A moment we hope,respectfully of course,that lets us get back to some sort of normal.
Days after Queen Elizabeth II's burial,Australia is marking her death with a National Day of Mourning today.
For regular folk,it was a nice,unexpected public holiday. For Victorians,the start of a four-day weekend. For politicians,it was a chance for one more day of black armband carry-on before getting back to work.
Most former prime ministers made it.Scott Morrison,John Howard and Paul Keating were all there. There were apologies of absence fromKevin Rudd andMalcolm Turnbull who are in New York,andJulia Gillardin London.
So where was Australia’s arch monarchistTony Abbott? The man who destroyed his whole prime ministership over an attempt to give Prince Philip a knighthood appeared to have skipped Thursday’s solemnities.
Abbott gave a speech about the evils of lockdown to the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne on Wednesday night,so it is likely he was still in the country on Thursday.
Former prime minister Paul Keating,Janette Howard,former prime minister John Howard,Jenny Morrison and former prime minister Scott Morrison during the Queen’s memorial service in Canberra.Alex Ellinghausen
Although Abbott appeared to pass up an opportunity to lead the monarchists through their next battle,a series of typically hyperbolic tributes to Her Majesty in both print media and on television should dispel any conspiracy theories about the state of his allegiance to the crown.
Abbott didn’t return CBD’s calls yesterday,so looks like we may never know.
FOOTY SHOW
Pre-grand final speculation was nothing short of fevered in Melbourne this week – not about the game,but whetherKylie Minogue would show up at the MCG on the day to sing withRobbie Williams.
Sherrin the spotlight:Robbie Williams and Delta Goodrem at Thursday’s AFL grand final entertainment roll call.Paul Jeffers
Spoiler alert:.
But the questions forced AFL executiveKylie Rogers into some ducking and weaving at one of the few footy press conferences this week that didn’t involve the deep strife engulfing Hawthorn,when she was asked whether the Australian pop legend would take to the stage on Saturday.
“It’s always important to keep a few surprises and delights up our sleeve,so I’m going to leave it at that,but there will be a surprise,” Rogers told her interrogators.
She then went on to sing the praises of the other performers booked for the day – and why wouldn’t you when the league is said to be splashing out $2 million on the entertainment – includingGoanna,Christine Anu,Emma Donovan,Tasman Keith,William Barton,G Flip,The Temper Trap featuringBudjerah andNgaiire,andKatie Noonan on national anthem duties andMike Brady belting out his hoary old footy anthemUp There Cazaly.
Goodrem shows a clean set of heels on the MCGPaul Jeffers
All in all,it was an effort from Rogers that her bossGillon McLachlan would have been proud of,and she had a few words about him too,and his prospects of featuring among Saturday’s acts.
“He can’t sing,bless him,so we’re not ruining the show,” Rogers said.
TIM AND TIM AGAIN
A small but determined media pack descended on Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday,to see Liberal MP for KewTim Smith face the music over last year’s drunken car crash that ended the former rising star’s political career.
But something didn’t feel right. For a start,the defendants appearing on the day were answering charges relating to stealing a bottle of beer or sleeping rough in a disused CBD strip club.
When the matter of Smith was called in the near-empty courtroom,in walked a man who was tall and skinny – the member for Kew is neither – and the defendant’s young female solicitor looked perplexed to find numerous media outlets looking on and numerous applications to the bench for copies of her client’s court file.
The charge sheets later revealed that thisTim Smith – 46,from Croydon North – was facing the beak accused of damaging a Melbourne City Council mobile phone charging bank and stealing a no smoking sign – not a mention of an automobile.
Besides,Tim Smith MP – 38,from Kew – was otherwise engaged that day at the other end of town,making his farewell speech to state parliament wherein he thanked a bunch of people for their help over the years while completely blanking his party leaderMatthew Guy.
VIVA KYLEA
After a fair bit of roasting,including by this column,climate-conscious North Sydney teal independent MPKylea Tink divested her shares in two fossil fuel companies – Viva Energy and Beach Energy – last week.
Tink’s stated rationale,that the purchases were an act of shareholder activism,looked a little threadbare after the MP failed to rock up to either Beach or Viva’s AGMs.
But recent results suggest,financially speaking at least,the MP shouldn’t have divested so fast.
Yesterday’s announcement that Viva had acquired Coles Express (the grocer’s petrol station business) had the company’s stock price record a 4.56 per cent bump.
Putting aside principles really does pay better.
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