Liberal ladies dance the cabinet shuffle but attorney-general aspirants lack real finesse
You may have heard George Brandis was going to London a long, long, long time ago. Niki Savva writing for The Australian, October 27 last year:
Brandis is no (Lionel) Murphy, although there are government musings about elevating him to the High Court, or making him high commissioner in London.
Well, guess what? It is finally happening. The Australian online, yesterday:
Attorney-General George Brandis is leaving federal politics to become the next high commissioner to the UK …
There’s no doubt Cut & Paste will miss the Attorney-General very, very much. Sky News, August 6, 2014:
David Speers: If I go to … a … website, is that what we’re talking about here?
Brandis: Well, I, my, my, the, what you’re viewing on the internet is not what we’re interested in —
Speers: But you’ll be able to see whether I’ve been to that website …
Brandis: Well, well … the electronic address of the website …
Speers: So it does tell you the website. Brandis: … the address of the website.
Speers: That’s the website, isn’t it …
But who’s in line to replace Brandis? The Daily Telegraph, yesterday:
Senator Brandis’s departure would create room for the promotion of one of his colleagues to the role, with sources familiar with discussions naming Christian Porter and Michaelia Cash as possible replacements and Marise Payne as an outside and unlikely chance.
Malcolm Turnbull probably wants to shift Michaelia Cash out of the employment portfolio. Graham Richardson in The Australian, October 27:
It is bad enough Employment Minister Michaelia Cash can deny five times that no one from her office had forewarned the media about the impending raids by the Australian Federal Police on the offices of the Australian Workers Union in Sydney and Melbourne. It must have been awkward to say the least for Cash to sneak back during the dinner break and admit that one of her staff had indeed done the dirty deed.
But what does the Attorney-General’s job involve? The Australian, June 18:
… the Attorney-General will retain his (or her) current role in the issue of warrants …
Cash just may be an awkward fit. ABC News online, October 26:
The Australian Federal Police is investigating the leaking of information about Tuesday’s raids on the Australian Workers Union.
As for Marise Payne AG? She’s not exactly doing a bang-up job as Defence Minister. Greg Sheridan in The Australian, October 22 last year:
Payne is a political bit player, a minor figure in the government, almost clinically averse to speaking to the media, and completely incapable or uninterested in projecting any politically effective communication …
Meanwhile, another Liberal lady is set to make a cabinet comeback. The Daily Telegraph, yesterday:
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is understood to be considering returning Sussan Ley to cabinet …
All is forgiven? The Australian, January 13:
Sussan Ley has resigned as federal health minister after becoming embroiled in an expenses scandal …
Second chances are a dangerous thing. The Australian, December 1:
Sam Dastyari’s political future is in doubt after he was forced to resign a second time in 14 months.