Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has resigned. Story at the ABC.
Fitzgibbon was of course the subject of a sensational story in the Fairfax press claiming that he was being investigated by his own department for his links with Chinese-born businesswoman Helen Liu. Along the way, it’s become clear that he’s rather sloppy with his gift declarations, most recently with some accommodation that was to be shared with his brother. He’s also had an extremely rocky time of it with his department during the SAS pay stuffup, eventually sending in external auditors.
The straw that broke the camels’ back appears to be meetings between NIB, whose general manager is Fitzgibbon’s brother, and various officials in the Department of Defence. The ABC report quotes the resignation letter thusly:
In his letter of resignation to the Prime Minister, Mr Fitzgibbon said after reading the transcript of Senate estimates he decided to thoroughly examine the nature of his involvement in the meetings.
“Having done so, and despite having made it clear to all parties that it was important that I not be involved, I am not satisfied that contact between the various parties leave it clear that I have entirely conformed with your ministerial code of conduct,” the letter says.
“In particular, I have learned that one meeting between the parties was held in my ministerial office. Further, I understand that members of my staff sat in on a number of meetings.
Here’s hoping that whoever replaces Fitzgibbon doesn’t let the gigantic money pit that is the Defence Department off the hook.
You could see this one coming a mile away after the latest news about his bro. Next!
Anyhoo, this gives the Mal and the Oppn. a let off from having to talk about bad economic management for a while.
Now it’s car dealerships in question time from Mal?
Chip, chipping away.
So, who is most likely to replace him?
Bernard Keane has suggested Greg Combet may replace Fitzgibbon. So I wonder who will replace Combet’s current job?
Good riddance. What a complete bloody idiot.
But I quite agree – defence needs a Minister prepared to do a full body search, and with the rubber gloves. They’re a black hole for public funds.
Thank Christ that is over. That’s what you get for putting talentless nepotististic party hacks in Office. Read his CV – he hasn’t actually ever done anything.
Ideal time to ease Wong out of Climate where she is getting crucified (not her fault, poor sod) and put some patsy in there like McKew.
I think Wong would make an excellent Minister for Defence.
Penny Wong. Greg can have the major shitfight that is her’s and Penny can pull on her boots and kick some ass. Should bring about a wholesale and long overdue cultural shift in the Department of Murder and Destruction I dare’nt say.
What about John Philip Faulkner? I can see him standing up nicely in a tank and making Defence wish they had never picked a war with the first bloke.
Rudd should have shipped his arse out of Defence the moment the Liu scandal surfaced. He stubbornly tried to brazen out months of well deserved criticism and in the end had to do it anyway. Lame. It makes you wonder how such a compromised idiot ever got the job in the first place.
Tradition.
Combet for
Commissar of WarDefence.The Liu “scandal” didn’t turn up more than what he’s finally been done in for – a propensity for sloppy bookkeeping and collecting low-grade freebies.
Shame Gillard’s busy. I wouldn’t underestimate the force of personality required to get any reformin’ done at Bugs Bunny Ears.
Combet would be wasted in defence. He is a people person and evidently good at bringing opposing sides into some sort of alignment–this is not the aim of the Defence Dept–contraire. Defence needs an autocrat not another male wuss. I’m not sure why I think of Wong as being autocratic, but the irony of her becoming the first female Minister of Defence, is just too appealing not to hope for.
Yeah Liu “Scandal” craig? Hardly a scandal, hardly any real proof of much at all really.
Whether Fitzgibbon was incompetent or not is another argument, low grade freebies are bad, but I feel pretty confident in saying he’d still be in the job if DoD hadn’t started gunning for him.
I think its pretty hard to call it a hatchet job. The bloke left himself so open to criticism by some of his actions hed been a lame duck for months.
Lets face it, accepting free travel from a “family friend” with close ties to Chinas ruling elite (innocent or not) while gunning for the defence department is either breathtaking arrogance, or stupidity.
Rudd has done himself a favour by not allowing this to be a “drip-drip” issue for the Libs.
Penny’s connections are to Malaysia, right? Not China. It would be good to have a lady Minister of Defence.
But are the lads ready for a Chinese Lady from Lesb*s? Ho ho ho ho ho. Serve ‘im right (whoever did the snooping on Mr Fitzgibbon).
Defence gets rid of another troublesome Minister. Don’t forget they did the same to a couple of Coalition Ministers who questioned their spending habits.
