Bishop bails on fleeing farmers but previously hinted she would help Afrikaners in need
Think the Liberal leadership race is not on? Peter Dutton’s statement on white South African farmers, Thursday:
I do think, on the information that I’ve seen, people do need help and they need help from a civilised country like ours.
Think again ... Julie Bishop discusses the Home Affairs Minister’s position on Insiders, yesterday:
I believe the humanitarian program’s credibility comes from the fact that it is non-discriminatory and that each application is assessed on its merits ...
Bishop previously held out her hand to South African farmers who fear for their lives. The Foreign Minister on ABC Radio National, Friday:
I’m working with the home affairs minister to ascertain if any changes are needed to our existing offshore humanitarian visa program.
Quite the change of heart. Bishop on Insiders, continued:
... as far as I’m aware, there are no plans to change that visa program.
Does the Foreign Minister need to keep her Liberal Left allies happy? Simon Benson’s analysis in The Australian, November 3 last year:
Any withdrawal of support from Turnbull’s (moderate) base obviously brings Julie Bishop into play ...
Or couldn’t she stand agreeing with Dutton for longer than two days? Bishop on Insiders, October 1 last year:
Barrie Cassidy: Dutton said ... that a lot of the people (on Manus and Nauru) have not come from war-ravaged areas at all ...
Bishop: The United States agreed to take a number of refugees and that means that they have been ... found to be genuine refugees ...
We’ll find out after 30 Newspolls. Julie Bishop speaking to reporters in London, February 23 last year:
Reporter: Andrew Bolt basically said to Tony Abbott that ... Dutton was conservative, plain speaking and loyal, unlike yourself, and Tony Abbott laughed.
Bishop: I am not conservative, I am not plain speaking and I am not loyal; is that the charge?
Reporter: Correct.
Talking of someone who’s no conservative, here’s Richard Di Natale, The Greens leader speaking to The Age, May 5, 2016:
(There are) eight seats that will be Greens seats in a decade.
He’s presided over another loss. Di Natale’s statement after losing Batman, yesterday:
It is absolutely clear that we have to get our own house in order ...
The Greens won’t meet any seat targets with this loser ... Sydney Morning Herald, November 18 last year:
The Greens have drawn up a hit list of 25 federal parliament seats they aim to win over a generation ...
And the ABC’s Fran Kelly marks Labor candidate Ged Kearney’s historic win. Insiders, yesterday:
She’s also going to be the first nurse into the lower house ...
Forgetting someone, Fran? Insiders’ Twitter account, a few hours later:
... we described @gedkearney as the first nurse elected to the Reps. She isn’t. But nor was (ex-Liberal MP) Trish Worth because we just spoke with her and she told us that Labor MP Wendy Fatin was elected in 1983, 10 years before her. Sorry to both ...
Kelly on Twitter, soon after:
Huge apologies to Trish Worth and Wendy Fatin ... my mistake. The more nurses (in parliament) the better ...