The politicians who skipped question time to fawn over Tucker Carlson

For a group of parliamentarians affectionately known as the “Facebook uncle caucus” – owing to their stentorian views on vaccines, gender pronouns, nu-cu-lar power and those dang pesky Greens – Tuesday seemed like a visit from the King.

Ralph Babet and Barnaby Joyce are Tucker Carlson fans.Credit: John Shakespeare

The royalty in question was Tucker Carlson, the former Trumpian star of Fox News (before he defected to streaming content on social media platform X). The Tuck had stopped off in Canberra in the midst of his Australian tour bankrolled by billionaire mining magnate and part-time political agitator Clive Palmer.

Thus far, Carlson’s “Freedom Tour” has been a bit of a flop. With Palmer and friends struggling to get bums on seats, some ticket prices were slashed to as little as $50. Big Clive himself was stricken with laryngitis and unable to join in the fun at Monday’s event in Perth.

But he was a big hit in Canberra, selling out a lunchtime event at Canberra’s Hyatt Hotel, a stone’s throw from Parliament House. The United Australia Party moneybags was again too ill to attend, but instead his $110 million Victorian senator Ralph Babet had the honour of introducing Carlson.

“Clive sends his best regards, wants us all to continue the fight for freedom and traditional Australian values,” a cheery Babet told CBD before his big gig.

We’re not sure how Florida Man Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (’tis his full name) fits that vision, but the big guy was such a hot ticket for his local political fans that a few even skipped question time to show up, among them former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic, and One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts.

While Carlson’s schtick of dabbling in conspiracy theories and giving an on-air boot-licking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin probably isn’t the biggest drawcard in a relatively sensible country like Australia, Babet was thrilled to be in the great man’s presence.

“Every speech he gives gives me chills and goosebumps,” he said. Senator, we respectfully feel you need to get out more.

DEPARTURE LOUNGE

Whisper it quietly. One of the last COVID-19 era leaders, former premier Dominic Perrottet, is gearing up to announce the end of his political career.

Since voters turfed him from the state’s top job last year in favour of Chris Minns, who in an alternative life could have hosted mornings on Triple M, Perrottet has been on the backbench and spending more time with his family. A cliche, but when he and wife Helen Perrottet have seven kids – Charlotte, Amelia, Annabelle, Harriet, Beatrice, Celeste and William – you know in this case it’s true.

Following former state treasurer Matt Kean’s departure last week, speculation about Dom’s own supposedly imminent move, already rampant around Macquarie Street, went into overdrive.

Now, we don’t see Perrottet getting an appointment from Anthony Albanese like his mate. And so far, the rumour mill is pointing toward a private-sector role with a globally focused firm. For a while we heard Macquarie Group, but the latest tip appears to be at some sort of global resources company, or in the international banking sector.

Would the Perrottet clan be set for a move? CBD approached the former NSW premier on Tuesday but he declined to comment so we are none the wiser. But with seven kids to parent on only a backbenchers’ salary, our guess is Dom won’t hang around much longer.

RAISE THE BAR

Is independent NSW MP Gareth Ward, currently awaiting a delayed trial over historic sexual abuse allegations (which he firmly denies and is pleading not guilty to), seeking a career as a barrister?

The Kiama MP, formerly of the Liberal Party, listed a NSW barrister preparation course at the University of Technology Sydney in the education section of his personal Facebook page. And CBD’s spies spotted Ward sitting the bar exam earlier this month, results of which are yet to be released.

But it looks like Ward took his exam prep so seriously he was working the refs before even putting pen to paper.

In May, the MP fired off a series of cranky questions on notice to Attorney-General Michael Daley, asking whether the government would push NSW to follow the Victorian Bar Association’s lead in overhauling its entrance exam amid criticisms of unfairness. He also wanted to know about the bar exam’s fail rate. We can’t imagine why.

In response, the minister informed Ward that the NSW Bar Association was the relevant authority in charge of such matters.

Ward didn’t return CBD’s calls. Still, we wish him the best of luck.

SPOTTED

Top media silk Sue Chrysanthou, SC, is far away from the nation’s defamation courts on an overseas jolly accompanied by her squad of junior counsel (she has four with fellow silk Kieran Smark SC, himself son of Herald legend Peter Smark). The Smark squad were seen in Dubai at the eye-poppingly swank Atlantis, The Palm resort and water park as the defamation barrister was about to brave a ginormous waterslide called The Leap of Faith. A title to be taken both metaphorical and literally, according to eyewitnesses, who saw her complete the plunge.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.