I’m with the others – sic Penny onto ‘em. And Rudd should give her permission to take the gloves off, as he did with Conroy and Telstra.
Combert would be close to perfect, but really defence is below his potential and he would be wasted there.
Faulkner would be perfect but …as above.
Ditto Gillard, I’d love to see her put the boys in their place and she surely would but she’s too valuable where she is.
Dunno about Wong, I like the symbolism of having her in charge of defence but she could do a good job where she is given the backing of cabinet. And if she goes to defence who gets the hot potato of CC and water? Combert? Better to leave her there I think.
Who does that leave?
The person would need to have 3 qualifications.
A medium level rank [those 4 above are high level], after all its only defence which is really a lowish priority dept..
A no holds barred, I’m the boss, take no shit competence. Lets clean these stables out.
The backing of cabinet to enact same.
Dunno who fits that bill, any youngish up and comers?
I hope you’re being sarcastic about Defence being a lowish priority department, hannah’s dad.
My view are coloured by having spent about half my life as a soldier, but I reckon it’s pretty important, for two reasons.
We do need a defence capability (although I’m not sure we should be using it as we are at the moment), and Defence really needs (as others have pointed out) to be dragged back into line.
I reckon either Faulkner or Wong would be perfect. (And Wong’s bloody hopeless in Climate Change.)
Word around the House is Faulkner for Defence and Arbib (whom Rudd owes hugely) for SMOS but out of Cabinet.
It’s not hard. Just stick someone in there who understands Defence. It is a big Department but a Minister who understands ADF culture and its intersection with the bureaucracy will be streets ahead. Defence has been a huge spender for over half a century but the challenges for Ministerial management have increased in direct correlation to the decline in ADF life experience of those in Parliament.
The ADF isn’t peopled by aliens from another planet.
Faulkner,he’s the one. I would really like to see him in action, see him gut and slice a defence intelligence oxymoron with three well chosen words. Oh yes he is the man.
The ADF may well come to regret the hatchet job they did on the last guy.
Huggy
Hi David [...] at #19
Yeah I was a bit, not exactly sarcastic, perhaps suggestive.
I certainly agree with “Defence really needs (as others have pointed out) to be dragged back into line.” and can even agree that we need something called defence.
But we ‘need’ a lot of things and I was sorta suggesting that defence has enjoyed too high a ranking and priority relative to other ‘needs’ for too long. Needs to be put into a different context.
For example I wouldn’t rank defence as high as health in a priority list of ‘reeds’. Nor education. And a lot of others would be above defence, or should be IMO anyway and maybe that should be reflected in the quality and rank of the person assigned to it.
Heres a link to govt. ministries.
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/parl/42/ministry/ministry.htm
I reckon several of the depts in the inner ministry are more important by far than defence, I’ve named 2 above, off the top of my head I’d add Climate Change/Water, Employment, Families, Environment and I’d even put a couple that are currently in the outer ministry above Defence.
It would be an interesting exercise to actually have a gentle discussion of their relative merits and value to our society.
There was an article in Quadrant some months back that made the point that a large swathe of high level promotions in the defence forces was dependent on the current public servant/military setup within the defence establishment. Any minister tangling with that is up against not only ranking military men but also senior public servants supping at the same feeding pen.
Thats a pretty hard combo for a minister of any party to break. (if that particular article was correct, its not on the website as far as I can tell)
If Senator F is brought in could we bring these three stooges back too?
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/06/01/430_roberthill,0.jpg
Fitzgibbon was a goose not to follow the ministerial code of conduct. Just think though, at this stage of the Howard government 8 ministers had been dumped.
From personal experience as a petitioner, Fitzgibbon was a fixer but had no idea of principle. It seems his brother was similar but had even less idea of where principle needed to be exercised over and above a business opportunity.
Entice Robert Ray out of retirement and make him Secretary of DoD. Make Faulkner minister. They would do wonders together. Ray was a hugely respected Minister for Defence.
Not sure why LP commenters are so enamoured of Penny Wong. I watched her chairing the environment thread of the 2020 Summit in April 2008 and I thought she was as pathetic as they get. No capacity to engage anyone, merely a defender of some preferred positions.
