Competition ’26

“Competition brings out the best in products and the worst in people.”  David Patterson

This week’s topic is competition and unfortunately in recent times, this quote about people’s behaviour is particularly apt. 

As both a woman and one who has had the misfortune to be in the statistics of one in two women who experience a pelvic organ prolapse, and one of the three to twelve percent who have noticeable symptoms – the recent so-called satirical cartoon film on a female Politian’s health crisis is so insulting on so many levels.

Firstly, it was from another woman about a women’s health issue, that fact alone is appalling, disappointing and quite frankly, disgusting.  This health condition is not only painful; it is quite intrusive to surgically repair and the healing that goes with this.  The fact that this condition was also called out in a not so healthy way.

I have not watched the film, nor do I wish to.  The fact that anyone thinks that this is a laughing matter and one that warrants such publicity is not what I call good taste.

Many conversations have been about this week, about parliamentary privilege and the public slanging which occurs in and out of the parliamentary walls.  I recall going to the Victorian Parliament as part of my school studies over forty years ago and being horrified as a thirteen-year-old on the behaviour of our sitting members.  It seems this has not improved, despite the bullying and harassment policies and procedures that every other workplace has.  This point alone makes parliamentary privilege a farce to say the least.

I know that I am in a privileged position to hold private health insurance, so I was able to access a specialist and surgery within a certain time frame.  This took a little longer than expected due to distance (I choose to go outside my region) along with planned holidays and celebrations on both sides – mine and the surgeons.  Others within the public system, may not have the same advantage.

Unfortunately, with a pelvic organ prolapse – it doesn’t get better with time and the delay in surgical treatment meant that the operation was more severe than my initial appointment.  Despite this, my healing has been fantastic and a year later I am holding up well.

My other disappointment with the person(s) who made this film is that October is also Mental Health Awareness month!  It is a well-known fact that our physical health impacts on our mental health and vice versa. 

I hope that our political representatives behave better in the future and continue to call out bad behaviour both in and out of the parliamentary systems.