Strewth: hear it for the boys

We never considered Scott Morrison would be one of the people who would strike a blow for gender-neutral language.

Scott Morrison speaks to the media yesterday. Photo: AAP

We must confess we never considered the possibility Scott Morrison would be one of the people who would strike a blow for gender-neutral language. This of course is purely a reflection on us and not on the Prime Minister, as his chat with Lu and Matt on Triple M yesterday made clear.

Matt: “Scott, good morning.”

Morrison: “G’day, Matt. G’day, Lu. How are you boys?”

Lu: “Um, I’m a girl but hi.”

The exchange was leavened by the gift of laughter, but not by the gift of stopping.

Morrison: “There you go.”

Lu: “That’s all fine. A lot of people make the same mistake.”

Morrison: “It’s a gender-neutral term.”

Lu: “It really is and it doesn’t matter.”

Whether it quite meets Liberal MP Andrew Hastie’s criteria for “tearing at the fabric of the universe” (which is what gender-free birth certificates evidently will do) is hard to say.

No alarms, no surprises

The interview took more straightforward paths after this as the PM underwent a quiz. The answers did not surprise greatly. For example, does he approve of the nickname ScoMo? Yes. Cap or Akubra? “Cap. A Sharkies one, preferably,” didst our leader reply. Then there was this: “You have to share a lift with either Bill Shorten, Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd. Who do you choose, or do you take the stairs?” ScoMo opted for Gillard. For the record, he picked TimTams over Mint Slices, which was surely sound.

This man called Brian

News that former Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler will run as Labor’s candidate in the federal seat of Bennelong raises many questions. Did the ALP consider squeezing him in as the candidate for Fowler*? If he says something wrong will it be a howler? Does he buy beer by the growler? Is his favourite Marvel Comics character the Prowler? And could we ever hope for some type of maritime situation that will allow the headline “The Owler and the Katter went to sea …”? So many questions. Bennelong incumbent John Alexander seemed excited by the development. As he pledged yesterday to run again as the Liberal candidate, he referred to “Prime Minister Scott”, then noted to reporters what a fine summer’s day it was. “Is it summer?” he then mused. “It’s going to be 31 (degrees) on Friday; that’s summer.” Or November 2. Whichever comes first. (*A Strewth correspondent we know only as Velvet Watermelon humbly asks that Mal Meninga run in Warringah.)

Speak up!

Labor frontbencher Brendan O’Connor was out holding a doorstop press conference yesterday. Unlike that accidentally wonderful time at Parliament House when O’Connor got a bit prickly by the fourth estate’s no-show, journalists did turn up this time. Regrettably, O’Connor’s official transcriber wasn’t able to make out what they were saying. On the plus side, the resulting transcript does take on a touch of the enigmatic. Some examples.

O’Connor: “I am happy to take questions.”

Journo: [inaudible]

O’Connor: “Absolutely. This is a key issue for federal Labor.”

And another.

Journo: [inaudible]

O’Connor: “I think Malcolm Turnbull has got it right here.”

And one more to seal the deal.

Journo: [inaudible]

O’Connor: “Well, it’s already been cleared. The federal opposition is very happy to see that event.”

Quite so. O’Connor wrapped it up by asking if there were any more questions. Alas there weren’t, but if there had been they probably would have been [inaudible].

Tolstoy story

Was Leo Tolstoy a time traveller? Here he is in 1894’s The Kingdom of God is Within You: “The more men are freed from privation; the more telegraphs, telephones, books, papers, and journals there are; the more means there will be of diffusing inconsistent lies and hypocrisies, and the more disunited and consequently miserable will men become, which indeed is what we see actually taking place.” Sounds like Twitter. Or worse.

Picked him early

Following our brief Richard Gill item on Monday, we are grateful to Fairfax Archives for what may be the first mention of him. A 1969 review of a “recital of school music” at the University of Sydney said it was “a matter of astonishing fact that all these young creators (apart from one) go to Marsden High School, or have studied with (its) music master, Richard Gill … on this showing, Mr Gill may just be one of the most remarkable musicians and music teachers in the country.” No “may” about it.

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