Politics Live: June 2, 2014

It's time we hopped onto our high horse and galloped into the night.

But before that, what did we learn today?

• If you're going to write a message about diggers, keep the carbon tax out of it;
• Don't make an enemy of Malcolm Turnbull;
• Or Andrew Bolt;
• But if the PM had to choose, he says he'll back Malc; AKA
• Keep your friends close, but your frenemies closer.

 

Andrew Meares, Alex Ellinghausen and I will be back tomorrow.

Until then!

(P.S In an update that could not wait until the morning, Bill Heffernan just gave Stephen Conroy a mini-massage in the Defence estimates hearing. How relaxing is that?!)

 

 

 

 

In estimates this evening, Health, the Industry Department, Safe Work Australia and Defence Materiel Organisation are on the menu.

If you'd like to watch the scrutiny in action, tune in here.

 

Do you want to keep the story going?

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull during question time. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

What do you reckon Malcolm?

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull during QT. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Andrew Bolt has hit TVs this evening, telling Channel 10 that Turnbull's "over the top response shows he just wants to keep the story going".

(Bolt's comments in turn thus ensuring the story keeps going.)

 

 

And now, the results of today's poll.

Which is the greater sin?

We have a clear winner: "mentioning the carbon tax in a statement about D-Day" with 64 per cent of the vote.

Next is "suggesting dole recipients should get drug tested" (26 per cent), followed by "having dinner with Clive Palmer" (6 per cent) and "associating Andrew Bolt with the term 'demented'" (3 per cent).

FYI, Stephen Conroy, "having a press conference in an air base hangar" only scored a lowly one per cent of the vote.

Thanks to the 1,327 people who voted.

That's almost a Nielsen poll sample!

 

 

Here's an opportunity if you have a spare $1,200 floating around.

Mark Hawthorne and James Massola report that Labor is offering business leaders and lobbyists a day at the AFL with Albo.

That would be the Swans vs the GWS Giants on June 28.

The ALP stands to make up to $16,800 from the event.

Albo has declined to comment.

 

A last mintue shout out to vote in our poll today.

Ten minutes to go.

Have your say! It's democracy!

The PM will meet SBY on the island of Batam.

(Because Batam is where SBY will be on Wednesday.)

"Further to their very cordial conversation last month, the Prime Minister will spend time with President Yudhoyono and continue the progress that has been made to resolve current issues and to strengthen the bilateral relationship," a spokesman for the PM says.

 

 

The Abbott-SBY meeting is a good sign of "normality" happening in Australia-Indonesia relations.

We suppose that there are fingers crossed in government circles that there are no boat turnback operations between now and then.