Tuesday, February 28, 2012

He Would Know

ACTING Foreign Minister Craig Emerson addresses Arbib's departure: 

"I do ask people to understand that as dads and as mums we know every day that we're in politics we are not being as good a dad or a mum as we could be, and I think that's what affected Mark."

Was it "being in politics" that wrecked Emerson's own marriage or being in the future Prime Minister?

His three kids' opinions on that question would be interesting to hear.

UPDATE: Our for-the-moment Prime Minister shared a tender memory with the ABC's Caroline Jones in 2006:
Craig and I were staying together at a hotel and I'd managed to forget to pack my contact lens holder. So I was just storing the contact lenses at the bottom of a glass, which wasn't exactly the smartest thing in the world to do. Er, so...in the bathroom, this glass with the contact lenses and a bit of solution in them. So, you know, during the course of the night, Craig gets up and thinking it's water, grabs the glass and drinks it. So I was wandering around National Conference blind for the next morning. I did have to give the Health Policy Report at the podium not basically able to see my notes or see the audience. Craig and I lived in different states in very demanding positions.And in the hurly-burly of the Labor world, ultimately it was just too difficult. I'm not involved in a relationship now, and you know, your, sort of, your life history rolls on.
 Ah, love Labor-style and its silly little moments! How touching.

54 comments:

  1. "Er, so...in the bathroom, this glass with the contact lenses and a bit of solution in them. So, you know, during the course of the night, Craig gets up and thinking it's water, grabs the glass and drinks it."

    You would only use a few mls of solution, even in the bottom of a glass. Certainly not enough to make someone think it was worth drinking. And the solution tastes like saline - you'd probably spit it straight out. Don't tell me this is another lie?

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    1. ar, see the response to micdub below.

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    2. Prof: My blog seems to have disappeared overnight. Don't tell us "Conroy's Filter" has kicked in>

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  2. Yeah, It's a terrible thing, having to work for a living. I should quit my job and be a better husband.

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    1. My thoughts exacty upon reading it. Then again, perhaps Emerson in his underpants is your big, sloppy Labrador of a man, the sort who spies a few inches of apparent water in a glass and tosses it down. Thirsty, fluid...glug, glug, glug.

      Gillard may even have installed child safety locks to secure the toilet lid, just to hide temptation. With these people, who can ever know?

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  3. Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.February 28, 2012 at 2:25 PM

    Ah, so she's blind as a bat as well as deaf with a tin ear? It figures. Plus Craig had good rear-end vision for a while after a little late sip (guess he added some water to this vision-enhancing mixture)? As a love potion, it's another of Julia's triumphs. Maybe he started to see Julia in a new light. Now he's a family-friendly sort of guy.

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    1. It's a Duff Beer Goggles moment!

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  4. Interesting. Anne Summers had a piece in Fauxfacts papers on the weekend bemoaning the sexism that has been levelled at Ms. Gillard. Strangely, comments by readers, initially posted, disappeared without explanation . I wonder why? Similarly, as much as it was Gillard's 'right to choose' whom she slept with or whose marriage would get a little rocky, I wonder why no feminist tears are shed for Mrs. Emerson who had little 'choice' about what transpired.

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    1. Indeed Nic, is not her dalliance with the Contact Lens Imbiber a betrayal of the sisterhood?

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    2. The story of the Labor Party is assuming the epic proportions of the science fiction "Lensman" series.

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    3. Annoyingly the series is not available in electronic format despite it being more accurate and true than Swan's surplus forecasts.

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  5. I understand that some relationships end when one participant takes up with another woman. Just saying.

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    1. Yeah, that's the general idea.

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    2. And it's not always the bloke, I hear. Just saying.

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  6. Well ... I would take the contacts out before I jumped in the cot with Emmo.
    One wonders what other hotel accoutrements were employed to make the experience bearable.
    Block-out curtains most certainly.
    Pillow slips perhaps?
    Contents of the mini-bar would be a must I would think.

