Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Gutted!

A weeping Lindsay Lohan being comforted after hearing the terrible news about Senator Faulkner.

In a move that has hit me hard, Senator John Faulkner, the current Minister for Defence, lefty and dancin’ fool, has announced he will move to the backbench after the Federal election.

Coming after Lindsey Tanner announced that he will not re-contest his seat of Melbourne*; this removes two of Labor’s finest thinkers from any possible Cabinet line-up.

I can only hope that Comrade Faulkner will return to play a leading role in any future Gillard Government.

* Which the Greens will not win**.

** So there. Nyerr.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Faulkner's a Senator. Senators don't "sit on the backbench" like MPs do. He's just giving up a cabinet post, is all.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

He's still an MP, Boogey.

Anonymous said...

Fair enough. My understanding was that Senators didn't sit on the backbench in the House of Reps, they sat separately in the Senate.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Australianpolitics.com notes

"A backbencher is a member of parliament in either house who is neither a government minister or parliamentary secretary, or an opposition shadow minister."

Boogey, you must be missing your usual sparring partner.

Anonymous said...

No no, I just thought you had just re-quoted the newspaper article, and it was they who had gotten it wrong.

Now that you mention it, Perseus hasn't been seen since Julia Gillard became PM. Wild coincidence? Probably.

Anonymous said...

There, there, Ramon. After Tanner's decision, I think I have a pretty good idea of how you feel. Don't be afraid to let it out.

Why is Labor shedding its good bits all of a sudden (no, I don't mean Rudd, specifically)? Is this one of those things that just happens with political parties from time to time?

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Faulkner's been in the Federal Parliament for more than 20 years, Alex.

Tanner nearly as long.

After a while, I think they just go "meh".

Can somebody rush a couple of grief counsellors around to Kettle's place - STAT!

Melba said...

Yeah where is Perseus? Has he made some sort of retirement announcement here that I missed.

I shall email him.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Fear not, Perseus lovers, I'm working on the Perseus post you have when Perseus isn't posting.

Anonymous said...

You're going to post about your sex life, Ramon?

squib said...

Is it true, Ramon maybe you know, that Gillard and Abbott are great mates from way back?

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

I'm going to post about Perseus' love life, Alex.

Squib, I think Her Redness and The Mad Monk have the same love-hate relationship a lot of Canberra MPs develop with their opposite number.

Anonymous said...

Didn't they have a segment together on one of the brekkie ""news"" style infotainment shows - sort of like Rudd and Hockey?

squib said...

I think Ramon knows more than he's saying

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Maybe, Squib.

Maybe.

Kettle said...

Squib, about Jules and Tony or about Perseus' love life?

Ramon no need for grief counsellors just yet: I'm still in stage one of Kubler-Ross's model. And, since I'm happily berthed here in the denial stage, I must say THERE WILL NEVER BE A NEED FOR GRIEF COUNSELLORS BECAUSE THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT FAULKNER WOULD, COULD OR SHOULD STEP DOWN. NEVAH EVAH!

Dr. Golf said...

JF for GG?

Probably not the type.