16 July 2015

The smell of kerosene

The history of political rorting goes way back and involves politicians of all parties and none. Accusations of rorting usually come from outside the political class rather than inside. Proof of such rorting tends to be highly protected; where an example escapes it is usually matched by a counter-example, and tends to die down after a few days of tabloid media outrage with little real change (except to jack up security procedures).

Let's look at the history of rorts under this government, and see it for what it is: set-pieces of political theatre, whose wider significance is missed entirely by supposedly savvy observers.

When this government was first elected George Brandis and Don Randall were accused of rorting their entitlements. They made contrite noises and the debate moved on, as though members of a newly-elected government had made forgivable newbie errors.

When Joe Hockey delivered the 2014 budget, and it became clear that the government's problems were structural rather than anecdotal, News Ltd papers ran a half-hearted campaign to dump Hockey. Samantha Maiden was put up to do this. Neither Maiden, nor any of the almost two hundred other members of the press gallery, bothered to investigate whether the practice was widespread among MPs. Nor did it instigate one of those fabled NewsCorp campaigns to reform entitlement rules so that no politician could enhance their family's asset base at public expense.

Look at the dogs that did not bark here and give me no more of your nonsense about a fourth estate.

Hockey was set up for a fall. NewsCorp papers and talkback radio went after him in the hope that the pressure would get to him, he'd chuck in the high-pressure role of Treasurer, and the government's perceptions of incompetence would go with him. Hockey didn't quit, Abbott stood by him, and NewsCorp backed off when he sued Fairfax. When the result of that case proved inconclusive, NewsCorp declared their former target gloriously triumphant under the enemy-of-my-enemy principle, to the bemusement of Richard Ackland.

Now the rorting spotlight has fallen on Bronwyn Bishop. This, however, is no grassroots campaign from far beyond the manicured lawns of Canberra. It's not even a NewsCorp stitch-up, and it certainly isn't opposition research. It's an inside job from the government.

Bishop had been a ferociously partisan NSW President of the Liberal Party in 1986-87, around the time I joined the Young Liberals as a teenager. Fluffy profiles of Bishop like this do nothing to prepare people for what she was to be like as Speaker, helping the press gallery build the perception that an Abbott government wouldn't be all that bad, ha ha! As a result, experienced press gallery hacks fell about in amazement at her entirely foreseeable partisanship.

Bishop was always a soft target for rort accusations, for two main reasons borne out from her long record in Canberra. As Adam Gartrell points out, she has a taste for the finer things in life. As Gartrell doesn't, her record as a minister shows she's a clown. She demands fawning loyalty from her staff above all other considerations; this precludes those who are efficient or committed to principles other than her whims, to the point that they will stand up to her. A staff like that means that the minister will achieve little other than having become a minister, and such a record is fine by Bishop.

Infamously, Bishop's ministerial career ended when she was the minister responsible for regulating aged care, and it was revealed old people in nursing homes were being bathed in kerosene. The regulation of the sector was a shambles. When she was replaced by Julie Bishop, much younger and with a more substantial career behind her, stakeholders were consulted and the sector was regulated much better. This set the younger Bishop up for the higher offices that eluded Bronwyn.

The fuel used in helicopters is very similar to kerosene. It's funny how things go around, really.

This is why she's vulnerable: nobody in her office has that Credlin-like ability to get the job done and discourage would-be attackers. It is Bishop herself who stares down challenges from Labor strategists like Albanese or Tony Burke; her staff just do what she says. Bishop has hired people she thinks are loyal to her, and they might even think they're loyal, but none will die in a ditch for her.

Howard looked down his nose at Bronwyn Bishop, so did everyone really - but not Abbott. He is the son she never had. When it became clear she could not knock off the enfeebled John Hewson - and that the Liberal Party preferred even Alexander Downer, or Lazarus-with-triple-bypass John Howard, or newbie Peter Costello, or anyone really over her, Tony Abbott was elected to Parliament and her future became clearer than it otherwise might have been.

After she'd had her go in the Howard ministry, Bishop fought off Concetta Fierravanti-Wells for preselection in her seat because she knew she'd get a second, better chance in an Abbott government. When Abbott stumbled during the 2007 election campaign and in the two years after, Bishop had more faith in an Abbott government than Abbott did. She helped minimise the vote against him in February's challenge.

