After a half a working day without a Minister for Communications and Broadband, the sector is still broadcasting without a single hitch. Meanwhile, audiences keep asking Auntie for news.
Tony Burke, aka `Mr Decent` attempted to resign his portfolio, which includes the arts, but was rebuffed this morning. He remains inside his velvet trap.
Senator Stephen Conroy, however, has quit his post, which remains vacant at this time.
In Government terms, there is not a lot for the post to cover, since Parliament won`t meet again in this term.
But politically, the story is very different. Who will carry the Labor Party’s story about television regulation, the National Broadband Network, support for the ABC and SBS to the people? Who else can bone up quickly on his massive portfolio and stand toe-to-toe with Malcolm Turnbull? Mr T has exploitable holes in his knowledge but is formidably intelligent.
The move does open up a problematical option. The sector has contributed an enormous amount of feedback to the various enquiries, centred on the Convergence Review, which at least informs Conroy’s position. Are we to dump all this and go back to Ruddesque policy on the run?
Not that the good Senator Conroy had paid enough attention to the findings of his inquiries.
Then musician turned minister Peter Garrett, who has resigned his post as Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth and will not contest his seat at the next election. We really hope he lays down some riffs on this story. A version of Mack The Knife would be a good start.
This one comes from Nick Cave:
