As a Canadian, I admit that I know nothing about Australian politics, but I do know that being a politician in any country isn’t easy. They can’t please everyone and their personal lives are constantly under scrutiny. I also know that being a female politician is even harder and I greatly admire South Australian MP Nicolle Flint for the way that she stood up to a journalist’s comments about her clothes this week.
Before we look at that, let’s take a look at how she dresses for her role. In my opinion, she looks classy, professional, and approachable. This is her Facebook profile picture.
And here’s a montage of photos, also from her Facebook page. She most often chooses a basic column of black with a brightly coloured jacket.
In his Sunday newspaper column, radio host Peter Goers wrote, “Nicolle wears pearl earrings and a pearly smile. She favours a vast wardrobe of blazers, coats and tight, black, ankle-freezing trousers and stiletto heels. She presents herself in her own newsletter 23 times as a fashion plate. She has blazers and coats in black, blue, pink, red, beige, green, white, cream, floral and two in grey.” Would he have made similar comments about a male politician’s shirt colour, the width of his tie, or the shoes he wore? I think not. Though not as extreme as having her office vandalized with the word “prostitute”, being called a “skank”, or dealing with a male stalker, all part of Flint’s experience since entering politics, Goers’ comments are clearly sexist and inappropriate.
A politician needs to be thick-skinned, but no one should have to put up with this kind of disrespect simply because she’s a woman. By all means, comment on how well she does or doesn’t represent her constituents. Criticize her performance as a politician and her policies, but unless she dresses completely inappropriately or immodestly, not her wardrobe!
A video of a Flint wearing a garbage bag to protest what she refers to as “rubbish” comments on her clothes has gone viral and drawn support from across the political spectrum. If you haven’t already seen it, watch it here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I wish I looked that good in a garbage bag!
Following Augustine 
Alas, the good ole boy network is alive and well. Ms Flint looks professional and appropriately and modestly dressed. Mr Goers need to be educated.
I hope he learns something from her witty response and all the positive support she’s receiving for it.
It seems to me that they are grasping at anything they can to make her look bad, that seems to be the way Politicians around the world are acting lately. In my view, it makes them look like childish bullys.
In this case, it was actually a radio show host and newspaper columnist who did the bullying. Thankfully, there seems to have been a positive response to her video from politicians on both sides.