Unabashed and unrepentant: Gillian Triggs shows the power of one

An insight into Triggs’ lofty world as the election tax battles rapidly escalate.

The power of one. Gillian Triggs speaks to Ramona Koval, The Saturday Paper, Saturday:

One can be astonished at the very simplistic level at which I need to speak. Our parliamentarians are usually seriously ill-informed and uneducated.

Below one? Triggs continues:

I was unprepared for dealing with senior political figures with no education whatsoever about international law.

Far below one. More Triggs:

Australians don’t even understand their own democratic system.

But one ...

I am quite articulate and I can be very strong if I need to be.

Triggs continues:

They almost can’t touch me.

Indeed ... Triggs concludes:

I’m so confident about the law and about the evidence for the law not being respected that I feel very sure-footed in going forward ... My resilience and determination and experience ... give me the determination to get through the remaining 15 months to continue to speak out.

And you don’t say? Some last words from Triggs:

I’ve lived in a fairly lofty world.

We remember. John Masanauskas, The Herald Sun, March 2014:

A cocktail party awards night for the federal human rights watchdog lost money despite … sponsorship and most guests paying their own way … The ... night at the Museum of Contemporary Art was dominated by problems such as poverty, homelessness and disadvantage ... Guests endured nothing of the sort as they nibbled on canapes such as seared teriyaki marinated yellow fin tuna and fresh king prawns … President Gillian Triggs said … “I really do take umbrage at the idea that somehow because you’re a human rights body you’ve got to do things in some sort of shabby way … We don’t want to be in a village hall in Koo Wee Rup.”

Rapid escalation. Chris Bowen, media release, yesterday:

Here are some basic questions for the Prime Minister ... Do you think it’s OK for people to negative gear their seventh property?

And Bowen at the accompanying, doorstop, also yesterday:

Malcolm Turnbull is saying that he doesn’t have a plan for housing affordability. He thinks it’s more important for an Australian buying their 10th or 11th property to get a tax break.

We’re tepid on Trump ties. Michael Fullilove, The Australian, Friday:

In a striking new Lowy Institute poll result, almost half (45 per cent) of adult Australians say Australia should “distance itself from the United States if it elects a president like Donald Trump”. Faced with the prospect of a Trump presidency, only a bare majority (51 per cent) of Australians say “we should remain close to the United States regardless of who is elected US president”.

A story retold at 7.46 that evening by Fairfax “breaking news reporter” Fergus Hunter:

Donald Trump’s election as US president would trigger a collapse in support for Australia’s alliance with the United States, according to a new poll. Forty-five per cent of voters believe Australia should distance itself from the United States if it elects a ­president like Donald Trump, compared to 51 per cent who say the ­alliance should remain strong regardless.