By Stephen Brook and Samantha Hutchinson
As a former Liberal government arts minister, Australian High Commissioner to Britain George Brandis always tended towards the high end, with regular visits to the opera and symphony orchestras.
Now the former attorney-general, 64, who was posted to London in 2018 and played a crucial role with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in securing our free trade agreement, has revealed another facet: gay nightclub disco dancer.
Liz Truss and George Brandis.Credit: John Shakespeare
Whom to thank for this startling information? None other than Deanna Hallett, senior external affairs manager at business media company Bloomberg UK, whom it must be said, is a chronic but endearing social media over-sharer.
Hallett attended the annual conference of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party in Manchester, where everyone was ready to let their hair down after 18 months of lockdowns, at a party hosted by LGBT+ Conservatives.
Hallett’s narrative follows, with our annotations in square brackets: “I was screaming The Human League [1980s new romantic band] Don’t You Want Me [the group’s dance-floor classic] with Liz Truss [Britain’s foreign secretary, who declared that British-Australian relations were better than Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan’s love in Neighbours] and the Australian ambassador in a gay club in Manchester with my mates after a 18 months of a global pandemic wtf”.
We had suspicions on the veracity of this, despite Bloomberg’s reputation for accurate reportage. But Brandis enthusiastically replied from a blue-ticked account, “’Twas the best of times!” and then posted a photo.
Hallett, not to be outdone, responded: “11/10 dance moves from you – we are all hashtag blessed”.
We are indeed blessed, Deanna, and indebted to you for bringing this fever dream to our attention. As they say at Westminister: There’s no party like a Conservative Party.
PART TWO WITH JOSH
The federal Treasurer’s Project Josh to connect with as many people via as many different platforms continues with episode two of his monthly podcast from LiSTNR, part of Southern Cross Austereo radio empire, released just one week after episode one.
The podcast – sorry, The Josh Frydenberg Podcast™ – is billed as an intimate discussion with the “true Josh Frydenberg – devoted father and the everyday man behind the suit”.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is releasing his second podcast episode.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
After last week’s origin story, Frydenberg is releasing his difficult second album today with a chat with former Australian of the Year and mental health campaigner Patrick McGorry.
Admirable. And you’ve got to hand it to McGorry who knows how to mount a case to the guy who holds the federal government’s purse strings. When host Sarah Grynberg asked McGorry where government spending on mental health needs to go, the mental health expert emphasised value for money. Three-quarters of mental health issues first emerge in individuals under the age of 25, he said, so a strong system of care for that age group would “save an awful lot of money” McGorry said. He referred to how “Josh has commissioned the Productivity Commission Report, he’s seen the results, the return on investment is going to be good.” No need to ask if the Treasurer was listening.
McGorry encouraged parents to move away from screens in favour of board games, books and the radio. Salient advice for the Treasurer. “There has certainly been more screen-time in our home, Bluey and Peppa Pig,” the Treasurer said. “Thank God for ABC Kids.” A rare government endorsement for ABC managing director David Anderson to clutch as he faces yet another torrid Senate Estimates session in a couple of weeks.
HOME FRONT
Perhaps we shouldn’t be too tough on the Treasurer, who is facing more downtime than usual after a member of his team tested positive to COVID after contracting it outside the office. All team members, including the Treasurer, have since returned negative results but are forced into two weeks of isolation away from their families.
Fresh from his nights holed up with Prime Minister Scott Morrison watching episodes of Yes, Minister in the Lodge in Canberra, the Treasurer – a father of two – has moved into a friend’s home in his Kooyong street with his political adviser and his choice for Senate preselection Simon Frost – a father of four – and another team member who has a newborn. No word yet on microwave meals or whether they have switched to watching ‘Allo ’Allo, but the Treasurer was forced to use an ironing board as a standing desk on a Thursday morning media call. Needs must.
OFF AND RACING
Watch out Flemington. NSW isn’t slowing the pace of its assault on Victoria’s spring racing carnival even as COVID restrictions will put strict limits on trackside numbers.
A week after Victorian punters enjoyed a Guy Grossi picnic hamper at TAB’s spring racing launch, Tabcorp reached out to Merivale to provide the food and booze on Thursday at its launch of the NSW spring carnival and Everest Race, which is scheduled to take place next Saturday at Randwick in front of 5000 spectators.
There will be restrictions on spectator numbers at Flemington this spring racing carnival.Credit: Getty
Don’t tell the Victoria Racing Club which is still mired in negotiations with the Andrews government on their own spring carnival plans.
It’s almost four years since Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club fired the start gun on the first Everest event – and a major salvo in state racing relations – by scheduling a slew of big-ticket races to coincide with key Victorian race days, including the $7.5 million Golden Eagle which is scheduled to clash with Flemington’s hallowed monochrome spring carnival opener of Derby Day. Those efforts triggered the then VRC chair Amanda Elliott into blasting Racing NSW chief Peter V’landys as a “silly little man making silly decisions” . She later apologised.
This week the one-upmanship continued with NSW Racing Minister Kevin Anderson hinting he could boost spectators. “This is the Formula One of the equine industry, where the big ones warm up and have a crack,” he said. Over to you, Victorian Racing Minister Martin Pakula.