No, I jest; I saw no such thing.
However, Brendan does seem to have been to a drama coach – if tonight’s Address in Reply is any guide. His outrage over the tax on Alcopops — which may indeed be ill-judged policy, but that’s another matter — was all the more remarkable given his being on the record in support of it just a very little while ago; it was almost believable… If you hadn’t heard what he said before.
He has at least lived to fight another day as Leader of the Opposition, I suppose.
I know what he did. Locked himself up for a few days and watched Jimmy Stewart in Mister Smith Goes to Washington over and over again.
I nominate Brendan for an AFI Award, whenever the next lot gets decided; or maybe that should be a Gold Logie, since it was a television performance after all.
Complete text of Dr Nelson’s speech.
Compare it with Crikey’s prediction.
…At this stage, foam had joined tears in raining down on Nelson’s papers.
“And Labor’s assault on families doesn’t stop there. For families with more than a couple of kids, who have done Australia proud by having three or four kids, now they’ll be punished by having to pay more for a Tarago. For God’s sake, people movers! I…”
At this point, Dr Nelson was unable to continue. He stood downcast for a moment, tears of impotent and sullen rage swelling from his eyes, before turning to his Deputy, Julie Bishop, and thrusting his speech at her. Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull was instantly to his feet, placing a comforting arm around Nelson, and slowly led his leader from the silent chamber, the latter shaking his head in dismay, sobbing and loosening the tie from around his deeply-flushed throat…
Well that didn’t quite happen, but the tone was similar.
Next day
- ABC News: Mixed reaction to Nelson’s reply.
- Sydney Morning Herald: Peter Hartcher. “…for a while, his proposal to cut petrol excise by 5c a litre will put Rudd on the defensive… Nelson described the proposal as “modest but meaningful.” Worse than modest, it’s tokenistic, worth about as much as a Woolies petrol discount voucher. Yet Nelson represents the alternative government. Voters expect more from him than from a Woolies outlet. And worse than meaningful, it’s just gimmicky. It would make no real difference to family incomes, but it would be bad policy.”
- Jim Belshaw on the Budget itself: “My bottom line in all this? A workmanlike budget overshadowed by hype.”
