Strewth: Crime of fashion

Alexander Downer did it with fishnets, Julie Bishop with red heels, but Joe Hockey took a while to make his fashion statement.

Steven Marshall, left, Joe Hockey and the image the US envoy tendered as evidence to mitigate his fashion crime.

Malcolm Turnbull had his nonchalant black leather jacket, Tony Abbott was known for bright red budgie smugglers, Alexander Downer did it with fishnets, Julie Bishop said it all with red heels, Bob Katter has a big hat while Scott Morrison prefers a little cap. Former treasurer Joe Hockey took a while to make his fashion statement. Last weekend, our man in Washington donned a floral-patterned navy dinner jacket with a black necktie for an Australia Day ball in San Francisco, sharing a picture with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. “Where did Joe source that jacket?” Defence Minister Christopher Pyne asked on Instagram. “The Von Trapp family wardrobe?” His white shirt had a wing collar, normally made for a bow tie, but Hockey wore a long black tie. The verdict from Oz fashion editor Glynis Traill-Nash: “Given all the talk of dress codes in politics lately, a wing collar should only ever be worn with a tuxedo, which should only ever be worn with a bow tie. #fashionfail.” After the event, Hockey tweeted an image found on Google of “contemporary neckwear” — a similar sort of long black necktie — with the comment: “There you go!” Unfortunately, the image was taken from a website called Gentleman’s Gazette, which described the outfit as “(Not So) Well Suited”. It went on: “Today, this Edwardian barrister look is considered trendy by many naive young Americans.”

Party crasher

Third time’s a charm for the seat of Gilmore’s Liberal candidate, Warren Mundine. The former Labor member, Liberal Democrats member and now Liberal Party member said yesterday he is a “Liberal for life”. His appointment by Morrison to the NSW south coast seat saw dumped candidate Grant Schultz describe the PM as a coward who had “better watch out”. “I can no longer be a member of a party that does not support democracy or act with integrity,” Schultz said. Mundine summed it up best: “People have spent too much time navel gazing about the party. If we’re not a united team getting out and selling the party, no one’s going to vote for us. It’s like a car dealer bagging the car he’s selling — no one’s going to buy it.” He said that in December 2005, weeks before becoming Labor national president.

Ire of the shires

Ratepayers in Balranald Shire, southern NSW, have reason to be a little miffed after their mayor spent more than $3000 to travel to see NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian — without telling her he was coming. Five mayors, from Broken Hill, Brewarrina, Balranald, Bourke and Walgett, came to Sydney on Wednesday to meet water authorities about the drought and the drying Barwon-Darling. They expressed outrage that no government minister attended. “They didn’t tell me they were here,” Berejiklian said yesterday. “I said to them, ‘You should have told me you were in Sydney, I would have come down and seen you.’ ” Given Regional Water Minister Niall Blair did know about the meeting and said he had told the mayors he would be busy, it must have been a breakdown in communications or a deliberate attempt to embarrass the Premier. Given all mayors are members of the Labor Party, independent, or unaligned, it was probably a combination of both.

Waffling on

Older journalists tell me Polly Waffle was once a thoroughly enjoyable chocolate bar with wafers and marshmallow. Yesterday, a South Australian company announced it had acquired the brand, trademark and recipe in a deal with Nestle. “There are kids and even young adults out there who don’t really know what a Polly Waffle is and haven’t tasted it before,” declared Robern Menz chief executive Phil Sims. If my inexperience really is to be pitied, please send samples to 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010.