Never get between anyone involved at the contractual level of the Defence Department and their particular gravy train. That being said, the fact that Joel Fitzgibbon has been less than competent in his role will only perpetuate the dicey deals which have been done over many years that have blown successive Defence Budgets out of the water. Thank goodness I can rely on my brother not to stuff up my life. The millions of dollars unaccounted for in Defence has been swept under the carpet for many years and looks like being continued by both parties which, if they had any guts, would be brought into the light of day to be fully examined. I know, and you know, that something smells in the Department of Defence. My disappointment is that I thought we finally had a Government with the entrails to lay it bare regardless of who gets hurt in the process.
On ABC-TV news tonight, Mr FitzGibbon (Son of Gibbon?) claimed that several “Judases” had got him. Some in the Defence Dept, and (probably) some in his own office.
Where Professor Maning Clark wrote that Lenin was “a Christ-like figure”, what heresy is it when a bloke thinks that He Himself is Christ-like??? A very naughty boy, more like.
That would be “bastard son of a gibbon”….
Time for Belinda Neale to step up. We know she can kick arse but might need help knowing which arse. Also might help the ALP to shore up a marginal on the NSW Central Coast where their man in the neighbouring seat of Dobell is under a cloud for allegedly rorting his Health Services Union credit account.
Belinda (to Colonel Bazza): “Do you know who I am?”
Colonel, “Yes, ma’am, you’re the Minister of Defence!”
Belinda, “Good onya. Now let’s see if we can add Minister for Deference to my list of titles. Can I interest anyone in some shares in DellaBoscaFortuna? It’s a new leveraged start-up consortium balancing cutting-edge defence equipment with personnel management services and procurement contract negotiation skillsets.”
Colonel, “I’ll mention it down the Mess.”
Belinda, “You better do bl**dy more than just mention it, arsehole! I want to see the whole issue oversubscribed by close of business tomorra. Cut the crap!”
{exeat centurion, quicksmart}
#28 Paul Hodgson
See thats funny cos I watched that as well and thought she did a superb job. I even called my wife in and said have a look at this for skill at particaptory leadership.
I’ve attended far more than my fair share of workshop talkfests and even chaired far too many and I thought I did that reasonably well meself wot shouldn’t say so. But she used a model of consultative leadership that engaged and directed without being prescriptive and interacted positively with the group as a group and a collection of individuals. I would hope my attempts at doing similar were about half as good.
#34 hannah’s dad:
Well, that’s great hannah’s dad except that we tried to do our bit to get some reps of the renewable energy industry invited to Rudd’s 2020 Summit and were unsuccessful. They were noticeably absent and it is perfectly obvious that the Rudd government didn’t want anyone questioning the primacy of king coal and queen oil. Please don’t suggest to me that the 2020 Summit enviuronment thread was “participatory” or other than rigged.
Don’t get spun by the spin old chap.
I’m talking about Penny’s performance as chair/coordinator.
You may have a point about about the agenda setting, later events certainly appear to validate that, but her personal abilities shone on the day. I watched others chairing other sections and most did OK, I have some time for Tim Fisher for example, but he just wasn’t in the same league as Penny.
As to Penny’s performance in the portfolio I’m not so sure.
I’m half hoping that the failure of the Rudd/ALP/Wong policy re CC/Water is not down to her abilities and competency but a reflection of cabinet direction. That she got rolled by a cabinet scared of the greenhouse and media mafias. But if that is so its a bit of a worry [understatement] in itself.
Basically I wonder if the failure is down to the person or the party.
Neither is confidence inspiring.
So no Paul, I’m not taken in by spin, on a scale of 1 to 10 re cynicism about I ALP pollies I score lots.
I’m afraid Fitzy has been a complete tool with this latest malarkey (“betrayed by Judases”? Wtf? A real operator would keep those suspiscions to himself) but thank god he wasn’t taken down by the McCarthyite bullshit.
By all accounts he was a good minister (though sadly not as brilliantly qualified as a Brendon Nelson or a Don Rumsfeld), and I think that’s why he lasted so long and apparently was given the opportunity to jump before being pushed.
As far as Penny Wong goes, it’s hard to judge her performance. She doesn’t have a huge department to run, so there’s not much to judge there. And the big policy she’s responsible for – the CPRS – has obviously got the hands of the entire Cabinet on it.
But the fact that she either a) doesn’t understand how inadequate the CPRS is, or b) understands, but couldn’t win the argument in Cabinet, is a problem.
hannah’s dad #36: you obviously have a capacity way beyond mine for putting your thoughts on paper quickly. I envy you.
