Politics

Australian Embassy Under Fire For US “Mateship” Campaign Made Up Entirely Of White Dudes

Like a glass of milk in a snowstorm. With dicks.

by Tom Clift  7 July 2018
Mateship

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Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Joe Hockey, has apologised for an ill-conceived “mateship” campaign designed to highlight the friendship between the two nations. A campaign that could best be described as resembling a glass of milk in a snowstorm. With dicks.

The campaign, which was produced by the Australian embassy, highlighted 15 “patrons” who supposedly exemplified the strong connection between Australia and the United States. Malcolm Turnbull made the cut, along with previous prime ministers Kevin Rudd and John Howard. Also included were former American presidents George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. The list was rounded out by a mix of ambassadors and public servants from both countries, along with Australian basketballer Matthew Dellavedova.

What the list was missed was literally any woman, or any people of colour.

The glaring oversight was first reported by Meggie Palmer of Women’s Agenda, who called the list “myopic”, “lazy” and “un-Australian” which seems entirely fair.

In response to Palmer’s story, Hockey tweeted that he accepted responsibility for the mateship campaign and said he agreed that the list “should be fixed”. He also said that all former presidents and prime ministers, including Julia Gillard and Barack Obama, were invited to be part of the campaign.

In a statement to The Guardian, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it was “reviewing the mateship program run by ambassador Hockey so that it aligns with our commitment to ensure balance, and reflects the diversity of Australia and the United States.”

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Feature images via Wikimedia.