The proverb “A man is known by the company he keeps” is traditionally traced back to the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop from the 6th century BC.
It appeared in Aesop’s Fable “The Ass and his Purchaser,” where a buyer judges an ass’s character by seeing which other asses it chooses to stand alongside.
In the case of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the reference to asses is entirely appropriate given how his bizarre relationship with Rhys Muldoon has highlighted once again his serious character flaws – this time his lack of judgement.
Former Play School presenter turned political staffer Rhys Muldoon (pictured above with Albanese) has been stripped of his role as an Australia Day ambassador after a series of abhorrent texts emerged.
News.com.au revealed a trove of Muldoon’s historical texts this week before reporting that he had served as an Australia Day ambassador.
The program Muldoon participated in was a NSW-based Australia Day program.
“Upon becoming aware of this issue this morning, I asked the National Australia Day Council CEO to engage with the New South Wales Australia Day Council to remove Mr Muldoon from any ambassador duties,’’ Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman said.
The National Australia Day Council later confirmed that Muldoon would not be invited to participate again.
“The National Australia Day Council’s mission is to unite all Australians on Australia Day through reflection, respect and celebration,” a spokesperson said.
“We expect all Australia Day Ambassadors to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this mission.
“The NADC can confirm that Mr Muldoon will not be invited to continue to participate in the Australia Day Ambassador Program.”
Muldoon was sacked after News.com.au revealed his history of social media postings, which his employer, Labor Senator Richard Dowling, said he was unaware of and described as “abhorrent.”
Muldoon was photographed at one such Australia Day event with Albanese, who also personally invited the TV star to his intimate wedding in Canberra that was attended by only about 70 people – with many Labor Ministers not being invited.
Albanese, who also followed Muldoon on X, claimed he was unaware of the posts.
This is despite Albanese having more than 60 personal staff advisors working directly inside his office!
None of them apparently checked out Muldoon – or is this just another Albanese lie?
News24 broadcaster Peta Credlin slammed the Labor Party for employing the well-known Australian actor after it emerged that he previously described her in social media posts in vile, sexist terms.
Speaking on her News24 program, Peta Credlin said she was simply “sick of this.”
“I’ve copped it for years, going back to the time when Clive Palmer attacked me publicly over IVF, and on and on and on it went back then,’’ she said.
“What is it about weak men and strong women? What is it about conservative women like me and Jacinta (Nampijinpa Price), that we’re considered fair game when others get defended?
“He’s a close friend of the Prime Minister. So close, in fact, that when Albanese invited just 70 people to his wedding on the lawns at the Lodge last year, Muldoon was one of them.
“Now I’m all up for anyone wanting to take me on intellectually, to disagree with me about policy, to argue and debate the direction in which our country should go and who should lead it. But time and time again, opponents on the left have made it personal.”
Muldoon’s social media posts about Credlin include the following.
“She’s what Liberals think of Margaret Thatcher. They picture her with a strap on, pounding away at their sorry a**ses,’’ Muldoon wrote in one post.
In other unearthed posts, he also referred to a Senator, who is not Jewish, as a “fake Jew”.
“Dave (the fake Jew) Sharma advised Alexander Downer while he was illegally tapping phones,’’ he wrote.
“Dave (the pretend Jew) Sharma has been boasting about his HSC results,’’ he wrote in another.
The actor and star of TV shows including The Secret Life of Us previously co-authored a children’s book with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle.
But after moving to Tasmania, he resurfaced as a taxpayer-funded staffer working for Labor Senator Dowling, which triggered political opponents to conduct a deep dive into his social media posts.
In one post, he described Senator Price as a “quisling” during the Voice debate, when she did not support the ‘Yes’ vote.
The dictionary definition of quisling is “a traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their own country.”
The insult’s origins trace back to Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian military officer and politician who aided the Nazi German invasion of Norway in 1940.
He was executed for treason in 1945, and writers – including Winston Churchill and George Orwell – popularised his surname as a nickname for any traitor.
In another post, Muldoon used the n-word while making fun of Australian legal protections for free speech under Section 28A of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
“I am protected under 28A you n****er jew f*****g dog smoking liberal voter. X,’’ Muldoon wrote.
Senator Price told News.com.au that the remarks were unacceptable.
“Mr Muldoon’s remarks are repulsive. They have no place in modern Australia, and Mr Muldoon has no place working for the Australian Government.
“The Prime Minister embarrassed us all with his appallingly sexist remarks about the Prime Minister of Japan.
“Now, he’s embarrassed us all again by handing his appallingly sexist mate a plum gig in his government.
“Australians deserve so much better than a Prime Minister who preaches about decency and transparency in public, while indulging crassness and practising cronyism in private.”
Thanks to Samantha Maiden at News.com.au, Facebook, and Johannes Leak for his cartoon
