News location:

Canberra Today 20°/23° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Macklin / Chaos rules as the blue corner lashes out

 

Carbon TargetCHAOS thy name is Anthony John Abbott. Not since the Whitlam years have we witnessed such disarray.

The former Oxford boxing blue spent the week backed into his corner of the political ring throwing wild rights at friends and foes alike as his hand-picked allies in the judges’ box departed or were hooted from the bleachers.

He began by pointedly farewelling the thoroughly unlamented Bronwyn Bishop with a kiss. Then he tried some fancy footwork on his same-sex marriage sparring partners that diverted them briefly, but sent the crowd into paroxysms of protest.

Next came a climate-change jab that missed the target followed by a feint at a passing Syrian death cult. And he rounded the week off defending the indefensible as Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon was outed as the main speaker at a Liberal Party fundraiser. By now even his best friends at Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited were beginning to despair.

THROUGHOUT the shambles, the alternative leader Malcolm Turnbull stayed mum, even though he holds totally opposing views on all the issues canvassed. Indeed, it’s reported that Abbott’s conservative allies want him out of the ministry. “They want his scalp,” said one Turnbull supporter. And Malcolm’s silence suggests the threat is real. But how long, one wonders, is he prepared to remain Tony’s punching bag?

ENVIRONMENT Minister Greg Hunt talked up a storm in support of the climate change policy – so much so that “7.30’s” Leigh Sales found it almost impossible to squeeze in a question. Unfortunately, Greg has yet to learn that the faster you talk the less you’re listened to. Truth is, 63 per cent of Australians believe the government should do more and more than 70 per cent say coal should be replaced by renewables.

CANBERRANS can feel suitably smug as the retiring Environment Minister Simon Corbell opened a second wind auction designed to power up to 106,000 homes. But here’s an oddity – a survey revealed that more women than men support wind and solar power; the chaps like the nuclear option. Ian Dunlop, a former oilman who converted to climate change activist, says: “Women are actually more conscious of the world we are heading into and the need to do something about it.” Really?

ACTUALLY, Simon got quite excited by the “enormously attractive” idea of extending a branch line of his light rail project to Russell Hill.

It would “liberate public servants exiled to the Defence precinct,” he said, “and boost the project by 30 per cent”. The cost? Ah, forget about it. That’ll be someone else’s worry.

SNOW and ice also made the headlines, the one far more desirable than the other. While snow is always fun, it turns out that ice (crystallised methamphetamine) is not quite the epidemic we thought. Another survey says only 3.5 per cent of us have tried it and many of those are stay-at-home mums. Come to think of it, that’s pretty scary.

FINALLY the good news – our women cricketers thrashed the Poms; and our own cineaste treasure Andrew Pike and his team have revived the Canberra International Film Festival. There’s a terrific line up of movies planned for November – just as our own little industry finds its feet. Well done, sir!

robert@robertmacklin.com

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Robert Macklin

Robert Macklin

Share this

Leave a Reply

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews