in life, or risk being cut down to size. It was arguably at its most ugly late last year, when legions of Australians proffered the ‘toughen up’ advice to a nurse who had committed suicide after being humiliated by two Sydney radio hosts. Who (if anybody) stands responsible for Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide is a moot point here – the insensitive line of “gotta roll with the punches, sweetheart” was disgraceful. The result is a national society where mediocrity is not just the norm, but the ideal – because if you’re not with the rest, you’re under attack and on your own. Anyone who dares to be visionary, exceptional or groundbreaking is treated like a freakshow until they gain wider acceptance and/or popularity. ‘Mateship’ is an integral part of the Australian way of life, provided you have mates – otherwise, good luck.

Julia Gillard’s ousting from the prime ministership is an affirmation that Australia’s vicious, toxic culture of bullying is alive and well. Over the past three years, the Australian government has been not criticised but bullied by a media led by right-wing Murdoch publications – in fact in three major capital cities News Limited outlets have a near monopoly on the print media (unthinkable in many nations around the world). Those who hated the Gillard government often cite Labor’s poor economic management or corrupt practices as their reasons. However Australia’s economy has been in excellent shape for the past six years, and Liberal governments have been exposed as corrupt as well. However in Australian society’s herd mentality, no-one would stand away from the pack and point out the glaringly obvious facts. Instead, the superficial, intellectual-hating, unthinking masses furthered the line while not truly understanding why they believed it. Julia Gillard’s ‘unelected leader’ tag was only valid until she was fairly elected prime minister in the 2010 election. On Wednesday night the Labor party turned on itself. Aided by the sheep of ministers and faceless men, and unbothered by a population standing idly by, they were able to change their leaders as their fickle whim saw fit.

Winners are grinners, but at what cost? Kevin Rudd was sworn in again as prime minister of Australia on Thursday morning (Image: The Age)

Not a lot happens in Australia, and when people get bored they turn on each other for entertainment. Australia’s latest change of leadership was both a direct and indirect result of a largely bored, navel-gazing populace not really knowing or understanding what was going on at the top, but looking for drama. The media fed that, and when misogynist fuel was poured on the fire, no-one of importance really cared enough to put it out. In the end, Julia Gillard was left standing without a chance. In this way, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd are no better than each other. They are the same people in the same circumstances but three years apart. When the spoilt nerdy kid at the front of the class became unpopular in 2010, he was given the Carrie treatment. And when the ‘ranga chick’ dared to have an opinion she was relentlessly dismissed, and on Wednesday night she was the one to wear the pig’s blood.

None of this is to say that other nations don’t have the same problem. However when personal harassment of public figures occurs in most places which consider themselves civilised, it provokes a widespread sense of outrage. It hasn’t so far in Australia. Now would be a good time for the majority of Australians to stop navel-gazing and to start some serious introspection.