By Noel Towell and Kishor Napier-Raman
CBD would be remiss in its patriotic dooooty if we hit send on today’s effort without a dollop of Anzacery, so we’ll raise a tot of rum, to Barnaby Joyce for his much-needed reminder on Wednesday that he is shadow veterans affairs minister.
Some unkind souls had been suggesting that Joyce’s wife, Vikki Campion, had been doing more work in the portfolio, through her columns in the US-owned News Corp tabloids, than her other half.
Barnaby Joyce and wife Vikki Campion during a rally against renewable energy.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
So we’re heartened to see Barnaby answer the call to arms from Campion’s employer – there’s a bit of a feedback loop here – about a bunch of teachers disrespecting the national day of remembrance, or something.
But we do worry that the Barn-Stormer, reaching perhaps for a martial tone in his press release, has crossed the line into threatening.
“If you live in this nation and benefit from the freedoms of this nation, then you better respect the people who fought and died,” Joyce thundered.
The former Nationals leader didn’t go into specifics on the “or else what” question, but detention by military police and court martial can’t be off the table. Anyway, CBD is not inclined to fool around and find out.
Anthony Albanese on the track.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has honoured the Diggers with a walk in the woods along Papua New Guinea’s Kokoda Track accompanied by his PNG counterpart, James Marape, driving news editors around Australia over the edge with what was essentially a two-day photo-op.
And while everybody has been talking up the arduousness of the 16-kilometre trek – yeah, we checked that – it can’t be too bad; a cake was flown by helicopter on Wednesday into the village of Isurava, a stop on the track, to help Marape and Albanese celebrate the Papua New Guinean PM’s 53rd birthday.
The two leaders will obviously be having a sweeter time in Isurava than the Australian infantrymen and their Papuan allies who spent the August of 1942 fighting off attacks by 3000 Japanese troops. Without cake.
But what of Albanese’s opposite number back home, Liberal leader Peter Dutton? Not for him the flash foreign affairs photo op, but he won’t be missing in action either.
Dutton’s office told us their commanding officer would “attend multiple events in his electorate – like he does every year, given there is a large veteran community in Dickson. He will begin with a Dawn Service”.
No word on cake, though.
GAS BAGGING
Woodside directors expected to be put through their paces at the company’s AGM in Perth on Wednesday, what with the heat on the oil and gas giant’s environmental performance and the scrutiny on the continued presence of Richard Goyder as chairman.
Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill and chairman Richard Goyder speaking to the media after the company’s AGM.Credit: Trevor Collens
Still we doubt Goyder, who did indeed have to sing for his supper when asked to justify his job performance before being comfortably re-elected, anticipated being sassed from the floor over being, well, follically challenged.
An elderly gentleman rose to confront Goyder about what was perceived as heavy-handedness by Crown ballroom security peeps, who were refusing to allow shareholders to enter with any bags larger than a piece of A4 paper.
The “long-time shareholder” took Goyder to task for the door policy, pointing out that many in attendance were getting on in years and liked to keep their bits and pieces in larger bags.
“You can see, Mr Chairman, we are old,” the shareholder told Goyder. “See how many people here have grey hair, are bald like yourself – we are old.”
Goyder reminded the room that activists had tried to get smoke bombs into last year’s AGM – there were hundreds of protesters and dozens of police outside the venue on Wednesday – and that tight security was necessary, but he assured his interrogator that the security team would help the shareholder retrieve his bag after the meeting.
“And thank you for the personal reflections,” the chairman concluded.
HOUSE BOUND
We gave Arts Minister Tony Burke a ribbing last year when he appointed former Bob Hawke staffer and storied Insiders host Barrie Cassidy to chair the Old Parliament House board.
It looks like Burke has heeded CBD’s advice, and, in the spirit of bipartisanship, appointed a former Liberal Party staff member to the museum’s board. Although the latest appointment, Niki Savva, is better-known as a famed political journalist, press gallery veteran and friend of the column.
Niki SavvaCredit: Alex Ellinghausen
And while in a past life, Savva worked for John Howard and Peter Costello, her award-winning books and columns in this masthead, particularly documenting the chaotic final days of Scott Morrison’s government, are the kind of appointment reading that might make most Liberals quake in fear.
Former Labor MP Gai Brodtmann and ex-Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Greg Craven also have seats at the table.
An excited Savva told us her love for the old joint went way back to when it was just called Parliament House. “I walked through the doors of Old Parliament House in February 1974 and so began a long love affair with politics and OPH,” she said.
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