Party leader Richard Di Natale demands that the Spectator editor should be removed for ‘appalling’ column on its website

Rowan Dean must be sacked by Sky and AFR over Sarah Hanson-Young article, say Greens

Greens leader Richard Di Natale has called on Sky News and the Australian Financial Review to sack commentator Rowan Dean over an “appalling” article and cropped image of Sarah Hanson-Young.

An article published online at Spectator Australia attacked the Greens senator for wearing a colourful dress with the line: “Any woman with anything upstairs knows you don’t win a debate with your boobs hanging out”.

Dean is the editor of the Spectator Australia magazine, and is also a columnist with the AFR as well as the host of Outsiders on Sky News.

“The article was accompanied by a close-up photograph of Senator Hanson-Young’s breasts,” Di Natale wrote to the editor-in-chief of the AFR, Michael Stutchbury.

“Although the article has now been removed, Mr Dean must be called to account for his appalling article, particularly as the reaction it caused clearly indicates how offensive the text and cropped image it contained were – and how out of touch are the views of Mr Dean.”

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Dean told Guardian Australia last week he did not edit the online column Flat White in which the offending article was published. However, he has not clarified who was responsible.

Rowan Dean (@rowandean) I am the Editor of The Spectator Australia print magazine only. I am NOT the editor of the Flat White online magazine.

Outsiders program has already been forced to apologise for broadcasting offensive remarks about Hanson-Young.

The Greens leader said it was wrong to link a woman’s intelligence, ability, and right to be heard and respected to what she is wearing. “Whilst there are differences, the sexism underpinning this view has echoes in the argument that what a woman wears can be seen as an invitation to unwanted sexual attention,” Di Natale wrote.

“Mr Dean, in his disgusting article, has clearly demonstrated sexist views that are out of place in modern Australia and which make him unfit to be a journalist. I call on you to demonstrate your support for women and your refutation of the values implicit in the article by immediately terminating Mr Dean’s employment with your publication.”

In a similar letter to the chief executive of Sky News, Paul Whittaker, Di Natale asked that Dean be sacked as a presenter.

One of Whittaker’s first moves at Sky was to terminate the contract of Dean’s co-presenter Ross Cameron last month for using racist language to describe Chinese people, including “black-haired, slanty-eyed, yellow-skinned”.

Di Natale: “Only a short while go Mr Dean and Sky News were forced to apologise to Senator Hanson-Young and Sky News suspended a producer for encouraging and broadcasting Liberal Democrats’ senator David Leyonhjelm’s appalling comments with regard to Senator Hanson-Young and running those comments on a banner at the bottom of the screen during Mr Dean’s Outsiders program.

“Mr Dean’s sexist views are out of place in modern Australia and his targeted attacks on Senator Hanson-Young make him unfit to be a journalist on your network.”

Rowan Dean and the AFR have been contacted for comment.



