Peter Dutton attending George Pell’s funeral is the political equivalent of tying your dinghy to the Titanic after it hit the iceberg

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, who is extremely religious, was too scared to show up to George Pell’s funeral which held in Sydney on Thursday (2/2/23) because he was worried about losing votes at the NSW State election in March.

That didn’t stop former Prime Ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott attending the funeral. If it had only been those 2 from the Liberal Party it might not have been so bad as it could be written off as just 2 has-beens from the past.

But federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton also showed up to Pell’s funeral which sends the message to voters that support for George Pell and what he stood for is supported by the current national Liberal Party leadership.

Neither Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who says he is a “non-practising Catholic” nor NSW Labor leader Chris Minns, who is Catholic and attends church every Sunday, went to the funeral nor did any other senior Labor Party politicians. They all knew going to the funeral would be politically damaging.

Below are “Survivors of child sexual abuse and their supporters singing “Highway to Hell” at the funeral of Cardinal George Pell as his coffin is driven off”.

(The video was filmed by journalist Zac Crellin. His Twitter account is here: @zacrellin and he published the video on Twitter here.)

Below are 2 videos showing the gauntlet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would have needed to run if he had shown up to the funeral and I doubt he would have ever lived it down if he had shown up.

Cardinal George Pell’s coffin is loaded into the hearse at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney pic.twitter.com/IEvSBLSo6I

— Zac Crellin (@zacrellin) February 2, 2023

A Royal Commission found that George Pell was knowingly involved in moving paedophile priests from parish to parish to hide their sexual abuse of children and there are numerous outstanding allegations that Pell himself sexually abused children. (Click here to read more)

More revelations will be made about George Pell over the next few years given there is already at least one lawsuit against him and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and if that is successful more lawsuits against Pell’s estate and/or Church will be likely in the future.

Any lawsuits against Pell’s estate and/or the Church involving allegations against Pell will bring into question the Liberal Party’s support of Pell. For example, given the Royal Commission’s findings against Pell, how does the federal Liberal Party leader justify going to Pell’s funeral?

If NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet could have shown up to George Pell’s funeral he would have but his political advisors would have told him if he goes to the funeral it is political suicide at March’s NSW State election.

It is hard to believe NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet who it is reported “In many parts of the media his politics and personality were framed by his Catholicism” didn’t warn Peter Dutton about the political consequences of attending Pell’s funeral. But I suspect Dutton, with polls regularly saying he is very unpopular, is desperate for support, any support. he can get.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who visited Pell in jail and whose lack of political nous ended his career had his fans at George Pell’s funeral and as per below it was pointed out they were all men.

Tony Abbott spoke at Pell’s funeral and said he was “the greatest man I’ve ever known”, likening him to a saint and comparing his treatment to “modern-day crucifixion” and “variously described him as “one of our country’s greatest sons”, a “great hero” and a “saint for our times”. (Click here to read more)

Abbott came to praise Pell, as well as bury him.
Here he is, post-funeral. Spot the women? pic.twitter.com/toHqDRnpLg

— Rev Dr Stephanie Dowrick (@stephaniedowric) February 2, 2023

It must be remembered that Scott Morrison’s claimed religious faith did more harm than good for his political career as he became linked to Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston who is facing criminal charges for protecting his paedophile father.

Peter Dutton is now linked not just to supporting George Pell but has also shown publicly his lack of empathy and support for survivors of child sexual abuse.

The reason politicians with any political nous didn’t show up to Pell’s funeral is that the voice of survivors is now so powerful and loud it can’t be silenced anymore and there are political consequences at the ballot box for ignoring it.

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