    What astounds me is the number of people on the public record admittying to having slipped between the Sheridans with Julia and/or Gareth Evans.

    There is hope for all of us.

    The Irish Lion

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    1. In Julia's case they seem to be mostly blokes who wouldn't get a root in a brothel with a fist full of fivers and in Gareth's case....Cheryl...well,need I say more?

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  7. Doesn't that 2006 profile dredge up a few old memories?.. Medicare Gold. Crikey, what a shocker that policy was. Grandiose, expensive and unnecessary. Can't say we weren't warned about her.

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    1. I voted for the KRudster back in '07. Couldn't vote for the Howster on the back of his taking the nation into an illegitimate war (twice if you include 'gan'stan, which I do.) The one thing that frightened me, really frightened me, was Gillard as the potential workplace relations minister. Sure enough all my fears came to fruition, and more. Fairwork was one of the most disastrous chapters in Australia's contemporary history and perhaps the greatest ever act of political bastardry against the public. With much more pain yet to come, I'm ashamed of myself for not donkey voting.

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    2. Krudster? Howster? Illegitimate war?

      I suggest that you show yourself to be an ass without the benefit of casting a donkey vote.

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    3. Well said kae!

      there is a bloke on Jen's blog speaking good sense but using "texting" toby I think he is.
      At 50-ish are we too old?
      Has the world passed us by?
      Dannyboy

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  8. Presumably it was all about humanising Julia. Here's a woman whose earlier personal life, to me at least, is opaque to the point of oddness, trying to come across as someone who's just like the rest of us, who has the same sorts of silly and homely LOL contretemps with her 'partner' as any other Australian couple.

    The same themes ran through the 'hilarious' ABC show 'At Home with Julia', which also tried to make Tim Mmathieson - another person with an equally obscure personal and professional background - look like just another Aussie bloke.

    Interesting that it's the ABC that was pushing this line in both cases.

    Consuela Potez

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    1. Spot on Consuela. Who is this woman? I remember a feature newspaper magazine article on Gillard from a few years back, possibly around the '07 election. The writer went into detail about her abode in Altona, and it's strange lack of homeliness and personal touches.
      To be sure, Tim, this First 'Bloke'(LOL) is a definite 'Beard'.

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  9. Did Julia say anything about drinking any of Craig's solution, or what might have been in it?

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  10. Why is it considered OK for her to appoint her ex-lover to a ministerial position in any case? Surely there is a simple conflict of interest there?

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    1. Or maybe now it's a conflict of disinterest

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  11. Hmmm. Perhaps Arbib, being somewhat of canny political operator, got wind that the Queen Bee was about to exercise her droit de signeur. Arbib probably is seeking sone 'clear air' having decided he could not face 'the abyss'.

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  12. Yes – silly little moments. They occur for a cross-section of pollies.
    Tony Abbott – His girlfriend became pregnant when he was 19 years old. Given Tony’s religion, that was probably an immaculate conception – but there you go.
    Andrew Olexander - crashed his taxpayer funded car when DIU into three cars parked in a Port Melbourne street, causing $70,000 damage.
    John Howard in May 1995 said; "There's no way that a GST will ever be part of our policy. Never ever. It's dead. It was killed by the voters in the last election. Any suggestion that I left the door open is absolute nonsense. I didn't. I never will”.
    To go back a little further, there’s Joh Bjelke-Petersen forced to resign through a corruption scandal involving Police Commissioner Terry Lewis and several cabinet ministers being convicted and jailed. Later Joh was charged with perjury but not convicted because the jury foreman was a Young National supporter.
    John Gorton - womaniser and drunk. His behaviour in office inspired the euphemism "Gorton's flu" as shorthand for a hangover.
    Harold Holt – remembered for failing to attend his own mother's funeral, and having a father that married one of his former girlfriends.
    As you say, Bunyip – love and lies Conservative style - how touching. And history rolls on.