Bishop thought she was helping Abbott's national-security narrative by banning women from covering their heads in parliament's public gallery. When there was a backlash, one Bishop was inclined to ignore, Abbott took days to talk her down.

Abbott elevated Bishop, Bishop protects Abbott. Labor and the press gallery makes much of her one-eyed bias, but with any other Speaker Abbott would be strafed every time in Parliament. Labor's zingers would hit home. Given some people's focus on the "optics" of parliamentary theatre, he'd be "beleagurered" and "embattled", with all sorts of flow-on effects in what is already a failing government.

Why were only Bishop's expenses leaked, and why now? Aren't journalists supposed to be inquisitive? Isn't the whole point of experience to refuse to be led astray by lies, half-truths, fobbing-off, and other Canberra wiles? The press gallery thinks its job is to gratefully receive 'drops' of information like this and not question their provenance. You could say that the better press gallery journalists will ask these questions, and some might get answers: but those people will consider themselves under Chatham House rules not to disclose who's responsible or why, all for the sake of future drops, which puts them in the same league as those who take the drops and don't ask.

Bronwyn Bishop is close to Abbott, and not just because of their ecclesiastical surnames or adjacent electorates. Anyone who takes a shot at Bishop can expect a serve from Abbott, and vice versa. The leak against Bishop is designed to stoke public outrage; political insiders know how potent rort accusations are to non-insiders, like kerosene to a flame. It is designed to hurt Abbott at a time when he can't use the full force of his authority to hunt down anyone who'd embarrass her in this way.

Abbott, not Bishop, is the real target here. Since he was challenged for the leadership he has not fulfilled his promise to lift the government's fortunes. Whether it's national security, building submarines in Adelaide, the coalmine proposal on Liverpool Plains, the sudden discovery that solar panels are part of mainstream Australia - this government has been like a helicopter pilot revving the rotors at full speed, but still descending. The reason why same-sex marriage isn't getting up is not because of rock-ribbed conservatives, but those timid souls who would support it but fear shirtfronting the leader.

Lashing out at Bishop is a release, but also a warning. Those captain's picks haven't gotten any better. Early election talk only wards off the challengers if support for the Coalition goes up, not down. You could take a shot at Abbott directly, but you'd be finished if you failed. Far better to take on the hapless Bishop, and there will be a mob in every electorate to blast her indulgence; Abbott will get the message that he's the next target if things don't get better soon.

If Bronwyn Bishop had her way Joe Hockey would never have been elected to Parliament. All that money he raises goes to relative moderates rather than the conservatives she tends to favour. After all that's happened to him since, Hockey would be a dingo of the worst kind to turn on Abbott now - but he can turn on Bishop and it's fair comment.

You could say that it's in the nature of this government for a woman like Bishop to cop it for her rorts while men like Brandis and Randall get away with far worse. This is a fair point, until you realise Bishop's unrelenting hostility to lefty notions of feminism. She has always been able to mix it with men as friends or foes, but her most bitter contests have been with other women: Julie Bishop, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, and various moderates in Liberal Women's Council and the Young Liberals. Her only real female ally was Sophie Mirabella. Liberals who want to increase female participation in the party overall, including in parliament, are her sworn enemies. Peta Credlin is young enough to be her daughter, for goodness sake, without being nearly so deferential.

For once in her life, Bronwyn Bishop is just a patsy: Abbott is the real target. With the press gallery so busy writing the same story, and willing to drop it once Bishop announces a modest payback, they won't really think about the nature of the attack, who the real target is, and how little time and room for manoeuver he has left.

31 comments:

  1. Thanks for your insight. You picked up some really HiRes pics in your transit of Planet Liberalis.
    Confess to having forgotten the clusterfuck of Bronnie and the nursing home abuse. But I instantly recalled how appalled I was at the time; and also how she seemed to escape proper accountability on follow-through (lack of), at the time.

    As my dear old man used to say... "You're worth more money...".

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  2. Your column was genuinely fascinating. I had not considered that BB had had a torch applied to her beehive. Well, well, something must be cooking in the ranks.
    I must say I was puzzled momentarily that Hockey had been so quick to condemn her. However I did not give it enough thought.
    It is all very House of Cards isn't it?

