Julie Bishop’s shock new gig
Campaign Confidential: Julie Bishop was already being criticised for not doing enough for the Liberal campaign – but an event she hosted on Wednesday might be enough to make them see red.
Federal Election
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The odd couple
She was once arguably the most beloved Liberal politician in the country, but it seems Julie Bishop has fallen out of favour with her former party colleagues. First, there was her suggestion that Foreign Minister Marise Payne sort out the Solomons crisis by “jumping on the next plane”, which reportedly did not go down too well. More recently, she’s been forced to defend her comparative lack of profile on the election circuit. While she launched the campaign for Wentworth MP Dave Sharma, she’s done little in the way of appearances or fundraising since, particularly in her former seat of Curtin, where Liberal incumbent Celia Hammond is facing a stiff challenge from Climate 200-backed independent Kate Chaney. Asked about her lack of profile by The West Australian, Bishop said it was “the long-standing practice” that the Chancellor of ANU (her new role) “not actively engage in the partisan political process during election campaigns”.
Ms Bishop also said she “advised senior Liberal Party figures to that effect”. Sounds fair enough, but Campaign Confidential wonders how those senior party figures will respond to the fact that Bishop shared the stage on Wednesday night with former Labor Prime minister Kevin Rudd, launching his new book about the west’s relationship with China. Interesting! Bishop also told The West Australian that her “legacy” included a healthy campaign war chest in Curtin, and “over 20 years of fundraising in support of marginal seats throughout Western Australia and across the nation, including during eight federal elections”. Sounds to us like the former Foreign Minister is drawing a few red lines of her own.
The nose knows
The government might deny it’s under pressure, 10 days out from polling day, but Barnaby Joyce’s nose seemed to tell a different story at the National Press Club on Wednesday, when it spontaneously started bleeding. The Nationals leader was observed to be sniffing throughout his address, but when answering a curly question about the net zero issue, blood started dripping. Press Club host Jane Norman paused proceedings at that point, saying “Mr Joyce, I apologise, you are on stage with a blood nose” and handed him some tissues. Campaign Confidential went straight to Dr Google for a consultation, discovering that nosebleeds can be caused by an excess of dry air or too much nose picking (ewww), although the role of stress is regarded as a cause by some experts.
Talking the pork
Politics is a language unto itself, but a new survey from Flash reveals not everyone is fluent. The news streaming service commissioned YouGov to quiz everyday Aussies on what they understood about the political process, and a significant majority of respondents – 60 per cent – revealed they had no idea what “pork barrelling” referred to, with 1.3 million Aussies believing it actually refers to some sort of social media trend, like planking or dabbing. (For the record, pork barrelling is the name given to government funding local projects, sometimes of dubious value, in an attempt to win votes in that area.) The last few years has seen a bunch of new terms enter the political lexicon, from “corflutes” and “push polling” to “silent Australians” and “teal seats”. But if anybody can provide Campaign Confidential with a convincing definition of what is meant by “retail politician,” we’d appreciate it. Thanks.
No go area
It’s been a record turnout for early voting so far, but the AEC has not won many fans in Port Macquarie, where elderly voters have complained about the access issues at the only early voting centre in town. Port Macquarie is renowned as the retirement capital of NSW, but locals have raised concern that the centre has limited accessible parking, stairs without handrails, no shade and no toilets, making it a challenge for those with mobility issues. Another voting centre will open next week, but Campaign Confidential hears it too has accessibility problems.
Different approach
One thing you can say in favour of an election with an uncertain outcome: it helps keep hubris in check. In 2019, with Labor anticipating a virtual coronation of Bill Shorten as Prime Minister, Chris Bowen was accused of arrogance, telling voters “If you don’t like our policies, don’t vote for us” – a move which many interpreted as a refusal to listen to the issues of the electorate. He followed that up shortly before polling day by posting this unforgettable image of the senior Labor team, captioned “We’re ready”. With its oh-so-serious tone and heavy adults-in-the-room vibe, it was widely criticised for its presumptiveness – and it was mercilessly lampooned after Scott Morrison pulled off his miracle win. “All dressed up and nowhere to go,” was how one social media user summed it up. Gold.
Got a hot tip for Campaign Confidential? Email election.confidential@news.com.au
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