Family feud over foreign affairs as Turnbull’s son-in-law begs to differ on our defence

US Studies Centre senior fellow James Brown speaks to Sky News, yesterday:

It’s clear the government is still finding its feet when it comes to talking about the new US defence strategy and the fact that they’ve called out, quite clearly, China and Russia as ­revisionist powers who intend to disrupt the global order.

“Finding its feet”? That comment will go down well at family dinner. The Australian , May 24 last year:

Malcolm Turnbull’s son-in-law, former army officer James Brown.

Malcolm Turnbull has his feet firmly on the ground and he won’t be dancing to America’s beat. The Prime Minister in Rydalmere, Monday:

We don’t — apart from North Korea — there is no country in the region that shows any hostile intent towards Australia. So we don’t see threats from our neighbours in the region.

His son-in-law provides a different perspective. Brown on Sky News, continued:

China does not pose a military threat to Australia right now, neither does Russia, but they do have the potential to ... Our cabinet needs to have a ­nuanced discussion with the public and so far they haven’t quite got the lines right.

Really? The government’s lines look pretty clear. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Sky News, Monday:

Neither Russia nor China pose a military threat to Australia and Australia continues in its efforts to counter terrorism wherever we find it, and we will continue our fight against global terrorism and regional terrorism.

Time to review the Turnbull succession plan? Margin Call, June 21, 2016:

... there’s plenty of speculation that Brown might keep things in the family and succeed Turnbull in the seat of Wentworth — in the distant future.

There’s more family fallout elsewhere.London’s The Sun, January 26:

Melania Trump has reportedly been staying at a posh hotel after allegations her husband Donald had an ­affair with porn star Stormy Daniels emerged.

Still, that’s better than the Nepalese royal family. The New York Times, June 8, 2001:

A survivor of Nepal’s palace massacre today gave the first witness’s account of the royal blood bath, describing how Crown Prince Dipendra ... managed to navigate his way around a dining hall, shooting family members.

As long as the rulers of the world keep their sugar intake down they’ll be fine. James Valentine and Emma Alberici on ABC Radio Sydney, January 24:

James Valentine: There’s that cake! Mmmm, Tim Tams. Yum, yum, yum … Taxes seem to be the most obvious thing. We did it with tobacco. Why don’t we do it with the sugary stuff? The science is true. Is there any doubt about the science?

Alberici: No ... there’s pretty general agreement (on the science) ... we don’t mind a tax on cigarettes … the price signal clearly works.

But are there enough sugar-lovers to tax? Judith Sloan in The Australian, January 22:

Between 1995 and 2011-12, for ­instance, the consumption of sugar fell from 17.6 teaspoons a day to 14.2. (2011-12 is the most recent data point from the Australian Health Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.) ... the decline in the consumption of sugar among children was even more dramatic: from 23 teaspoons in 1995 to 15.7 in 2011-12.