We seem to be moving, thanks to you, to an argument about whether it is a good thing to have a Penny Wong on board to argue a position that makes no sense.
I’ve seen plenty of chairpersons who have distinguished themselves by seemingly diffusing conflict at a meeting, for it only to be revealed the next morning that they were spouting wind.
And, contrary to you: I thought Tim Fischer was the very model of an inclusive person at the 2020 Summit. My political inclinations are as far removed from Tim Fischer’s as you would ever want but I’d far sooner be in a room with him than I would with Tony Abbott or Peter Costello (let alone Eric Abetz, Philip Ruddock, Kevin Andrews and all the other slime that prevents the light filtering through to the Liberal Party.)
I think if I come back to my critique of Penny Wong and extend it a bit, we could carry on the discussion: Kevin Rudd has proclaimed climate change as the greatest moral challenge of our time – or whatever the exact quote was. The 2020 Summit was an opportunity to get on board people who could flesh this out. The forum to do this was Wong’s thread. Wong didn’t allow this. I’m not going to speculate about the politics, but there sure is something rotten in Wong’s state of Denmark.
or is it that two rights don’t make a Wong, Paul?
“and all the other slime that prevents the light filtering through to the Liberal Party”
…. you’re a bit of a poet too, Paul. Very nicely put.
Gee I think I am slow in getting my thoughts down.
I suspect that the real problem is Robert’s [b]“.. but couldn’t win the argument in Cabinet” and if that is so its a reflection on cabinet and the Rudd government as a whole as well as Penny Wong.
And apart from the degree of responsibility which we attach to one member of what is supposed to be a team I think we agree that things are not good so if you’ll go along a small [?] change to your closing statement “there sure is something rotten in the ALP/Wong’s state of Australia with respect to climate change” maybe we can avoid further disagreement.
The premise there, though, is that Wong made an argument in cabinet, or that she made an argument for a stronger ETS, but I’m not sure either is the case.
Neither am I, and if not my respect collapses.
She may have, of course. I just have a sneaking suspicion she’s there to do a job for Rudd and not much else. Which is disappointing, if true.
Joel responds:
Great sidewise but apposite quote there CraigM.
Joel was wrong for the job, fucked up and got sacked. If only he’d just said that too instead of still fondling balls that turned out not made of stainless steel.
Look, there’s only one person in Parliament who can really clean out the Augean stables of Defence and that everyone would trust across party lines to do the right thing while staring down DMO and Russell Hill fixers in committee hearings.
Peter GarrettThe Faulkneriser.
I remember the launch of HMAS Melbourne (the FFG 05 one). To this day I’m still not sure was was the most impressive sight – 4000 tonnes of Williamstown-assembled metal sliding down the slipway or the two largest Defence Ministers in Australian history, Robert Ray and Kim Beasely, doing a chest bump beers in hand, as it happened.
Bring back Biggles Evans
and the F111 to do global warming reconnaissance!For Emperors and Grand Viziers: on Concubinage and Techniques of Loving
47. Always to remember that it’s more important Hu Yao Bang, than Hao Yu Bang.
but a Minister who understands ADF culture and its intersection with the bureaucracy will be streets ahead.
Hmmm Geoff, or simply fall in line into the same deep rut.
Paul @ 28 On Wong: No capacity to engage anyone, merely a defender of some preferred positions.
She probably wasn’t all that interested in what anybody else had to say, which might be the very reason she can bring the DOD into line. From your brief observation of her, it sounds like that she was merely, going through the motions, and knew ahead of time that there was only one way–her’s.
While I’d like to see Wong as Minister of Defence if only to witness the ensuing shock and awe and the opposition tying themselves up in knots over it, Rudd is simply not that adventurous or brave. And more’s the pity. Faulkner is probably going to get it. A nice bloke an all, but . . . yawn.
Is Faulkner not more valuable as Special Minister of State?
Phil @ #1 I watched yesterday’s QT. Today’s Oz incorrectly stated that Swann “admitted to lobbying for” the car firm in question. No he didn’t, he admitted that it might have been among the many (he might have said “hundreds”, which would have been about right as just about every vehicle dealer applied for it) that passed over his desk in relation to the Gov stimulus, but “I don’t remember it”, before finally getting snarky. As Rudd’s office did provide him with evidence that he had not been involved, Kev unleashed his attack in the closing minutes of QT, finishing – with perfect timing – with “politics of fear … politics of smear” line and a demand that Turnbull apologise just as the telecast finished.