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    1. A plied to her beehive - something like this?

      http://www.afr.com/content//afr/photogallery/brand/david-rowes-cartoons-20141024-11beym.html

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  3. Andrew.
    My main problems with this old harridan is that not only did she use my taxes to fly to Clifton Springs to attend a political function, when she could have used a taxi or a comcar to get her there in the same time.

    And while I'm here, Bronny's job interview (which she was told "don't waste your time") trip to wherever it was cost$88,000, of which $24,000 was for food for three people for ten days.

    What were they eating, diamond encrusted gHunt promises?

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    1. I share your pain Dave. All I'll say about the overseas jaunt is this (an attempt at explanation, not excuse): I eat when I'm stressed, and my guess is that she and her staff came to a similar decision.

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  4. Here, Here!

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  5. Bishopgate is but another example of one of Abbott's captains calls coming back to bite him on the bum. There were two reasons why Abbott gave her the speakers job. Firstly he knew she would be total partisan and thus help him avoid scrutiny. Secondly and perhaps more importantly he wouldn't have to find her a ministry and put up with her in the cabinet. She is well past her use by date and so the speakership was a short term win-win for Abbott. But like everything Abbott has done it is proving to be totally wrong. The problem with all these mini disasters that crop up on a daily basis is that they focus the short term attention span of the media and the public on ephemeral incompetency. When the big picture is that The Abbott government has been a disaster from start to finish and they have absolutely no idea about what to do in policy terms. Their only skill is in "politics" and manipulating the media cycle. There is a huge bubble occurring it is the Abbott Bullshit Bubble and it is getting bigger by the day. The media will once agin focus on the incident rather than the pattern, they'll focus on Bishop rather than Abbott.

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    1. Barely a skill with the advantages that they have in the media.

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  6. Minister for Caged Hair was lampoon material then, as now.This vacuous woman represents so much that is wrong with politics: people with nothing to contribute embedding themselves into power roles. Obeid Syndrome is not confined to NSW State politics, it's merely a difference in degree.

    Kerosine...lovely segue Andrew.

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  7. Thanks Andrew - insightful analysis.

    Whilst I would rather write about policy, however another dynamic related to the Liberal leadership is that if Malcolm Turnbull is ever to become a Liberal Prime Minister, this will most likely need to occur by 3 December 2015 (the last day of Parliament in 2015).

    Beyond that it will be too close to the election.

    If Abbott wins - he will be safe for at least the next 18-24 months by which time Morrison will have entrenched himself as the heir apparent.

    If Abbott loses - Turnbull won't be hanging around - again - for the scraps of opposition leadership.

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    1. If Turnbull became leader, what would change? He's a control freak too, and there are no great reserves of moderates waiting for their chance at a ministry to turn things around.

      The right already regard Morrison as the heir apparent.

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  8. Andrew, thank you again for doing what the MSM fails to do.
    Not really much point in reading any of the dross from main stream political journalists these days.
    What I would like to know is do the rorters actually pay the dosh back out of their own pockets?
    How would you know? Take the word of an Australian politician.

    "Yes m'lud the cheque is in the mail as we speak"

    Excuse me for pausing while that squadron of pigs passes overhead.

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  9. I met Bishop the elder many years ago. Small person inferiority complex writ large; the woman was as pushy as all get out.

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    1. Nobody respects her. Rightwingers lay it on with a trowel but everyone else barely tolerates her. Labor will be ready for govt when they start telling her to get fucked.

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    2. Andrew,
      I agree with you but how does Labor "tell her to get fucked" without being kicked out on en-masse?

      As long as the old bitch has got Abbott's protection it's unlikely anything will change.

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    3. I met her during her run for leader of the Liberal Party. Utterly graceless.

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  10. #ChopperBishop "I love the smell of Kero in the morning" #Burglar @ChopperGate

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    1. That's why she prefers the chopper, haha. Is she addicted to the smell of kerosene ? (Just humour).

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  11. Concise no bullshite article Andrew. There are many independent, non MSM aligned jurnos on the net and like the great investigative work of Peter Wicks, you are up there with them.
    Great work, keep giving it to the Tory bastards

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  12. Has anyone else ever noticed Bishop's uncanny resemblance to one of the Blue Meanies in the film "Yellow Submarine"? If the cap fits...

