Strewth: Let’s go Sharkie

Bob Katter has marked Rebekha Sharkie’s triumph with the sort of blunt poetry for which we’d been crossing our fingers

Newly-elected Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie poses in Mount Barker, SA. Photo: James Elsby

With regards to the by-election South Australia hosted last Saturday, it’s possible Strewth trained its focus (such as it is) on the fate of the Liberal Party’s candidate purely so we could commit a pun crime in the form of the words “Georgina Downer falling victim to Mayo nays”. Bob Katter, of course, has no truck with anything so namby-pamby and rightly has given his attention to victor Rebekha Sharkie.

‘She won by at least this much’ ... Federal MP Bob Katter is swimming with the Sharkie. Photo: AAP

Indeed, he has marked her triumph with the sort of blunt poetry for which we’d been crossing our fingers: “Katter congratulates Sharkie: Mayo brings us hope. Get rid of the bastards.” As is so often the case, the real Kat magic lies in the fleshing out. And we quote: “Rebekha proves that just an ordinary ‘nobody’ (like we all have been in our lives) can believe in something, get up off their hind legs, work like a dog walking in front of football stands holding up a sign saying — ‘Get rid of the bastards. Vote for me. I’m Rebekha Sharkie’ and can do the impossible.” Unquote.

Coaxing Tony

Yesterday morning found 2GB’s Ray Hadley in a reflective mood, not least how the Coalition’s vote in Longman proved something of a long-drop. Hadley was ready to roll but his guest Tony Abbott tried to soften expectations: “What I don’t want to do this morning is engage in political commentary.” Hadley nevertheless tried to steer him gently on to the right path: “Now, I know you don’t want to take part in political commentary but, for many, you’re the hope of the side.” And Hadley, who showed some fleeting cheer only during the seconds he spent on the Greens’ results last weekend, was ready for some hope. He invoked the ominous image of Coalition folk “sticking their heads up their backsides” (fear rather than misguided attempts to become suppositories of wisdom). Then it was down to business. “You aren’t a leadership contender. You’ve enunciated that for me here previously.” And then the payload, which was delivered with such urgency and passion it demands to be typed in capitals: “BUT UNLESS SOMEONE STICKS UP THEIR HAND FROM YOUR PARTY AND CHALLENGES THE INCUMBENT … YOU ARE DOOMED TO ELECTORAL OBLIVION AT THE NEXT ELECTION.” For the benefit of the fuzzy, he made it clear he was referring to Malcolm Turnbull.

In search of purpose

Somewhat against expectation, opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen injected the by-election post mortems with existentialism: “If Malcolm Turnbull drops his key economic policy, the Australian people are entitled to ask what is the point of Malcolm Turnbull? What is the point of the Turnbull administration?” Having let the thought marinate a little longer, he pushed on: “Well, what do you stand for, Malcolm? What does this man believe in? What does this man actually stand for at the end of the day? We know he used to stand for climate change, he no longer does. He used to stand for the republic and no longer does. But he told us he stood for these big corporate tax cuts. If he doesn’t stand for this, he doesn’t stand for this one policy, what does this man believe in?” The first part in an ongoing series.

Location, location

The names attached to Senate inquiries aren’t necessarily snappy, but neither do they leave you guessing what they are. Take this one, which we believe was initiated by Labor’s Doug Cameron: “The exploitation of general and specialist cleaners working in retail chains for contracting or subcontracting cleaning companies.” Typically these things — which involve senators, witnesses and so forth — tend to hold their public hearings in capital cities. But, surely by coincidence, this one had a public hearing on July 19 in Caboolture (in the by-election fevered seat of Longman), and last Wednesday in similarly feverish Devonport.

Wayne on your parade

Wayne Swan was busy with the compliments on Sky News with Laura Jayes yesterday. On election time: “Christopher Pyne told the whole of Australia yesterday that it was going to be in May — he’s a genius!”

The PM also was a genius, one to whom Swan was ready to show his gratitude with Labor’s by-election delayed conference rescheduled for December: “It will be a great way to finish the year. Thanks, Malcolm!” There was time for just one final tick when he was quizzed about a beloved former colleague.

Jayes: “Mark Latham’s robocall obviously had a huge effect on the Labor vote in Longman?”

Swan: “He’s almost as big of political genius as Malcolm Turnbull.”

At which, Jayes opted for prudence: “We’ll leave it there.”

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