One of the best QT’s I’ve seen. No way could the Opposition invite slaughter by asking anything vaguely financial, and JoelF’s resignation wiped out their carefully-prepared attack (there was an early attempt to pursue it, but it was obviously “dead”); so the faint whiff of the car scandal was all they had – and it showed. Although – as at least one TV channel (?10 ?SBS, I can’t recall) reminded us yesterday, by this time in its first term the Howard government had lost 4 ministers, several over much worse scandals – Opposition tentativeness might have been down to the possibility that KR in “Nasty Nerd” mode, might just remind the TV & news commentators of that fact!
Re “Judases”: It seems that the meeting in Fitzgibbon’s office might have been a set-up to create just such an end as it achieved. His comments to today’s Oz include the possibility of legal action. If there were Judases, and JF takes to press reporting legally, if could be very interesting indeed.
Re replacement: John Faulkner is the minister the Defence Department deserves (tho IMO he deserves better than Defence). A relentless nit-picker, he’s been filleting & grilling them & the “intelligence”(? forces to squirming point for years (I loved watching him in action during the Howard years).
OTOH, who best to take on business, industry & bosses over CC legislation compliance than Greg Combet? After a stellar union career that first shone in the Waterfront Dispute & and finally in James Hardy, he’s the of whom business, esp Big B is very wary (euphemism for “terrified”, I hear).
The guy is a politician. This is how they behave – look at the UK – and as to how he got the job. Presumably he wanted it and got it because he helped Rudd get the numbers for the leadership. Am never surprised when people with ALP connections start behaving like grasping capitalists. Always deeply saddened, but never surprised.
It has to be Faulkner.
Safe pair of hands, squeaky clean, tough minded, first class bullshit detector, has the confidence of the PM, won’t fall victim to the Biggles syndrome, good judgement.
wot DeeCee said.
It would depend on whether Faulkner wants the job or not.
He was a shortish term Min. Veteran Affairs and Min. Defence, Science & Personnel in the Keating Govt (which seems like an eon ago now), but all up to him I would think….. ie. would he even want to travel to Afghanistan and wear flak jackets etc?
He’d could also conceivably stick there for years working through the place from Abrams tanks thru to some miltech starting with z…. A grateful nation holds breath.
I’m sure Combet would be good for Defence, but would Defence be good for him? He is medium-long term Deputy Leader/Leadership material and being sunk into what could be a long drawn out war on many fronts with on-going skirmishes etc….hhm. (He was the bloke after all that built the ship that Rudd steered home and the only person in the whole frigging country to take wickets off Howard at his zenith…I love ya’s Greg.)
Wong…it would be humorous to see the boys saluting an Asian lesbian day in, day out…. but after a couple of weeks the joke’s well past and like all stereotyping ie. was always bullshit anyway….so back to dealing with whether she would be the right Minister for Defence?
Personally, I can’t see Rudd pulling Wong out of Climate Change now – it’s so complex and so fraught and so political and so vital and so now and so everything..that you would think that leaving Wong doing what she seems to be doing – which is pushing this brain damaged fugly camel designed by committee over the finishing line in the first 100 metre section of the Race to the Save the Planet.
btw. did anyone else see Fielding on Lateline from Washington(?) “I’ve just been at a conference with scientists!! who are challenging everything I’ve been told about climate change Tony”"…everything!! they had charts, which showed the temperatures were going down Tony, charts!!! ….this is what Wong is dealing with…Defence would be a doddle if she can pull this off.
And we’ll see what happens next week…probably be Chris Evans or Chris Bowen or someone else after all this speculation.
jo @ 55,
Didn’t see Fielding. Probably better for my health that I didn’t.
Maybe Defence, as the poisoned chalice/kiss of death that it is, should be given to Stephen Conroy. Jenny Macklin appears to be making a right hash of Indigenous Affairs so she might be considered another possibility as well.
Fielding is the type who will believe and repeat the last story told to him. The Government needs to go on a charm offensive. Find a nice church going family man scientist from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs who can talk to Fielding and give him the drum.
“The Government needs to go on a charm offensive.”
Better still, a secret picture of him doing the watoosee with two male strippers, champagne bottle in hand, might help regulate his temperature level.
