Strewth: no kidding

When the question of Gladys Berejiklian’s lack of children came up, it was a sign of things never changing.

There was one little moment during Gladys Berejiklian’s minting as 45th Premier of NSW where the metaphorical needle suddenly slipped across the vinyl. That came when a journalist asked her if the fact that she had neglected to gestate any babies in her womb would disadvantage her politically. For some, this was an oddly comforting reassurance that even in this time of huge change, some stuff just never changes. Seriously, never. For others there were echoes of Julia Gillard and her empty fruit bowl, to say nothing of Bill Heffernan’s weirdly mesmerising “deliberately barren” line. There’s been the odd occasion when such thinking has been applied to male non-breeders. Once upon a time — let’s call it 1992 — the then federal opposition leader John Hewson saw fit to say this of Bob Carr, who was state opposition leader: “You’ve got to be suspicious of a bloke that doesn’t drive, doesn’t like kids. When he’s up against a full-blooded Australian like (NSW premier) John Fahey he hasn’t got a hope.” At the time, Paul Keating gave Hewson a reasonably comprehensive towelling that ended with this thought: “I don’t think Ben Chifley had any trouble being a full-blooded Australian, and he didn’t have any children. I think Dr Hewson should withdraw this remark, apologise for it and never repeat it.” Carr of course went on to become one of NSW’s longest-serving premiers, and Hewson lost an “unlosable” election. As for Berejiklian, she — as befits someone who was state treasurer — simply crunched the numbers and invoked her new (and Eric Abetz-approved!) deputy. “Dominic Perrottet has made up for me, he has four kids.”

Done with Don

On another note, Berejiklian was probed for her views on Donald Trump, whose election and subsequent inauguration as 45th President of the US may have crossed your attention. “I have to confess there is one thing Mr Trump and I have in common and that is the number 45 and it pretty much stops after that,” she said, and that was rather that. Trump was also on the menu for Trade Minister Steve Ciobo on Radio National yesterday, which gave him the opportunity to set out why you’ll never find him in this space as an emergency fill-in Strewth columnist.

Host Fran Kelly: “ ‘We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries stealing our companies, destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.’ That’s what Donald Trump said. What did you think when you heard that sentiment and him even using that word ‘protection?’”

Ciobo: “Well, Fran, I’m not going to build a structure on one or two sentences.”

The loss is undoubtedly Strewth’s.

Katter gun approach

While others were pronouncing the trans-Pacific Partnership dead in the wake of Trump’s election, Bob Katter was out channelling Lara Bingle, which was not something we had factored in as a possibility for the week. Quoth Katter, “Who the bloody hell on earth does Free Trade???” (We’ll leave all Katter’s question marks intact as we don’t believe in blocking imports.) With his head of steam sufficiently built up, Katter proceeded: “The TPP would be the destruction of our sovereignty in Australia. The likes of Ciobo and (Barnaby) Joyce, it’s likely they want to prove they’re dumb … like the Bourbon Kings of France — they’ve forgotten nothing and learnt nothing.” And much more in this vein, finally reaching this conclusion: “The world suffered under communism, fascism, imperialism — marketism is just as bad.” Something to ponder.

Enjoy Pyne responsibly

Once in a while we receive emailed press releases — often ones from Bill Shorten, for reasons we have yet to fathom — which come stamped with a warning in red, calling on us to be suspicious of the origins of the email. We got a different sort of red warning on a Christopher Pyne release yesterday, a small, official note in a tone a bit sterner than we’re accustomed to from the member for Sturt. It states: “This email remains the property of the Department of Defence and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914.” Which adds a certain frisson. Just remember to enjoy Pyne responsibly and legally.

Nanny state of affairs

Strewth reader Michael Cunningham was amused the other day by a Press Council ruling that ran on The Age website about a story the paper ran on Greens leader Richard Di Natale “pay(ing) au pairs low wage”. Not so much by the ruling itself but by the ad that appeared beneath it, touting for nannies on what, it has to be said, were not what you’d call high wages.

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