Allies as foes
ANOTHER week in politics and another leaked tape to the media. This one comes from another private off-the-record function and it has landed the Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, in an awkward position.
The recording was made in the Cherry Bar and Pyne is heard reassuring his supporters that they are inside the “winners circle”.
He tells his factional friends that he and George Brandis have voted for Malcolm Turnbull at every possible chance. This is a reason for celebration and a reminder that marriage equality is now on the cards. In fact, it may come sooner than expected. What? No plebiscite? This recording is doing damage to the image of the Turnbull front bench. It is clear there are divisions, it is evidence there are profound policy differences.
The tape was not released from the left side of politics, it did not find its way to Bill Shorten, nor to an internet newspaper or a blogger. It travelled to the right and landed in the safe hands of Andrew Bolt.
Bolt told the public this tape was explosive, it could tear the government apart and bring an end to Turnbull’s time at the top.
Three other frontbenchers had come perilously close to doing this very thing last week. Greg Hunt and friends were facing contempt charges and, if they had been convicted, the Turnbull majority would have disappeared over night.
Their last-minute apologies ensured the continuation of government but this contrition did little to demonstrate a PM in control.
Turnbull had gone into the weekend trying to get the focus on to policy. He had pushed his Gonski 2.0 through the Senate without any help from the gormless Greens and he had every reason to crow at the party conference. But his excitement and focus was lost by Monday with the Pyne revelations.
The first person to react badly to the truth of this after-hours dialogue was former prime minister Tony Abbott.
He was upset and so he did what he promised he would never do. He took to the airwaves for a fair dinkum poke at Pyne.
Abbott has a residency on Ray Hadley’s 2GB talk show. He chose this ventilation opportunity to discuss the tape.
“This appears to be the confession that he has made to his close colleagues in the left faction,” he told his good buddy Hadley.
“Christopher Pyne wasn’t just a member of my cabinet, he was actually in the leadership team and it’s important that you show loyalty . . . But if he’s to be believed on Friday night, that loyalty was never there, which is incredibly disappointing.”
The two Sydneysiders picked the remaining meat off the bones of the carcass of the chief key conspirators. Hadley was eager to focus on his political enemies.
“Scott Morrison, if ever there’s a bloke that’s no longer authentic, it’s him . . . Holding hands with Christopher Pyne behind your back and stabbing you in the back!” said Hadley to Abbott.
These are violent theatrical images. Reminiscent of Julius Caesar. Abbott didn’t shy from reminding the listening public his party colleagues need to take a good hard look in the hall of mirrors.
“You’ve got to be fair dinkum with the Australian people . . . , ” said Abbott. “Looks like not that’s not the case with my colleague Christopher.”
Abbott is happily leaving Pyne to hang from the highest yardarm in the naval ship building dockyards of Adelaide.
He feels betrayed and now it is clear to the whole of Canberra that Shakespeare was right to document the power struggles of political ambition.
His play is an examination of the decay of trust. The abuse of power that comes from internal squab- bling for control of the state.
Abbott is aware of the lessons that can be learned from this kind of instructive dramatic text.
When he was leaving office after his self-described “political assassination” he was clear with the people about how he would conduct himself in public life.
He promised there would be no sniping. No back-bench undermining. The record shows that he has struggled to keep his fair dinkumness with the Australian people on his promise not to snipe. It’s going to be interesting to see who makes it to Act Three.
If Bolt is right and this tape does prove to be explosive for the Liberal Party and their current leadership team, who will step into the shoes of the PM? Who would possibly be willing to pop their head above parapets and launch an offensive?
They’re running out of people we can trust.