Daily Telegraph Editorial: Barnaby Joyce is no way a country bumpkin
BARNABY Joyce is an often-mocked figure in sophisticated political circles. Elite figures in politics and the media frequently present the National Party leader as almost a caricature of rural Australians — simple, out of touch, raw and without great intellect.
Opinion
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BARNABY Joyce is an often-mocked figure in sophisticated political circles. Elite figures in politics and the media frequently present the National Party leader as almost a caricature of rural Australians — simple, out of touch, raw and without great intellect.
In truth, however, Joyce is an extremely gifted politician without whose 2016 campaigning the Coalition could well have lost the last federal election to Labor.
Joyce, who faced significant opposition in his run for the seat of New England, selflessly campaigned around the country, shoring up Coalition support and becoming possibly the winning factor in the Coalition’s one-seat victory.
Critics mistake Joyce’s lack of artifice and direct, plain-speaking manner for bumbling and ineptitude — as though being evasive or needlessly complicated are somehow virtues.
Presently, as Joyce prepares for a by-election contest to retain his lower house seat, his political qualities are once again obvious to see. It has also emerged that Joyce had a sharper instinct on how to deal with his citizenship dilemmas, which led to the High Court last week ruling him to be ineligible, than did many other observers and political participants. In the wake of the High Court ruling, Joyce has revealed that his preference was to immediately resign and go to a by-election as soon as his dual citizenship status was raised. Instead, he was advised by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the PM’s wife Lucy to remain in office. Additional opinions sought from Attorney-General George Brandis and Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue also backed the notion that Joyce should remain, in the hopes that the High Court would decide in the National leader’s favour.
In hindsight, Joyce would clearly have been better off going with his initial instinct. This would have meant a by-election would already have been held, and presumably won by Joyce.
It would have been a triumph for Joyce’s insight over the opinions of some of Australia’s peak legal minds.
Still, what’s done is done, and Joyce should still win by some margin in New England — particularly as the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party is not fielding a candidate. As a campaigner, Joyce is a rare politician indeed. He actually enjoys speaking with and connecting to members of his electorate. For Joyce, this is a bonus rather than a chore.
“It’s quite good to have the pressure off and spending time talking to the people,” Joyce told The Today Show following the High Court’s decision. “I don’t take anything for granted. I’m going to put my best foot forward. I’m going to campaign as hard as I can, and be humble and work as hard as I can.”
And in all likelihood Joyce will prevail.
BUDGET CUTS AID CRIME GANGS
Budget pressure means different things in different circumstances. For an NRL team, it might mean a compromised playing list. For a household, it might mean less expensive cuts of meat. But when your business is fighting lawlessness, budget cuts can mean a break for organised crime.
Departing boss of the NSW Crime Commission Peter Hastings now warns that his group’s budget is not matching the growth in crime across NSW. “We won’t improve our control of organised crime if we continue down the path of reducing budgets,” Hastings bluntly declares. There is a great deal for the government to consider in those 17 words.
DOBBING IN IS ALL THE RAGE
The dobber is not exactly revered in Australian culture. But when push comes to park in Sydney’s crowded inner west, dobbing is all the rage.
Residents of the inner west have taken to a new parking infringement app, Snap Send Solve, which sends tip-offs for investigation.
The app turns every citizen with a smartphone into a parking cop. Checking if the streets are clear of parking rangers before leaving your car no longer works. Your nemesis might be a teenager on a skateboard or someone returning from the shops.
“Inner West Council actively encourages our citizens to use Snap Send Solve,” a spokeswoman said.
“Council responds by sending a ranger to patrol the area.”
You have been warned. The streets have eyes.