Strewth: Shorten shrift

Bill Shorten says helping to pass the encryption legislation was a case of accepting “half a win” rather than continuing “angry shouting”.

“I just thought as it’s the end of the parliamentary year, I just wanted to say thank you to the press gallery for the work that they have done this year,” Bill Shorten informed members of the fourth estate, which was surely nice rather than just a case of buttering up. (Or as Alexander Downer might have put it, things that butter.) This praise duly administered, it was time to turn the gaze inward: “To make a few brief comments on Labor’s year this year. Labor has had a positive year. We have been a strong opposition but I believe we’re emerging as an alternative government.” Firm but fair. Then rolling on in a way that seemed designed to help give a sense of that emerging government, the freshly complimented journalists encouraged the discussion of the encryption legislation that Labor just helped pass in amended form. “I think the laws were rushed,” the Opposition Leader said on the one hand, and on the other: “I will take half a win and move forward than simply continue this sort of angry shouting, which I think does mark — I think you’d all agree — the government’s conduct.” This half win sorted, the discussion eventually moved on to the trickier topic of his backbencher Emma Husar, who has lost the party’s endorsement but is not dropping any obvious hints of going quietly. But at least this cloud came with the silver lining of a compliment returned.

Journo: “As Labor leader, you’ve got enormous powers of persuasion and authority …”

Shorten: “Thank you.”

Journo: “You’re welcome.”

Trumping Turnbull

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was not averse to making regular use of Donald Trump’s phrase “fake news”. Scott Morrison may see it in the coverage around him, but he does take care not to do a Trump on that front. Here is the Prime Minister being interviewed by Sam Armytage on the Seven Network’s Sunrise the other day.

Armytage: “Now, Fairfax* is reporting this morning that Border Force is slashing staff numbers at airports over Christmas because of a budget blowout. Are you concerned about that? Will Christmas travellers face delays? And could this affect who is coming into the country over the Christmas break?”

ScoMo: “No and no. That’s just more storytelling in the media, that’s not what is happening.”

So, not as snappy as “fake news”.

But then again, “storytelling” doesn’t make you sound like you’re a former reality television star under investigation.

(*Obsolete language warning. Armytage was referring to the media company as it existed before it experienced a merger with Nine, one that bore some similarities to the merger a Mars Bar just experienced with yours truly.)

Power play

Speaking of the artists formerly known as Fairfax Media, here’s a bit of what Tony Abbott had to say in The Sydney Morning Herald the other day: “Last year, for instance, the French-government part-owned multinational Engie shut the giant Hazelwood power station at short notice in order to increase wholesale power prices (which almost doubled), drive up its profits and increase the value of its other coal-fired power stations.” The small catch here is that Engie doesn’t own any other coal-fired power stations in Australia. Its website lists its Australian assets — Pelican
Point Power Station in South Australia and the Kwinana Cogeneration Plant near
Perth among them — but none
of them use the black stuff.
Surely an oversight by one of the parties.

That’ll be the Jay

One of the grand traditions of politics is former leaders who really open up once they’re off the stage. (“And now we have Malcolm of Point Piper on the line …”) The latest is former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill, who has bowed out from state parliament and had a chinwag on ABC Radio Adelaide with Ali Clarke and David Bevan. Among his pearls: “If someone wins a golf competition overseas somewhere and you don’t know their name, you’ll be called ‘out of touch’.” And: “Every time you step in front of a microphone you’re being evaluated. A small mistake can lead to weeks of pain.” Some wisdom: “The best thing is to lay it all out there early, the worst thing is the cover-up.” And truth bombs: “I don’t want to embarrass everyone as well, I think former leaders can be less than constructive and we’ve seen that at a national level.” And blissfully rejoicing: “I like that people can ring up and slag their politicians and not get a knock on the door from the authorities.”

On which note, if he and federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg could do one more press conference together, that would be ace. That was a wonderful day.

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