Maybe it’s COVID-19,but the city’s idea of the hottest ticket in town seems to have changed.
Former prime minister Julia Gillard at an event in June 2022.Alex Ellinghausen
Perhaps Sydneysiders are funner,or less progressive,because while tickets sales are tracking nicely up here,promoter Michael Cassel Group tells us there are still seats available for her October event at the 4700-capacity Aware Super Theatre.
The two-woman showNot Now,Not Ever,features Gillard in conversation with former SBS newsreaderIndira Naidoo commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the famous “misogyny” speech,in 2012 when Gillard roasted then-opposition leader Tony Abbott over his attitude to women.
Illustration:John Shakespeare
Gillard says she and Naidoo will “reflect the past,present and a gender equal future”.
Sounds like a blast,and with the best seats in both cities going for $160,plus booking fee,we wonder if it’s worthTony Abbott trying his luck with a roadshow of his own.
Tassie takeover
Labor’s National Executive,already in control of the party’s Victorian branch,is poised for another takeover,this time of the ALP’s Tasmanian operation,with the hammer to fall as early as Friday.
National Executive suspended voting on Monday by members of Tassie Labor for the positions of party president,state conference delegates and Young Labor. Party sources not authorised to speak publicly say a full Victorian-style takeover will follow by the end of the week.
The party has been a basket case in the Apple Isle for years,losing a leader –David O’Byrnewho now sits on the cross-bench – to allegations of inappropriate conduct,and a state president –Ben McGregor,who was punted by National Executive over an explicit texting controversy,over which he was later cleared but not reinstated.
Former leaderRebecca White had to be drafted back into the role after O’Byrne was dumped,despite her desire to let politics take a back seat to raising her baby.
The internal turmoil has been reflected in the party’s electoral efforts,beaten in the last three state elections – and trounced on primary votes 48 per cent to 28 per cent in last year’s contest – and suffering a 6 per cent two-party preferred swing against it in May’s federal poll.
Now Labor’s national movers and shakers are set to appoint two party elders – they choseSteve Bracks andJenny Macklin in Victoria – to try to restore some stability to the Tasmanian branch.
How long will the Tassie’s comrades be subject to direct party rule from Canberra? That depends on a few things,but the “temporary” takeover of the Victorian branch has been on the go for more than two years now. So nobody should hold their breath.
Don’t mention the Wade
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese might’ve accused Scott Morrison of being “obsessed with secrecy,” but voters hoping for a more transparent approach to government will be disappointed.
Last month,Albanese told reporters he wouldn’t overturn the Coalition’s policy of labelling national cabinet meeting minutes cabinet-in-confidence.
And now a multilateral agreement to improve women’s access to abortion following the US Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision has been shrouded in secrecy.
Women’s MinisterKaty Gallagher told ABC RN that she was “happy to have the discussion with state and territory ministers” on Friday after one jurisdiction raised the issue of “nationally consistent laws for the provision of termination of pregnancy services”.
“When it was raised with me about whether or not it could be discussed at this meeting,I was happy to facilitate that,” she said.
But when it came to revealing the outcome of that discussion after Friday’s meeting,the minister’s office wasn’t forthcoming with details – no communique was released,and participants were told all communications would be “going through the Commonwealth”.
Gallagher told this masthead there had been a “very short” discussion about legal consistency across state and territory abortion laws.
“Only one minister raised it,so it wasn’t raised across the board,” she said.
Asked why no communique was released,she didn’t answer,saying “everyone was just happy to be in the room” in the first ministerial women’s safety meeting.
The Albanese government has taken pains to distance itself from the politically sensitive issue since the US Supreme Court decision last month,while emphasising that the hospital funding,while jointly financed,is a “state responsibility”.
Dunkin’ Dan
Parliament’s return means casual pick-up basketball games featuring pollies,staff and journos are back on the agenda.
But at least one gallery journalist was terrified at the prospect of new Hunter MPDan Repacholi entering the basketball group chat. At a whopping 2.02 metres,the giant Repacholi is simply too big for any normal person to guard.
Poisoned chalice
The Liberal Party’s recent election loss has meant plenty of formers seeking new gigs. Ex-Mackellar MPJason Falinski is now chairing Australian property start-up Air Trip,while giving a few guest lectures in behavioural economics at the University of Technology Sydney.
CBD hears he was among a handful of Liberal pollies who declined approaches to step up as the NSW Division’s next state president – among themTony Abbott,Mike Baird,and elderBruce Baird. We’ll leave that to former Parramatta candidateMaria Kovacic,who we reported is the likely frontrunner for a position which sounds a bit like a poisoned chalice.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley..