Liberal Frontbencher - 17 August

TUESDAY 17/08/10

6:00am

In Canberra. Sigh. Only saving grace of election campaign is less time in freezing round-about land.

8:00am

Meeting before Abbott's Press Club appearance.

Abbott Press Secretary (APS) outlines debate position. Have offered half hour economy debate tonight. That way Abbott can get out of 7:30 Report interview. Dodge two birds with one stone.

Abbott does not fear O'Brien!

APS grabs laptop and offers to play O'Brien's greatest hits. Asks Abbott whether he'd prefer to watch old stuff, where he admitted to not always telling truth, or new stuff, episode where he revealed complete ignorance of internet.

Abbott says "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me".

APS reveals little known third part of saying: "Fool me repeatedly, I don't get to move into the lodge".

Abbott doesn't want to move into the Lodge, wants to live among the ordinary folk of North Sydney.

10:00am

ALP Campaign Manager Karl Bitar rings. Wants 45 minute debate tomorrow in Queensland.

Come up with two unreasonable counter-offers:

  -  Two hour debate on boats with panel of Chris Uhlmann, Kerry O'Brien, and Annabel Crabb;
  or
  -  15 minute speed debate on everything, hosted by Andrew O'Keefe.

Call Bitar: says I'm being ridiculous. Agree with Bitar, but point out he is also being ridiculous.

Bitar concedes point.

Midday

Head to Press Club. Meet up with journalist from The Australian beforehand. Australian Journalist is not sure which question to get Abbott not to answer today. Is bored of campaign - says last night he dreamt of 8 hours sleep, long breakfast, and conversation about ancient history.

Tell journalist not to dwell on it, will make it harder to endure last six days.

Evening

APS frantically prepping Abbott for 7:30 Report.

Minchin tells APS to stop cramming Abbott's mind. Needs to be clear headed before battle with O'Brien. Quotes Chiang Kai-shek's autobiography to highlight importance of focus when fighting Maoists.

Post 7:30 Report

Abbott won debate with O'Brien in debate about whether to debate, debate.

Ride on press bus back to hotel to avoid Minchin's lectures on Clausewitz's theories on the influence of the Fog of War and how they apply to marginal seats.

Journalists keep asking me about whether debate is happening or not. How can they possibly still care?

Respond to debate question by asking if journalists have seen Waiting for Godot? Young journalist says she read review on Twitter. Totally agrees with playwright Samuel Beckett that homelessness is bad.

Australian journalist has non-Gen Y education. Explains that play is actually about futility of waiting for something that will probably never happen and if does will not bring salvation, or to put it in terms young journos can understand, debate will not be game changer.

This entry originally published at BigPond News as part of their Federal Election 2010 coverage.