So, in the end it has come to pass what we suggested on Saturday – that Barnaby Joyce was due to face the fearless audience of the ABC television panel show Q&A last night – unless he was heavied, got cold feet or succumbed to a bout of pollie petulance.
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In fact, as late as Sunday morning it was still on, but in the time between then and yesterday morning, the PM Tony Abbott had spoken and Barnaby was pulled.
Of course, he has to do what his boss says, but somewhere this silly boycott by a bullying leader has to be seen for what it is.
If conservative politicians think they’re doing their electors a favour at all by refusing to go on a show some see as left wing leaning anyway, then they do us no service at all.
In the bush, the conservative listeners and viewers are the national broadcaster’s main audience.
And Nationals politicians mostly rely on the ABC to get their voices heard all over the countryside.
Generally, commercial networks find them too dry, too boring, too keen to spruik the party line at the expense of down-to-earth illuminating local news with some entertainment factor to give them much more than a grab or two of their seven seconds of fame a week.
The ABC, particularly radio in regional areas, is a lifeblood of the politician – because they can get heard, they do get grilled, but they get to spread their message.
Consider how much media exposure the likes of Mark Coulton and senator John Williams get from our ABC.
Wacka’s would be a cry in the wilderness essentially without his hometown radio station that broadcasts not more than 200km outside his backyard.
But he’s a favourite, not least, of course, because he’s become a ground fighter against the big corporate bullies and baddies in his political life as an attack dog in senate committees.
Mr Joyce is a bit of a veteran of the Monday night Q&A. He gets some wide exposure – and for a bush accountant whose words can be wondrous and witty, it’s a great platform to the wider masses.
While in his capitulation to the ministerial might, Mr Joyce alluded to the fact he probably wouldn’t have got a question about the agriculture white paper, we bet he would have got at least one about same-sex marriage and his declaration on Sunday that Asian countries would see us as decadent if we went down that road.
