Return of the King? Journal of the Minister for Community Concerns - 26 June 2013

WEDNESDAY 26^th OF JUNE 2013

7:00AM

Wake up. Have great motivational chat with wife. Am determined to focus on positive. I WILL have policy discussion with media.

7:30AM

Press conference. Declare from outset that I am not interested in speaking about leadership in any way shape or form, I’m talking policy.

Fairfax journo says fine. Asks me if Gonski can go ahead with only two states.

Pass.

Asks how the surplus is going?

Ignore question.

Asks me how we are going to stop the boats?

Declare that I support PM and media needs to stop focusing on the leadership.

Storm off.

11:00AM

Fitzgibbon in – hands me envelope. It’s an invitation to the “Future of Australia”. Invitation is written on stained napkin.

Also inside, petition to spill leadership. Throw it to one side of room. Run out of room, should not even be in the same room as this. Realise Fitzgibbon is now alone in my office. Run back in room.

Fitzgibbon says Kevin’s got the numbers. We’ve got a meeting in half an hour – come hang out – no pressure, no expectations.

11:45AM

At Camp Rudd. Do not know half of these people. Apparently they are all backbenchers; really should turn around in question time more often.

12:30PM

Now I know why I never speak to backbenchers. Every conversation starts with “So, what’s your margin?”

Ask Fitzgibbon where Rudd is?

Fitzgibbon says Rudd is busy recording a video message in Mandarin to a conference in China on macro-economic policy on South-East Asia. Also has a phone hook-up with Mal Meninga to discuss Queensland’s tactics before Origin II.

12:45PM

Bob Katter is here.

12:50PM

Katter pulls out guitar, bursts into own version of Slim Dusty’s “I’d love to have a beer with Kevin”.

Escape.

4:30PM

Shorten in.

Tell Shorten he looks terrible.

Shorten says he feels terrible.

Ask if it’s because he’s still struggling to make a decision.

Shorten says it’s because he has made decision.

5:00PM

Whoaa, it is totally on. Gillard calling spill for 7PM? Typical Victorian: State of Origin ruined.

5:30PM

Discuss issue with wife. Wife suggests I stay loyal to Gillard. Explain that means electoral destruction.

Wife unwilling to explain to daughter why I brought down first female Prime Minister, if I want to that’s FINE.

6:00PM

Vote in just one hour. Have got to make call. Walking packs will be gathering. Don’t want to walk alone.

6:46PM

Shorten doing presser. Praising Gillard as always!

6:48PM

Shorten just backed Rudd. Holy crap.

7:00PM

Meeting starts. Gillard speech okay, still not sure who to back.

7:15PM

Rudd finishes speaking, Counted over 50 cliches in his speech. Ended saying we need to “cook with gas”. That’s it: I’m backing Gillard.

7:20PM

Rudd has won. Yes! Time for Origin.

7:21PM

No… time for Gillard farewell speech.

8:00PM.

Richo texts. Wants to know who has won. Text Richo will trade him details for regular Origin scores.

8:05PM

Text from Richo. Richo won’t be blackmailed. Richo will decide if my information is worth Origin scores or not. Text Richo that Rudd is PM.

8:15PM

Richo texts “I knew that at 7:30PM. To be fair I will give you the Origin score at 7:30PM – Nil – Nil.”

8:30PM

S#!t we have to vote on the deputy leadership, and the leader of the Senate, and the deputy leader of the Senate.

8:35PM

Phew, Labor factions have fixed up all positions. Quick vote. Definitely have a place in Labor party, now for the second half of origin!

9:30PM

Gathering in Gillard office with her camp; good times. Beers, conversation, not one discussion of polls! Origin on in background – pity about the Blues.

Cavalcade of Ministers are resigning. Don’t think I will – happy to be kicked out by people.

11:30PM

Head to office.

Rudd is waiting. Wearing Maroons jersey. “Freshly signed by entire victorious Origin II team” he tells me. How is this even possible!? The man truly is a machine.

Rudd thanks me for supporting Gillard; was good she had someone.

Has knocked up some notes on education policy. Wants to know what I think.

                   

2:00AM

Rudd is still here. We are discussing the lessons of Hong Kong’s kindergarten system.

Rudd feels we’ve had a great chat, we’re really cooking with gas, but now, he’s gotta zip.

Wish the election was tomorrow!

Originally published at BigPond News.