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  13. P Hartcher wrote an excoriating piece about TA today. Do you see any connection with your theory that certain people are getting at Abbott through BB?

    I am all ears Andrew.

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    1. Yeah, it's a pity that Hartcher has only started excoriating Abbott. He spent 2010 to 2013 excoriating Gillard while waving Abbott and his weirdo goons through.

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  14. Bishop (the elder) was always woefully incompetent choice for speaker, a tin pot ideologue with manner as brittle as glass. It was never going to work. And presto, she is undone by her own actions on the parliamentary record.
    As to why leaked now - this was of course intended to be Shorten's crucifixion fortnight, years in the making from Abbott- as it sort of was, except Ole Bronnie came thundering to the rescue, albeit unwittingly, and has blown that off the front cover.
    That would seem great timing for a spot of mischievous leaking that completely threw off Abbott's cheap, but heavily invested, strategy to destroy Shorten. It was also week where Turnbull gave a media speech that rebuked the shallow security fraudulence of Abbott, clinging on in post 'budget emergency' failure, in narrative of alleged grave terror threats.Hmmm, should I join the dots, that some internal Libs are not happy, indeed, are appalled by the myopia and tackiness of Abbott, who endlessly throws traditional Conservatism under the bus for cheap politicking....surely timing is everything in any theatre or comedy, is it not?!

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    1. I'm stunned - no, actually I'm not really - but Bishop came out fighting saying this has taken the focus off Shorten. Isn't there a convention that the speaker refrai... sorry, I'll shut up.

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    2. This was my (anon) comment days ago - and how I read it all in context of Shorten's week. But actually - hats off yet again to Andrew Elder for spotting an even bigger and longer term dynamic in full play.
      The leaking of the finances of Bronster has left Abbott as emperor with no clothes - he is too weak to sack her and needs to maintain her cover in parliament. It is very weak look for someone like Abbott who claims tough tallk ad naseum - it looks like he will tolerate, indeed, buy, her protection at any cost. And it won't go away soon, it will linger for on as an open sore. A stitch up of highest order - the country owes someone, somewhere in the background a drink on all of us for letting this story out of the bag to white ant Abbott.

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    3. Hillbilly Skeleton28/7/15 12:25 pm

      Long story short. Bronwyn Bishop knows all of the skeletons in Abbott's closet personally. Abbott knows all of Bronwyn's skeletons in her closet personally. So neither of them will rat on the other because if one goes, the whole edifice with it's roccoco facade, crumbles immediately and completely.

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  15. What with the Peter Slipper precedent/ 'End of Age of Entitlement'/ Brandis' get out of jail free card, this is pure gold - surely a fact in the leaker's mind?
    Sure, Slipper had obvious criminal intent - a contrived effort to defraud taxi slips (no pun). But the venom with which Pyne and Abbott pursued Slipper sets the only acceptable path forward for the ALP here - it has to be attack dogs or alas, I will be forced to call out the ALP as bunch of soft cocks!

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  16. Her female friend being" ms ethnic chip on the shoulder "Mirabella really?

    That speaks VOLUMES

    Greatly appreciated Andrew.

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  17. "Partisan" doesn't begin to describe the way she (with Abbott) has trashed Australian democracy.

    Thanks to Bob Ellis for reminding us of how she almost hijacked a plane in 1994 so she could strut her stuff in an Anzac Day parade.

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  18. One has to wonder why someone of Bishop's unelectability can be selected to stand for election, and this goes for both major parties but the LNP in particular is always the main offender.

    Surely in Bishop's seat of Mackellar, which is a northern Sydney affluent and predominantly right wing constituency, they must have at least one better candidate than this harridan.

    It seems that the way to go in this kind of electorate is to find a dog turd, put a blue tie and LNP sign behind it, and bingo, Madam Pooh Pooh is re-elected.

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  19. Are the people of Mackellar lapping Bronnygate up, or has she finally fouled her chances at the next election? Time she went, should have long ago. Thank you Andrew Elder, I have found a sound & reasonable site of explanations. The media is not doing its job properly.

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