Yet another Australian politician falls from grace because he was caught engaging in unwanted sexualized behaviour toward a young person (alleged sexually harassing text messages to an 18-year-old female). It bothers me greatly that our taxes are not only paying the wages of these perpetrating people, but also that while they engage in unacceptable behaviours, they are tasked with being representative of their electorates or portfolios.

Does being representative of an electorate or portfolio mean that the majority of people in Australia also engage in sexually exploitative or abusive behaviours? On the face of it, it would appear so. The recent and all too regular media surrounding unacceptable sexualized behaviour from politicians makes it sound as though far too many top shelf Australian Civil Servants engage in sexually abusive behaviour. There have been so many public figures under scrutiny for perpetrating a range of personal abuses against others, if they are representative of us, what is happening in non public life?

These perpetrating people have come under the media spot light only because they have been caught. Some have been caught through extensive investigations and some have been caught and found guilty following a single disclosure from a person affected. Although we could argue that it is happening too frequently and that non public life reflects public office, we could also consider that more people than ever before are finally speaking out against abuse perpetrated by a few.

If victims are speaking out now, it is about time. No longer are people disempowered and scared of abusers, threats or deviant behaviours perpetrated by people in positions of authority. No longer will men, women or children be sucked into the rotting hole of blackness that some public figures attempt to keep their victims in. Ordinary people are speaking up, ordinary people are recognizing their own power, their own worth and their own value to our society. Ordinary people are saying: NO way. WE will not tolerate abuse.

Transparency in governance has long been called for. If you do the wrong thing in office, you will be called to task publicly. Whereas once it was referred to as airing dirty laundry in public, it now appears to have become accepted practice that to kill the bugs that breed in dirty laundry, bright sunlight and winds of change are mandatory and sanctioned. What a wonderful sea change to be a part of and thank you to those in office that have fought hard for it.

If Government is for the people, by the people, then our Australian people are speaking against the abuse perpetrated on our children and young people by people in civil positions of authority.

While not all politicians act in such devious or perverted ways, if you are a politician who is hiding your sexually exploitative behaviour, I’d be worried. It would seem the Australian public has had enough and that the power of the media is on their side.

If you have even been abused by a politician or anyone else, please, report it. End sexual abuse: talk about it and take the power away from the perpetrators.