Albo’s campaign diet revealed

Campaign Confidential: What George Christensen’s family really thinks of his decision to re-stand, what Albo’s eating for breakfast, and some important notes on candidate neckwear.

Day three of the campaign gave us plenty of drama, topped off by George Christensen’s defection to One Nation. This is better than Succession! Read on more tasty tidbits from the campaign trail.

Breakfast of … champions?

Reporters are cheek by jowl with the leaders 24/7 right now, and learning about some of their little habits. One of Campaign Confidential’s spies found herself next to Anthony Albanese at breakfast on Wednesday morning, and was able to eyeball his morning victuals. So what powers the Labor leader on the campaign trail? Poached or boiled eggs, sometimes with bacon, sometimes without, definitely no bread, followed by a flat white made with full cream milk, because “you’ve got to live”. Albo also told our spy he used to eat cereal, but his January 2021 car crash prompted a dietary rethink. He also declined the spy’s request to photograph his breakfast. We’ll bring you the lowdown on ScoMo’s breakfast when an opportunity presents itself.

George returns to the political jungle

Look who’s back. Newly announced One Nation candidate George Christensen. Picture: Daryl Wright

GEORGE Christensen’s announcement that he would stand as a One Nation Senate candidate electrified the campaign … but it also got us thinking: what about the toll on his young family? When the political maverick announced his intention to retire as the Member for Dawson back in April 2021, he told the media that “politics isn’t that conducive to a healthy family life”. So what’s happened? One of our spies put the question directly to the man himself, who said his family were “begrudgingly accepting” of his decision to re-stand. “My wife has seen obviously the people who keep on calling in and coming to me and saying, you need to run again, you need to keep fighting for us,” he said. “I’m doing that – it just couldn’t be done in the LNP any more, with any good conscience.”

Covid claims another candidate

Stuart Robert unveiled the Morrison government’s jobs plan at the Gold Coast Jobs Fair. His planned ‘co-stars’ had to drop out because of Covid. Picture: Glenn Hampson

By parliamentary custom, when an MP calls in sick the other side offers a “pair” for floor votes. But it seems there’s no such leeway granted on the campaign trail, with the hectic business of electioneering continuing even when candidates fall sick with Covid-19. On Wednesday, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews became the latest high-profile candidate to test positive, following on from Kristina Keneally and Angie Bell. The temporary loss of both Andrews and Bell meant Fadden MP Stuart Robert had to front a press conference for the three of them as a solo act. Their absence was a “sign of the times of living with Covid,” he said. Concerns remain high that the spicy cough could eventually catch up with the leaders – particularly Anthony Albanese, who has never had it before. But what would an opposing side do if the other party’s leader had to isolate? Would they continue on, business as usual, or would they curtail their campaign out of a sense of fairness, or at least optics? Would it play well, or badly, to campaign while your opponent is laid up sick? There is no simple precedent, but Campaign Confidential can’t help but think this is an issue the parties will have to deal with sooner or later.

Hat’s all, folks

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce on the hustings in the NT with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Picture: Julianne Osborne

BARNABY Joyce has debuted a new hat on the Wombat Trail. Campaigning in Tennant Creek in the up-for-grabs seat of Lingiari, the Nationals leader was seen sporting a broadbrimmed bone-white hat with a textured band. He’s worn an array of Akubras and Stetsons in the past, but this new one’s so big it wouldn’t be out of place in Texas ranch country. Or perhaps Barnaby’s taking fashion inspo from Bob Katter, another Queensland MP famed for enormous headwear.

The ties, they are a-changin’

Anthony Albanese has stuck with grey for the first three days of the 2022 federal election campaign. Pictures: Toby Zerna

Still on fashion: is Albo exploring a “Fifty shades of grey” colour theme with his campaign ties? For three days, the Labor leader has eschewed all shades of socialist red in favour of grey, silver and pearlescent hues for his neckwear. Campaign Confidential also noticed on Wednesday the first appearance of a blue tie around Scott Morrison’s neck. Ever since Julia Gillard made a disparaging remark about “men in blue ties” back in 2013, the decision to wear a blue tie has had an element of calculation for Liberal candidates. For the record, ScoMo opted for burgundy and grey ties on the first two days, and spotted blue on Wednesday.

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