Throwing the first stone

There's a quote I remember from my Sunday School days that has been brought to mind by this week's news headlines and political hit jobs: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Those words were spoken by Jesus when Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman accused of adultery to him. With a crowd gathering, they asked if she should be stoned according to the Law of Moses, apparently trying to trap him into breaking that law or showing cruelty.

Jesus stooped, wrote in the dust on the ground, then stood up and gave his famous reply. The accusers walked away one by one, starting with the older men. Jesus told the woman he did not condemn her either and told her to go and sin no more.

Fast forward to today and Jesus would probably be accused of misogyny and bigotry for not addressing the gathered crowd as "He, she or they."

But religion aside, I think there is a direct parallel with the media pile-on against Victoria's One Nation leader, Warren Pickering, after he fronted up and admitted to a wayward past including illicit drug taking in his 20s, more than 20 years ago. But he emphasised he had turned his life around and he was a different person today.

The media conference, in which he was strongly supported by his daughter and step son, was sparked by front page stories in The Australian featuring his former wife, who made some startling accusations against him, and media reports claiming that Victoria's State Revenue Office had ordered him to repay a $13,500 First Home Owner Grant in 2010.

According to One News Australia:

Warren Pickering fronted the media in Melbourne on Tuesday and explicitly answered every allegation The Australian dragged across three desperate front pages. He confirmed contacting the Victorian State Revenue Office that morning, receiving definitive proof that the first home buyer grant inquiry was fully resolved on 23 September 2010 when he and Jo Scott sold the property. He shut down the ice claim completely, named the minor drugs he used during his youth, and clarified that he stopped prior to joining the Australian Defence Force, having fully disclosed his past in his application…

But it wasn't only The Australian, with other mainstream media also joining in the attack and claiming he should be excluded from standing as a politician or possible Premier. These include some presenters on News24 (formerly Sky News) such as Andrew Clenell who launched several strong attacks, while others, including Peta Credlin (an ex-chief of staff to former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott) and Paul Murray have been much more sympathetic and forgiving.

In a wide-ranging interview on Paul Murray Live, Pickering confirmed he had stated he was willing to undertake random drug testing, and suggested the same should apply to all other Victorian election candidates.

Amen to that, and I would go one step further and suggest, if past drug use is such a concern, the same rule should apply for all political candidates and sitting members at State and Federal level. Wow, what a can of worms that would open!

Let's face it, how can many of us honestly put our hands up and swear that we have never done things in our youth that we wouldn't be ashamed of or that might have been illegal? Not me but taking illicit drugs isn't on the list. I recall a party I attended as a young journalist when two colleagues tried to talk me into trying marihuana: "Come on John, it gives you a great, laid-back feeling…"