Fancy having ABC’s Andrew Probyn for dinner?

Thanks to the PM, we all know Andrew Probyn doesn’t run the press conference. But right now, he’s a total boss in burger land.

ABC political editor Andrew Probyn has been "burgered" by Huxtaburger. Pictures: Supplied

Unlikely TikTok star, ABC political editor Andrew Probyn, has secured the highest accolade in Australian journalism — a burger named after him at trendy eatery Huxtaburger. The “Andrew” is fried or grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, jalapeños, slaw mixed through house-made ranch dressing & Huxta hot sauce. Spicy!

The burger chain said the new bite honours the “breakout press conference” (bit rude to an award-winning, 25-year veteran); their “favourite question-loving journo”.

Probyn went viral on social media at the start of lockdown after a Sunday night stoush with the PM in March. For those who may have forgotten, here’s what Morrison said: “Andrew, I’m sorry, you’ve had several questions. Andrew, I’m sorry. Andrew, I know, but you don’t run the press conference, okay? So I’m going to go to other questions of members of the group. Katharine (Murphy, The Guardian) hasn’t had a question. I’m happy to return to you, but let’s just keep it civil. (pause) Katharine.”

Probyn’s thoughts on the Andrew (available for takeaway and delivery in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth)? “Thank gawd it’s got bacon.”

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Cat got Josh Frydenberg’s tongue?

Here’s a philosophical question. Can Australia be in a recession if Josh Frydenberg refuses to utter the word?

‘Can’t make me say it’ ... Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Picture: Getty Images

An exclusive analysis by Strewth can reveal the Treasurer has only referenced the dreaded R word once by name in more than 60 public appearances he’s made since mid-April. Including at last month’s press conference when he confirmed Australia had entered the second recession we had to have, our first in 29 years, with a simple “yes”. Cat got Frydenberg’s tongue? Or is mum the word … a (dare we say) marketing strategy by the Morrison government? Coincidental, Frydenberg’s office claimed! And pointed to the at least 10 occasions when Prime Minister Scott Morrison managed to mutter the noun. Although, most came after this exchange from the infamous “get off the grass” press conference in the new Eden-Monaro suburb of Googong on June 4:

Reporter: “Wayne Swan could never say the word ‘deficit’, can you say ‘recession’?”

PM: “It‘s certainly something that I never wanted to see happen in Australia ever again. I really didn’t want to see a recession ever again in Australia.”

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Are you fur real?

Regarding the Voldemort of world politics; the country-who-must-not-be-named. Former Country Liberal MP Eric Poole sent through this furry note about our favourite secret, bipartisan, sticker-loving, pro-democracy (and anti you-know-who) parliamentary pack The Wolverines.

Senator James Paterson shows off the Wolverines’ symbol. Picture: Supplied

Poole spent nearly a decade as a Top End minister in the 90s and told Strewth: “As a retired former member of the NT government, the members of this club in Canberra should note that the fur of wolverines was considered a valuable asset by the Indians in Canada’s north. It does not freeze, unlike most fur on parka hoods, and was popular as the best lining on the hood of parkas. Should be handy for members in Canberra.

Fantastic animals if they got on your trap line they were almost impossible to get rid of.” How could Poole possibly know that? He lived in the Arctic for six years.

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Over the borderline

Another musing to marinate on. Can you campaign for a by-election without entering the electorate? The Prime Minister put that possibility to the test on Friday when he visited Electro Optics Systems in Hume (a suburb within the Canberra Bubble™) with Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs. He was close — within 500m of shaking hands with the NSW border.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) and Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro Fiona Kotvojs tour Electro Optics Sydneys (EOS) in Canberra. Picture: Sean Davey

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You say Monaro

Did we hear the PM say Eden-Monar-IO on Thursday?

Luckily, language loving Strewth reader Albert dropped us this linguistic note for anyone keen to partake in speculation — “The former bellwether seat is pronounced Eden Mon-AIR-oh, not Eden (Holden) Mon-AR-oh”. The more you know!

Campaigners for Labor and Liberal in the Eden-Monaro by-election in Queanbeyan, NSW. Picture: Sean Davey

There’ll be no democracy sausages on offer when the good burghers of Quangers (the locals’ slang for Queanbeyan) head to the sanitised, socially distanced polling booths on Saturday. And they’ve also been asked to BYO pen or pencil. The AEC said “there will be single use pencils available for people not able to”.

For the history buffs, the last time an opposition lost a seat to a government at a federal by-election was in 1920, when Labor was defeated in the West Australian seat of Kalgoorlie.

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Sight gag

Final thought to ponder from Politico economics reporter Victoria Guida on Twitter: “I’m beginning to think ‘hindsight is 2020’ was some kind of message from a future time traveller that we all misunderstood”. Should have gone to Specsavers.

Thanks for all the love on this tweet! I don’t have anything to promote beyond the idea that finance and economics are important, and the reason you don’t understand them is because people don’t put much effort into helping you do so. But it’s not because you *can’t*!

— Victoria Guida (@vtg2) June 27, 2020

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