An internal server error has occurred. Please refresh the page or try logging in again.
An error has occurred. Please try again later.
Liberals’ flag fiasco
Every flag in the nation has stood at half mast these past few days to honour Prince Philip — except the Liberal Party flag. Strewth was shocked to see images of Menzies House, the Liberal Party’s headquarters in Canberra and natural home of the nation’s monarchists, at the weekend. The Australian flag was appropriately at half-mast but, next to it, the Liberal Party emblem was still flying high. Scott Morrison’s own department makes it clear that no flag should ever fly higher than the Aussie one. “When flying the Australian National Flag with other flags, all flags in the set should be flown at half-mast,” the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet website states. So what’s going on at Menzies House? And what on earth would Robert Menzies — he who said of the Queen, “I did but see her passing by, yet I love her till I die,” — think? Don’t fret. It turns out that the Liberal Party flag is just stuck. “The mechanism on the second flagpole is broken. It will be fixed,” a spokesman for the Liberal Party federal secretariat said on Tuesday. Let’s hope the Liberals fix the flag mechanism for the Saturday funeral. And let’s hope no pesky republicans have been meddling with their poles.
Royal reality TV
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten is not waiting until after Philip’s funeral to restart the debate on ditching the monarchy. “This is a British family and they’ve got their troubles like families have. When can we just — I don’t want to be a therapist to a foreign family on the other side of the world — but when will we just have an Australian head of state? Like, they’re are a lovely family, good luck to them,” he said on the Nine Network. Shorten even went on to compare the royals with a very popular, if uncouth, Australian reality show. “You know, it’s interesting, but so is Married At First Sight.” Shorten may have a third career in him as a royal commentator, if he hasn’t yet given up on his long-thwarted dream to be the crown’s first minister in Australia.
Holgate holds on
Canberra was shocked to discover Christine Holgate may actually still be chief executive of Australia Post, but they should just have checked her LinkedIn. Holgate told the Senate inquiry into her sacking on Tuesday that she never resigned, and did not deny she believed she was technically still the CEO when pressed on that very issue by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. But just look at her resume on her LinkedIn profile. “Christine Holgate … CEO Australia Post: Oct 2017 – Present.” In today’s professional world — where everyone and anyone is on the business networking social media site — you need no more proof that Holgate’s still the boss.
Cartier cash bargain
Holgate also used her explosive Senate testimony to show off her talent for bargain-hunting. “I cannot begin to tell you how many people wrote to me and said: ‘How did you get a Cartier watch for $5000?’ ” she told the Senate. “I would like to know the sale of Cartier over the Christmas period, because I was inundated with requests to know how we negotiated it.” Strewth would like to know, too. The cheapest men’s watch on Cartier’s Australian website is $9400, and the cheapest woman’s watch is $8600.
You’re a wizard, Pyney
Former defence minister Christopher Pyne looked fetching when he received an honorary doctorate from his old haunt the University of Adelaide on Monday. But his wizard-esque academic garb spurred some teasing from an old boss. “I told you not to join Slytherin!! What were you thinking?”
Malcolm Turnbull wrote on Pyne’s Instagram. Slytherin is the house of the baddies in the Harry Potter novels. Some Liberal MPs would compare the former PM to chief Slytherin baddie Lord Voldemort. Pyne, at least, is not ashamed of his dark side. “No choice, I speak Parseltongue (the language of the snakes in Harry Potter),” he replied to Turnbull.
strewth@theaustralian.com.au