Strewth: Turnbull’s health secret

Unlike Donald Trump, Malcolm Turnbull is remaining tight-lipped on his own health.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Donald Trump may have released his medical records to the world this week but Malcolm Turnbull is remaining tight-lipped on his own health. Strewth put a series of questions to the Prime Minister’s office to see if the 63-year-old is doing A-OK. But the PMO would not comment on the results or date of the Prime Minister’s last general check-up, and it did not release any of the health stats Trump provided to White House reporters this week, such as his weight and cholesterol level. Now, Turnbull seems to be in very good health and just the other day he was talking about his love of kayaking and swimming. Trump, on the other hand, has been accused of declining mental capacity in Michael Wolff’s scandalous new book (his neurological test came up fine). But should we know a little bit about our fearless leader’s health? He is, after all, the oldest man to assume the post since William McMahon. A fact of which young pretenders such as 47-year-old Peter Dutton, 46-year-old Josh Frydenberg and 40-year-old Kelly O’Dwyer are all surely aware. Strewth hopes kayaking is doing the trick for Turnbull.

Mea culpa

Yesterday Strewth cynically mocked the police and media attention paid to a wallaby found on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But then it was revealed former Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones was the man whocaught the wallaby. A Wallaby caught the wallaby. That’s extraordinary. Strewth apologises for failing to take the matter seriously.

Eyes for India only

All eyes will be on Japan today for Turnbull’s annual pow-wow with Shinzo Abe but another Asian power is getting a lot of love from Aussie politicians. There are not one but two major figures from Down Under visiting India this week. Victoria’s Labor Premier Daniel Andrews has been on a tour of the subcontinent since Monday. Here he is pictured with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday. “I know he is so proud of the Indian community in Victoria and everything they contribute to our state,” Andrews tweeted. We’re assuming the expression on Modi’s face is due to dinner disagreeing with him and not because he’s looking for a quick escape from this strange Australian with big ears. Meanwhile, Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne is sitting down for talks with Modi’s Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Pyne is always meeting up with the defence bigwigs rather than junior defence materiel counterparts. What must foreign governments think when they receive visits from two different Australian defence ministers?

Daniel Andrews and Narendra Modi.

Comrades in arms

There was outrage yesterday when the word “comrade” was heard in an ABC radio promo. The term, traditionally linked to the Bolsheviks, was seen as proof of Aunty’s Leninist designs on the nation. But Twitter historian (and celebrity) Stephen Murray found this line from a 1958 federal election speech: “I am delighted to have here my comrade, Sir Arthur Fadden …” So spake Sir Robert Menzies, a man who tried to ban the Communist Party of Australia. Readers may also remember the words of Liberal lion and leadership plotter Arthur Sinodinos on Sky News in 2015, just days before the first spill against Tony Abbott. David Speers asked if Abbott would still be in the Lodge the following week. “Comrade, come and ask me next week,” John Howard’s right-hand man replied.

Cory’s Countdown

Cory Bernardi is tackling the lefties at Triple J and launching his own Australia Day Hottest 100 music countdown. The Australian Conservatives leader’s Spotify playlist includes hits by John Farnham and Tina Arena. He’s also asking supporters to recommend tunes and stick it to the ABC yoof station for shifting the Hottest 100 from the divisive national day (which its audience asked it to do, but whatever). “It’s complete BS and needs to be called out as such,” Bernardi says in his first Weekly Dose of Common Sense newsletter for the year. But he has missed the boat, given that Triple M announced ages ago it would be doing a top 100 countdown on Australia Day in opposition to the Triple J lefties. For the record, Strewth’s three favourite Australian songs are Streets of Your Town by the Go-Betweens, the Kath & Kim theme tune and that Kevin Bloody Wilson song where the kids swear at Santa Claus.