Australia apologises for barring female journalist over attire

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Australia apologises for barring female journalist over attire

ABC presenter's removal from parliament for revealing 'too much skin' sparks outrage, forces government apology.



Patricia is a radio and TV presenter for the national broadcaster ABC [Twitter screengrab]
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The Australian government has apologised for removing a female journalist from parliament over an objection to her attire, an incident that sparked outrage online as a violation of press freedom. Patricia Karvelas, a presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), said she had been "kicked out" of the chamber in the capital, Canberra, on Monday because her top allegedly revealed "too much skin". "The attendant came up to me, she was very polite, she said she was essentially executing orders of her supervisor who said my clothes, what I'm wearing, 'too much shoulder'," Karvelas said. "Basically I needed to cover up more, I needed a jacket," she said, adding she thought her pant suit was in keeping with "parliamentary standards".

According to the Australian parliament website, the standard of dress in the chamber is a matter of "individual judgement", but the ultimate decision of what is acceptable rests with the speaker.
The attire should involve "good trousers, a jacket, collar and tie for men and a similar standard of formality for women".

Karvelas, who hosts a daily radio show for the national broadcaster, tweeted a photo of herself wearing a white half-sleeve top and black pants. "This is my controversial outfit," she posted on Twitter. 'Right to bare arms'

The incident sparked a discussion online about protocol, with one Twitter user accusing Karvelas of "breaching existing dress standards".

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/australia-apologises-barring-female-journalist-attire-181204163119196.html