I see (Ch 7 11.30am news) Malcolm is still banging on about the car saga, although TheOz online has published (front page 5/06/09) a link to the pdf of Rudd’s register of members’ interests as of 17/10/2007, stamped 11/March 2008, and, according to KR, been around for two years – the ute’s Item #14 page 6of6. Gee, Malcolm, it’s not even Newspoll weekend!</em beaten it ip
BTW, tho TheOz is playing a straight bat to the issue, NewsLtd tabloids (inc CM) have beaten it up, tho the CM have printed Dennis Atkins’ “With perks flowing thick and fast, it’s tough to take issue”, starting with Melanie Howard’s use taxpayer funded perks. Gee, NewsLtd tabloids, it’s not even Newspoll weekend!
Ooops, I messed that up. Old Timer’s day!
My bet is that Faulkner, like Crean, will not want to take on Defence. As a leftie he will be wary of Rudd’s increasing oversight role on the portfolio – according to the AFR – and he probably doesn’t look good in a flak jacket as Jo @ 55 eludes.
I would not be surprised to see someone like Warren Snowden, currently an under secretary in the portfolio get the poisoned chalice. Rudd the micro-manager would continue to keep a tight leish. Coming from the NT Snowden would know a lot about the ADF’s happy hunting grounds (not to mention good fishing spots) of our forward defence.
Faulkner’s got the gig.
Faulkner is Australia’s first Defence Minister from the Left. The Cold War really must be over.
Aren’t strippers invisible? Or is it just the ones in New York?
Lets hope Faulkner goes through the DOD with a fine tooth comb.
Curiouser and curiouser
The following appears in Kevin Rudd’s chief enforcer, John Faulkner, delivered ultimatum
The Judases Plot thickens.
So JF “The Enforcer” has taken on DoD. I can’t imagine the DoD’s diehard whiteants are cheering.
How can the mailer of the package be both anonymous and a familiar face?
Sam its Canberra. A parallel universe. Where such things happen every day.
Off topic, but… Small baby, or big sandwich? You decide.
“How can the mailer of the package be both anonymous and a familiar face?”
I’m sure the Lemonheads had an answer for you a decade and a half back.
The Australian Financial Review said this morning that Joel Fitzgibbon had gone to America with his brother Mark Fitzgibbon head of NIB, the only demutualised health fund in Australia to talk to Humana Inc. Mark and the Humana people lobbied Parliament from Joel’s office.
The Liberal leaking the dirt says his source isn’t in the Minister’s office and wasn’t in the Defence Department, so could it be Department of Health and was this incompetent, arrogant, uneducated yobbo trying to get American style health care into Australia. Hope Humana paid you well, BOY!
“Sam its Canberra. A parallel universe. Where such things happen every day.”
Oh Jesus, Caroline, don’t go there, you’ll just open a can of berries, again.
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2009/05/14/what-budget-lock-up-was-like/
That’s me for political predictions (ref @ 62) but I gather it did need a bit or arm twisting.
Too bad Pablo. If only you had waited just a little. I think I won(ref @7).
Ah but Joe2 @ 7 you only really posed the question – what about Faulknor? – as if you were testing the field with no money on the table. And you did flirt with a couple of other possibilities in Conroy and Macklin. Still you were early so a points win.
How very forensic/Faulknerish of you Pablo@76 but you are, of course, correct.
I did take a couple of very silly side bets.
I found it interesting that most of the money seemed directed at the Clark Kent types..Faulkes and Combet. You need to be brave for the job, ask Fitzy.
http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/fitzgibbon/gallery/20090425/20090424adf8185016_0103.jpg
Er Joe and Pablo.” Faulkner,he’s the one. I would really like to see him in action, see him gut and slice a defence intelligence oxymoron” etc. Me way back on 22. Joe wins and the Huggy comes second.
Faulkner is a really good choice; he is probably the only person in the Government who has the ability to sort out all those Colonels and Mandarins.
Huggy
PB turns on TV, pours a beer, cuddles up in blankets after having turned on heater (because its winter) and sits back and waits for the fun to start.
Correct weight Huggy. I met Faulks once and he is a very shy person, so the Clark Kent/Minister of Defence “cut and slice” take is really apt. I agree he’ll do a good job but I would be curious as to why he hesitated. Meanwhile Joel is back in Cessnock (www.theherald.com.au)among the true believers, hometown of that other famous duo Joey and Mattie Johns.