After the Manly Sea Eagles Pride jersey controversy, which she claims also demonstrates “who is and who is not discriminated against” in Australia, Peta Credlin thinks she is disillusioned with the direction the nation is headed.
The former chief advisor to Tony Abbott and Sky News contributor has blasted Manly management, accusing them of compromising their own efforts to promote inclusivity by refusing to allow the players who don’t want to wear the shirt to play.
Influential TV host claims the controversy has revealed the divide between “awake Australia and the rest of us” in a critical commentary for the Australian. Cry for my beautiful country, she continued.
The athletes who, due to their religious or cultural convictions, don’t want to wear the jersey are prohibited from participating. Just like that,” she penned.
All because the club’s management made the decision unilaterally to require everyone to don the jersey because they just figured there wouldn’t be any pushback to using the players as political billboards.
It is unfortunate that they did not engage the affected athletes before they effectively demonstrated the opposite of an inclusion drive.
Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula, Christian Tuipulotu, and Toafofoa Sipley have all declined to play in the Sea Eagles’ vital match against the Sydney Roosters on Thursday.
They alleged that they were not consulted over the clothing by the team.
Despite the controversy it has sparked, Manly chairman Scott Penn stated the Sea Eagles will once again wear their rainbow pride uniform next season.
Additionally, Mr. Penn disclosed that he would meet with the seven players who will not play in the club’s vital Round 20 match against the Roosters because the uniform violates their cultural and religious convictions.
The multi-millionaire digital health entrepreneur says he wants the team to be “the most inclusive club in the NRL” and has discussed how to do it with the league’s CEO Andrew Abdo and ARL chairman Peter V’landys.
Even while Penn is certain Manly will keep wearing the pride shirt in 2019, he admitted the team handled the situation poorly.
Political correctness was denounced by Ms. Credlin as she ripped into the club’s handling of the situation.
As examples of victims of PC culture, she cited the seven Manly players and Israel Folau, who was fired from Australian rugby due to his comments about the Bible.
People who have traditional Christian values frequently lose battles against political correctness’s strongholds, she noted.