Humble servant of the Nation

The lights are on in Canberra but nobody’s home

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You may be wondering, like I am, who is running the country.

It certainly isn’t the prime minister.

One could pose a forlorn argument that it is the executive, the cabinet calling the shots but that, too, doesn’t pass scrutiny. On Tuesday, Scott Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull were strident in opposition of a Royal Commission into the banks. It would not happen they said. Not on their watch. The commitments lasted less than 48 hours.

Tuesday’s titans have once again become Friday’s flotsam.

So who is running the country?

Sam Dastyari thinks the Chinese might be in charge, if not today then at some point in the not too distant future. Wealthy Chinese businessmen with strong links to the Chinese government imagine Australians as their drinks waiters and golf caddies of the future so with a gleam in his eye, Shanghai Sam has got out of the blocks early.

“The Chinese integrity of its borders is a matter for China. Seven iron, Mr Huang?”

Full column here.

484 Comments

  • Dwight says:

    An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought. – Simon Cameron

    And some of ours are being paid in renminbi.

  • Bassman says:

    I see hard right winger John Stone has already called Bennelong to Labor. He is BARKING MAD!!

  • JackSprat says:

    I would like to note that the natural order of Cricket has been restored.

  • Boadicea says:

    Hmmmm. KK gone a bit quiet in Bennelong. Tables turned. Whereas a Turnbull visit was not really desirable, the same probably now applies to Bill!

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    A rather grotty finish to 2017 for Shorten and Labor, Mr Insider, all of their own making. Sam Dastyari keeps raising his ugly political head and Shorten trying to hide the Dual Nationals in his Party. He might well have had a top finish with a win in Bennelong with the super Kristina but even that a longshot now. Fools are a fool to themselves Billy Shorten and you will have to smarten up in 2018/9 if you still want those keys to the Lodge buddy! FGS Turnbull is there for the beating.

    • JackSprat says:

      Van Olsen nailed it today.
      If the right of the Libs shut up for 5 minutes Shorten would be absolute toast.

      • Bassman says:

        Until it comes to policy time

      • Henry Blofeld says:

        Agreed JackSprat, luckily for Shorten we are about to go into the holiday season and much is forgotten. Cheers

      • The Bow-Legged Swantoon says:

        And if the Liberals hadn’t played another round of Ditch-the-Leader the right would not be carrying on like this. PVO is one of those commentators, now trying to seize the moral high ground, who was all for killing off a PM he disliked. To that end he was wilfully oblivious to the absolute inevitability of what that would lead to. He wasn’t urging discipline when Turnbull’s supporters were on the rampage.

        For him now to be lecturing others and pretending disinterested expertise in the matter is pretty rich. If that bloke is an expert in politics (and a professor, to boot), I’m a trans-Pacific balloonist.

      • Jean Baptiste says:

        And the right will shut up when it matters. If they care about getting re-elected themselves.

    • Razor says:

      Electricity Bill has ended the year appallingly. One must ask what Shanghai Sam holds over him.

      Further his duplicitous actions over the dual citizenship fiasco is breathtaking. Labor has hit a new low by pursuing Frydenberg and Co. Plibersek and Danby spot on regarding this.

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