Two weeks ago, Coalition senators supported David Pocock’s motion to extend question time by half an hour until the Government handed over the ‘Jobs4Mates’ review. But it’s now back to normal. What’s the scam?
The scam is the return of Senator Wong from an overseas trip, making the Coalition backflip in the interest of the party duopoly. The ‘Jobs4Mates’ report by Lynelle Briggs has not been handed over, and Senate question time is back to its normal one hour.
Publicly, Wong portrays virtuousness (and is hero-worshipped by many in the Labor tribe). However, privately, she’s absolutely politically ruthless. I state that from personal experience.
I can only imagine the conversations that Wong had with the Coalition’s Senate leadership team … “if you want to force transparency upon us, you can expect the favour returned in spades should you get back on the Government side of the chamber. The gloves are off.”
And so, we’ll just have to stand by and watch this week’s appointment of former South Australian Labor premier Jay Weatherill to the plum High Commissioner in London job without the benefit of reference to the standards laid out in the Briggs review to stop ‘Job for Mates’ appointments.
Who would have signed off on the appointment – Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong.
Jobs for mates? No problem. Wong has ‘fixed it’.
Jobs for Mates: the Senate strikes back over Government secrecy