Sunday 10 March 2013

Toxic

Watching last night's television coverage on the ABC of the Western Australia state election was not the most riveting of evenings.

Julie Bishop speaking (as usual) whilst Steve Smith turns to his phone


The result was obvious from the start so there was no suspense nor tension, apart from Labor Federal Minister Steve Smith's gnashing of teeth as one dire voting return after another was posted for his party. Smith is a nice fellow and I felt some relief for him as several results turned his party's way later in the evening. Sure, mostly those later swings only meant his party had lost a seat by a lesser margin than earlier feared but still it constituted some element of good news.

The Conservative's Julie Bishop induced gnashing teeth on my part, her manner being particularly irritating. Each time she spoke it was like chalk scraping down a blackboard. Unlike Smith who maintained a regal political impartiality Bishop missed no opportunities to rub the result in Smith's face. When Bishop surmised the State result was a product of Labor's toxic brand nationally I decided enough was enough.

I turned to the radio for the remainder of the evening which mostly constituted the two leaders' victory/concession statements. The Liberal leader's statement was fairly typical without being unduly triumphant. The losing Labor leader, unknown to me, seemed positive enough in defeat but what I took away most from his statement was a peculiar mannerism of repeating his sentences. I wondered for a time whether my digital radio had developed a transmission blip.

1 comment:

  1. Blog writer number two I have read this morning having a go at Bishop.

    ReplyDelete