According to Jack: Reading between the lines of tell-all

If Mr Abbott was indeed having an affair with Ms Credlin during his prime ministership, then yes, he’s a bit of an idiot. But we kind of already knew that.

ROAD TO RUIN: Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin.

WHEN it came to politics, the news was dominated this week by one thing.

Well, two if you count the possible early federal election.

Well, three if you count the possible early state election.

And yes, well, four if you count all of the political commentators' opinion pieces about possible early federal and state elections.

Okay, there was quite a lot of politics in the news.

But one story captured the imagination more than most.

Yes, even more imagination than elections which don't even exist yet, believe it or not.

It was, of course, the story of the release of Niki Savva's famous/infamous (take your pick) book, Road to Ruin.

This book deals with a lot of stuff from the years of Tony Abbott's leadership of the nation.

However, if every newspaper in Australia is anything to go by, perhaps the only parts that matter are the parts which stoke the fire on rumours surrounding Mr Abbott's alleged romance with chief of staff Peta Credlin.

Oo. Scandal. Maybe that's how that marble table really broke.

Niki Savva, perhaps you're on to something.

But, sorry… Who cares?

Not about the early elections.

That seems relevantly important.

Rather, who cares about this apparent affair between a prime minister and his chief of staff?

Sure, politically, such a scandal, if proven, would basically end the career of the highest flying of politicians, let alone Tony Abbott.

But…none of this has been proven.

And it probably never will.

Unfortunately for Savva, a shared fork at a restaurant, a slap on the bottom for Credlin and the fact a woman would actually get along with Tony Abbott are not bulletproof points in proving their lustful guilt.

We are hearing rumours, and nothing but.

But even if it was true… what would it really matter?

Truth be told, Tony Abbott's private life has about as much to do with his ability to run the country as my private life has to do with Beyonce: we might all desperately want it to be relevant, but they're not correlated at all.

If Mr Abbott was indeed having an affair with Ms Credlin during his prime ministership, then yes, he's a bit of an idiot.

But we kind of already knew that.

I just don't see the sense in hurling around nothing more than perceptions and rumours that could go a long way to damaging a public figure's character and reputation.

And whether she will care to admit it or not, that is what Savva's book amounts to.

I'm not excusing Tony Abbott's behaviour if he was unfaithful to his wife.

Infidelity is hardly an admirable trait, particularly in someone so hellbent on the "preservation of marriage".

But if Tony and Peta did indeed stay a few hours too late at Parliament House for a few too many after-work scotches a few too many times, it is nobody's business but theirs and their families'.

Oh. And Parliament House's decor department.

They needed to replace that table, after all.