For regular folk,it was a nice,unexpected public holiday. For Victorians,the start of a four-day weekend. For politicians,a chance for one more day of black armband carry-on before actually getting back to work.
The national memorial service to celebrate the life of the Queen.Alex Ellinghausen
Most former prime ministers made it back to Canberra for the ceremony.Scott Morrison,John Howard andPaul Keating were all there. Apologies of absence fromKevin Rudd andMalcolmTurnbull,who are in New York,andJulia Gillard,who’s in London.
A greater mystery was the whereabouts of 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 he’s definitely in the country.
Although the former PM 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.
Finding Dorey
Alex Dore,the PwC consultant,former Young Liberal president and wannabe Coalition backbencher straight out of central casting,has another chance to prove he deserves preselection.
Dore is set to be elected president of the Warringah federal electorate conference,the organisational vehicle for the 800-or-so members in Tony Abbott’s former seat,where he faces an uphill battle to reverse the party’s dwindling fortunes on the northern beaches.
A bitterly divided membership will hold its annual general meeting tomorrow,in a seat where the Liberal Party’s primary vote went backwards,asScott Morrison’s inflammatory captain’s pickKatherine Deves drove voters toward independent MPZali Steggall.
But Dore’s recent track record doesn’t inspire confidence. The northern beaches resident’s dreams of being parachuted into the southern Sydney electorate of Hughes at the last election through a complex backroom deal fell apart. His brave fight against the introduction of gender quotas was more successful,if you call female voters in the Liberal heartland deserting the party en masse a success.
Nevertheless,he persisted.
Dore has expressed interest in running for Warringah in the past,once mounting a brief campaign to ditch the old “emissions-spewing” Manly ferries forever. No doubt his leadership of the conference,and 2025 run will be another smashing success.
Footy Show
Pre-grand final speculation was nothing short of fevered this week – not about the Swans clash with Geelong,but whetherKylie Minogue would show up at the MCG on the day to sing withRobbie Williams.
Spoiler alert:it turned out to beDelta Goodrem in the end.
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 non-footy entertainment – including Goanna,Christine Anu,Emma Donovan,andTasman Keith.
Viva Kylea
After a fair bit of roasting,including by this column,North Sydney teal independent MPKylea Tink divested her shares in two fossil fuel companies – Viva Energy and Beach Energy – last week.
Tink’s rationale,that the purchases were an act of shareholder activism,didn’t stack up when we looked over Beach and Viva’s AGMs. But recent results suggest,financially speaking at least,the MP shouldn’t have divested so fast.
Wednesday’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.
Stupol is dead
Once upon a time,the battle for presidency of the University of Sydney’s Students’ Representative Council was a bloodsport. But winning an office once held byTony Abbott andJoe Hockey,seen for so long as an entrée to the world of grown-up politics,no longer means what it used to.
Last night,the SRC presidency passed with barely a whimper toLia Perkins,of Green-ish faction Grassroots. It’s the second uncontested election in three years. Before 2020,you’d have to go back half a century to find another instance of such a travesty.
Student politicians are no longer up to their elaborate,Machiavellian shenanigans,and campus life is all the poorer for it.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley..