While most of what happens in the parliament stays in the parliament, with an understanding from all sides that sometimes theatrics are just part of the job, Wednesday’s question time events seeped into the personal.
It’s no secret that Labor MPs feel frustrated at the backlash the government has faced from activists over Gaza, having supported calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and increasingly strengthened its language on the Rafah offensive. And they blame the Greens and what Anthony Albanese, Tony Burke and Penny Wong all called “misinformation” for that.
Those tensions spilled over on Wednesday, after a question from the independent MP Sophie Scamps asking the prime minister about the conflict.
Albanese outlined the government’s position, then turned to antisemitism, Islamophobia and the “responsibility” of MPs not to “inflame” tensions. Peter Dutton’s contribution surprised even Labor, as he implied that some protesters were Holocaust deniers, while lambasting the Greens and linking the government to the Coalition’s own position.
Adam Bandt wasn’t given an opportunity in the parliament to respond to the claims and by Friday, there was a feeling among some in the government that was a mistake. Others thought Albanese allowed emotion to take him away, which then opened the door for Dutton, and now they’re not quite sure how to close it.
Despite knowing Labor MPs were growing increasingly agitated at the end of last week, Bandt and Max Chandler-Mather, both of whom had taken the brunt of the “roundhouse verbal kicks” from Albanese and Dutton, and then the media, were visibly taken aback by the response. But the Greens say they have been heartened by the response they have received from the public, and they won’t be changing course. Don’t expect these tensions to let up by the next parliament session.
An unfortunate audition
The tension in parliament of Gaza gave some media outlets a new bone to chew over, and some joked that it meant that Labor’s immigration minister, Andrew Giles, could finally take a breather.
The Victorian MP has been the centre of attention since the high court ruled indefinite detention was unlawful, with the government response falling, fairly or unfairly, at his feet. Throw in some other tricky visa decisions made by an independent tribunal, but based on guidelines Giles issued, and enough newsprint has been spilled containing Giles’ name to paper the entire press gallery.
That’s led to speculation of who could replace him in the expected winter ministerial reshuffle. Western Australian MP Matt Keogh was one of the names being bandied around, along with Queensland’s Murray Watt. But Keogh’s audition for promotion didn’t exactly go to plan – minutes after he was demurely batting away questions of whether or not he would want the job (“I’ll always serve in whatever capacity the prime minister may ask, but I’m very happy doing the job that I’m doing”) Keogh created a government-sized headache of his own, when he freelanced on the ADF recruitment policy change in a doorstop. While eligible people from New Zealand, the UK, the US and Canada will soon be able to join Australia’s defence force, Keogh for some reason added that “permanent residents from any other countries” would too. And that was not the government’s policy.
We are told there was a hasty command to “clean it up”, which happened later in the day with another doorstop, an intervention by the defence minister, Richard Marles, and a later TV interview from Keogh, where he very much stuck to the script this time. It took heat off shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie, who just a year ago had supported the policy idea. He now considers it “watering down” the ADF. Still, we are told there was a bit of schadenfreudean mirth at Keogh’s misstep within some government offices.
No French exit for Bill Shorten … yet
It’s not yet set in stone that Giles will be moved on, but the chatter is a reshuffle is all but locked in, and much of that has to do with some expected retirement announcements ahead of the next election. Linda Burney is among the big names not expected to stand for election at the next poll, while Brendan O’Connor is also said to be weighing up whether he goes for another three years. Maria Vamvakinou is keeping the Victorian branch guessing, while the Queensland branch continues to wrestle with whether Shayne Neumann and Graham Perrett are moved on, to meet the 50:50 gender quota (although it is looking increasingly like the federal executive will decide a 50:50 parliamentary split will be enough). Samantha Maiden’s story about Bill Shorten being approached to take on the French ambassadorship role set tongues wagging, although we are told that while there have been approaches (you’ll note the plural) sounding Shorten out, he’s not quite ready to go. And certainly not on someone else’s timeline. Mark Dreyfus is another MP who has had to state on the record that he plans to stand again at the next election (although that never counts for anything if someone does decide to move on) and Don Farrell (aka “the Godfather”) might create more of a Senate ministerial headache for the house-ministerial heavy government if he decides enough is enough. On the flipside, it seems all but done that Corinne Mulholland will join Nita Green on the Senate ticket for winnable places, with the Star casino in-house lobbyist and Queensland party loyalist being given the nod as the consensus candidate by the union powers that be. That hasn’t stopped the chatter that former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk could be in line for the spot, but party sources tell us it’ll be Mulholland (barring any last minute Queensland-ness).
Fancy a tipple with Tucker?
The fight for seats at the upcoming Midwinter Ball is under way in earnest – for those who don’t know, ministers and MPs have to be invited to attend by someone who has been granted a table, a list controlled by the press gallery committee. While the big names are usually very quickly snapped up, the more ambitious lower tiers of MPs and senators have to rely on the kindness of attendees/a last-minute pullout. That’s all set for 3 July, but it won’t be the only hot ticket (if you are into that kind of thing) in the final parliamentary sitting before the winter break. UAP senator Ralph Babet has announced an exclusive cocktail reception for the evening of 25 June with the one and only Tucker Carlson.
From Putin to Palmer, Carlson attracts all the big names, with the US conservative firebrand in Australia at the behest of Clive Palmer. Babet has invited house MPs, senators and senior staff to share APH catering, with both Palmer and Carlson to take part in the “freedom conferences” that are “being held around Australia to discuss important issues for democracy and free speech”. But consider yourself warned – Babet says numbers are “strictly limited” (his bolding) by the event space and “therefore I ask for a prompt reply”.
But don’t worry – if you miss out on swanning around with Carlson eating pigs in blankets and discussing the evils of wokeness at Parliament House, you can always attend the $190-a-head, three-course lunch Babet, Carlson and Palmer are hosting at the Hyatt hotel earlier in the day. Lunch and drinks are included in the per-head price. One would hope the steak is at least wagyu.