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    1. Numbers:
      'John Howard in May 1995 said; "There's no way that a GST will ever be part of our policy. Never ever. It's dead. It was killed by the voters in the last election. Any suggestion that I left the door open is absolute nonsense. I didn't. I never will”.'
      What part of putting it to the people and seeking a mandate at the 1999 election do you not understand, Numbers? Achieved the reform Ol' Jellyback wimped out on,

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    2. You forgot Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, Karl Marx, Freddie Engels, Joey Dzhugashvili, and Adolph Hitler. And several unnamed schoolmasters as options.

      Cheers

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    3. Thank you for "miscellaneous things people who could be described as right wing did" list

      I suppose I could counter with a similar list for left wing figures but the point is that these losers are in charge now and something should be done before our country's governance descends into farce. Although I guess we have missed the boat.

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    4. Dangerous place for left leaning types to go.
      I’ll see your Andrew Olexander and raise you a Carolyn Hirsh (ALP Vic) – drink driving (2005) followed by drink driving and driving while disqualified (2006) and a Adam Somyurek (ALP Vic) again for driving while disqualified. Such respect for the law – caught once but then just proceed to ignore the penalty imposed.
      And Andrew Olexander is the only one on your little list who was guilty of an offence – granted, a silly mistake, but he copped it sweet and didn’t re-offend.
      Now Gorton may have been a “womaniser and a drunk” as you claim, but I would assert that there is no evidence that any of his liaisons were anything other than with ladies who were over the age of consent, nor that Mr Gorton paid the ladies concerned. Compare and contrast with convicted kiddie-fiddlers Keith Wright (ALP Qld), Bill D’Arcy (ALP Qld), not forgetting Milton Orkopoulos (ALP NSW) done for child prostitution, sexual assault and drug supply. I could throw in Terry Martin from Tassie who was convicted of paying for sex with a 12 year-old girl. Now Martin may have been an independent at the time of his conviction, but he learnt his dirty trade in the ALP.
      As for being a drunk, given the choice between an intoxicated Gorton and a sober Gillard …...
      Let’s move on to matters fiduciary and …. lo …. what do we find? Why there’s Brian Burke (former WA ALP Premier) done for misappropriation of public monies. There is Merri Rose (ALP Qld) who did time for extortion, Gordon Nuttall (ALP Qld) who is doing 15 in the Big House for taking secret commissions and we can go all the way back to Rex Jacksons (ALP NSW) who got porridge x 10 for being on the take.
      We shouldn’t forget Richard Face (NSW ALP) who was done for telling porkies to ICAC or little Andy Theophanous who got knocked over for immigration fraud.
      Quite a little roll call eh?

      The Irish Lion has a good memory

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    5. And of what possible relevance is the behaviour of Harold Holt’s father?

      If you could put together a coherent and well written argument you might get some respect. Instead you smack out a “Your lot are worse than my lot, nah, nah, nah” cherry picked response and wonder why you are mercilessly mocked and laughed at.

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    6. Shame the Army didn't make a man of you.

      No wonder you are dirty on life.

      I blame the WO Caterer myself.

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    7. “His girlfriend became pregnant when he was 19 years old [which] was probably an immaculate conception”.
      The immaculate conception is the Roman Catholic doctrine that God preserved the Virgin Mary from the taint of original sin from the moment she was conceived; it should not be confused—as do too many ignorant fools—with parthenogenesis, or virgin birth.
      For a purported pedant, alas, 1735099 is too often merely a carping but clueless quibbler who mars the repute and spoils the honest endeavours of genuine, knowledgeable pedants.

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    8. For a purported pedant, alas, 1735099 is too often merely a carping but clueless quibbler who mars the repute and spoils the honest endeavours of genuine, knowledgeable pedants.

      Numbers reminds me of the typical mediocrities who are drawn to the teaching profession. He also didn't know that Abbott's "son" wasn't his, which means that Numbers doesn't keep up with years-old news (and people wonder I think of Labor voters as low-information, poorly-informed bogans).

