“He has a Teflon quality which is extraordinary,and his ability to persuade the vast amount of Republicans that he,in fact,won the 2020 election must be the most audacious gaslighting ever,” Turnbull said.
The great man was certainly a contrast to former UK prime ministerBoris Johnson, who had appeared earlier and couldn’t stop plugging his new book. At one stage,C4 hostKrishnan Guru-Murthy informed viewers:“Boris Johnson has been fired for banging on about his book.”
Trumpheads
Most Australians aren’t exactly thrilled about the prospects of a potential secondDonald Trump presidency. Some of the few that are gathered at Macquarie Street for a watch party (withFox Newscoverage,naturally),organised by Libertarian Party MPJohn Ruddick.
Despite strong early results for Trump,the event was fairly low-energy,the room in Parliament House half empty. Guests included a smattering ofSky Newstypes,including former Liberal MPRoss Cameron, and the party’s failed Warringah candidate and anti-trans crusaderKatherine Deves.AlsoMatt Camenzuli,the businessman expelled from the Liberal Party for unsuccessfully suingScott Morrisonover preselection delays before the 2022 election. Former Liberal MPCraig Kellyand Labor to One Nation defectorTania Mihailukalso showed up.
Ruddick was in good spirits,calling the election for Trump well before results from any of the swing states were clear.
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Boys in the zone
The whooping,mostly female crowd at the annual Crown Oaks Club Lunch got more than chicken or fish when Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan joined singer and honorary Australian Ronan Keating on stage for a celebratory singalong.
On top of proving quite handy on top of a horse,Dolan,as some now know,has a great voice,and once made it to the top 24 of reality singing contestThe Voice.
The Irishmen joined forces in front of a fascinator-clad crowd old enough to remember Boyzone to singWhen You Say Nothing at All and the classicBrown Eyed Girl. Dolan was clutching the famous Cup whole time.
But when it came to the finale,Keating’s hitLife Is a Rollercoaster,Dolan couldn’t keep up his on-stage charm and admitted he didn’t know the words. But as the most popular guy in the room – by a photo finish over the ebullient Keating – Dolan was easily forgiven.
Dining out
In her infamous maiden speech to parliament in 1996,Pauline Hansondeclared that Australia was in danger of being “swamped by Asians”.
Nearly two decades on,the One Nation leader was looking to hold a fundraiser at a Vietnamese restaurant. Specifically,Little Hanoi,in the Perth beachside suburb of Rockingham,where Hanson was to be the guest of honour at a $30-a-head dinner.
The menu included stir-fried beef noodles and roasted chicken rice,which is a bit different from the meat and three veg or whatever slop One Nation voters are used to. Although we’re sure they’ve specially requested non-spicy.
While Hanson’s culinary choices might have evolved a little from her fish and chip shop days,the One Nation leader’s propensity for nasty bile hasn’t dimmed,with the Federal Court last week ruling that she’d racially discriminated against Pakistan-born Greens SenatorMehreen Faruqi.
She’s appealing the decision,and asking friends to chip in $1 million to fund her latest legal battle. As for the fundraiser that might also be headed for an unhappy ending,with the restaurant telling CBD the event was off.