March of the Nutters: Diary of the Shadow Minister for Future Building and Values - 17 to 20 June 2013

Published at BigPond News:
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Election-2013/2013/06/26/smfb_3.html

Journal of the Minister for Community Concerns: To Spill or not to Spill - 15 to 18 June 2013

Published at BigPond News:
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Election-2013/2013/06/21/diaryleans_mcc4.html

Journal of the Minister for Community Concerns: Stairway to Kevin? - 13 to 14 June 2013

Published at BigPond News:
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Election-2013/2013/06/17/diary_leaks_mcc_3.html

Diary of the Shadow Minister for Future Building and Values: An Unpalatable Affair - 12 to 13 June 2013

WEDNESDAY 12^th OF JUNE 2013

8:00AM

Wake up in Brisbane hotel.

Spent a long time deciding what tie to wear. Want to wear blue tie, but that could play into Gillard narrative.

Decide on blue suit with lilac tie.

8:30AM

Meet up with Abbot and Abbott Press Secretary (APS).

Both stare at tie. APS hands me blue tie. She’s carrying spares: says LNP is setting fashion agenda not Gillard.

8:45AM

APS looks hard at me, says we need to talk about the menu.

I have no problem with breakfast menu!

APS slides menu across the table to me.

Thank APS but I ate at hotel. Also: Quail? For breakfast?

Abbott insists I look closer.

Notice obscene and frankly unamusing joke about Gillard – shake my head at APS – if these are today’s talking points I’m OUT.

APS explains it’s from a fundraiser in Mal Brough’s electorate that I attended.

Tell APS I can’t possibly be expected to remember all the fundraisers I attend, especially given how heavily I have to drink to bear them.

APS wants to know if I saw this menu.

Look at menu again. Don’t remember. I would totally remember if anything interesting happened at a fundraiser.

APS says ultimately we don’t need to worry too much. Brough is up against Peter “Mussels in brine” Slipper. Even if Brough personally hand wrote the entire menu, would still look like raging feminist compared to Slipper.

Abbott wants me to head to restaurant – needs me to sort this out.

APS says George Brandis will be meeting me there, for legal advice.

9:30AM

Brough has apologised. Wonder if I should apologise. Call wife.

Wife says you do not apologise casually. Apologising pre-emptively makes you look guilty. Wife says I have awful habit of apologising whenever someone gets angry.

Apologise to wife.

Wife hangs up.

11:30AM

Arrive at Richards & Richards. Suggest to Brandis that we play good lawyer, bad lawyer.

Meet restaurateur. Immediately apologise for sullying his establishment.

Brandis looks furious.

Restaurateur confused. He wrote the menu as joke, never distributed it. Is willing to come clean.

Brandis demands to know if restaurateur will say that in court.

Restaurateur doesn’t understand why it’s going to court.

Brandis: ALL things can wind up in court.

Restaurateur REALLY confused.

Explain to Restaurateur that we just want a letter for the media and this will all go away.

Brandis adds: OR WE’RE GOING TO COURT.

Walk out. Brandis feels like I overplayed good lawyer role. Reckons he could totally have gotten restaurateur to pay damages.

2:00PM  BACK WITH ABBOTT

Abbott does presser stating menu was tacky and in bad taste, just like jokes about Peta Credlin at ALP fundraiser. Brilliant!

2:05PM

Pyne calls. Loved Abbott presser! Has further examples of vicious slurs Labor has aimed at Coalition.

5:45PM

Just finished with Pyne. 47 of the 50 examples were about Pyne. Did not have heart to say I found most of the “slurs” really funny. He IS like a poodle!

THURSDAY 13^th OF JUNE 2013

9:00AM

Journalist calls to discuss menu-gate. Reckons it was pretty CONVENIENT menu was not distributed. Convenient like an alibi.

Agree, alibis are, by definition, convenient.

Journalist asks what I’d say to people who say there is no proof that I did not see the menu?

I’d say: “Leave me alone.”

Journo reckons Gillard is right and about menu-gate we still have questions to answer.

Laugh! Say I remember using that line against PM at tail end of AWU scandal. “Questions to answer” is line you use when you’ve run out of questions to ask.

Journo asks if I’m saying AWU was a beat up.

Say nothing.

Journo thanks me for story.

MIDDAY

APS calls. Did I describe AWU as beat up?

Say I did not use that PARTICULAR phrase.

APS says I’m dumber than your average Queensland restaurateur.

                                                                            

4:00PM

APS calls back. I’m in clear. A talkback host managed to one up menu-gate by asking Gillard if Tim Mathieson is gay. No time to chat.

11:00PM

Watching Lateline at home. Wife says something profound: If a menu is drawn up in a kitchen and nobody reads it, is it worth two days of media coverage?

Originally published at BigPond News.

Journal of the Minister for Community Concerns - 6 to 10 June 2013

Published at BigPond News:
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Election-2013/2013/07/12/diary_mcc_2.html

Journal of the Minister for Community Concerns - 4 June 2013

Published at BigPond News:
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Election-2013/2013/06/04/diary_leaks_mcc_1.html

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