      Numbers has the pretentiousness of the average Greens-voting philistine, but I find that they're more current on happenings than Labor voters.

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    9. Thank you one and all - you've proved my point. For those too dense to understand (and there's obviously a few here) peccadilloes, sexual and otherwise, are generally irrelevant to political performance.
      In the absence of substance, Bunyip makes a meal of listing them, or uses one or two to set up a theme. It's smear, not commentary, and two can play at that game.
      There’s always the possibility, of course, that it’s a strange form of political pornography, and there’s obviously an appetite for that here, given the responses.

      Delete
    10. Why do you people keep letting yourselves get trolled by Numbers Dude? That's all he's doing, writing comments he knows will provoke people, trolling for responses, trying to give his small sad life some relevance.

      He's a pathological attention-seeker. Stop indulging him. There's a reason they say "don't feed the trolls".

      Delete
    11. "pathological attention-seeker"
      And the rest that post here are wise and live relevant lives.............?
      Of course thay must be - they agree with the host.
      Hilarious.

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    12. The Spud-Peeler is still suffering PTSD from that Arclight 100km away, that people told you about the next day?
      Them that can, do; them that can't, teach; them that can't teach become experts in the pedagogy of special needs. And then he hang around outside the intellectual haunts of his betters, whimpering for affectionate closure.

      Cheers

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  13. One can only hope that when Craig eventually passed the lenses he gained 20:20 hindsight.

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    1. Pure gold, boot. There's a pair of numbers Numbers can appreciate if he has sense of humour. Oh - I forgot!

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  14. Numbers,

    You are a sanctimonious turd.

    The esteemed Professor was commenting on Emmerson's hypocrisy, not how many roots anyone had.

    Ignoramus.

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  15. Who drinks from a glass sittig that close to the toilet?

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    1. One could equally ask who would drink from a glass sitting so close to Gillard?

      The Irish Lion would be looking for the sealed Evian from the mini-bar.

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  16. His girlfriend may have been pregnant at 19 but it wasn't Abbott almighty who lifted her nightie it was another chap.

    So the only near relevant point you raised is wrong!

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    1. Kev
      The point I raised (which wasn't wrong by the way - Abbott may not have been the father - but he was in a sexual relationship with the woman in question) was that Abbott, like so many pollies of all stamps is human.
      That point, and the point that smearing is not commentary, has been well and truly reinforced by your response and others.
      QED

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    2. The only point suggesting that you are the father of your putative offspring would be the presumption that your wife was a lady.

      Cheers

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    3. After shooting himself in the foot numbers performs his famous back-flip,

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  17. The Old and Unimproved DaveFebruary 28, 2012 at 9:46 PM

    And in a further candid moment, the Prime Minister announced today that the CSIRO had received a radio signal from another solar system.

    The Prime Minister assures us that it proves sentient beings are the same everywhere, as the decrypted message contains a great, universal truth.....

    "KEVIN IS A W*NKER"

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  18. Craig must be happy that he drank from the glass containing the hotentot's contact lenses instead of the glass with her dentures.

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    1. Woulda come back to bite him on the arse.

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  19. How does Emmo feel now?
    I mean, the indignity of being ditched for the Barber of Shepparton.

    Irish Lion

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  20. The Caroline Jones piece is hilarious reading in light of what's happened in the six years since it was written. Here are some other quotes from the amazing JG (and friend):

    JG: "I think people are over really highly managed, suited you know, white-bread style politicians." Yes, honey, they are...

    RM, friend: "Julia is an extraordinarily loyal person." I actually laughed out loud when I read that one.

    JG: "I am, perhaps, more conservative than the public image would lead people to believe." And your public image is...?

    JG: "I think I'm a much more normal person than Tony Abbott." There's a PhD just waiting to burst out of that sentence.

    JG, the worst PM imaginable.

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