The radio DJ who questioned a 14-year-old rape victim on-air about her sexual experiences, and who called a journalist a "fat slag" without enough "titty" to carry off a low-cut blouse, is fast becoming a favourite with the Prime Minister.
On Friday, Sandilands and his 2DayFM offsider Jackie O landed one of only two radio interviews given by Ms Gillard after the Labor caucus had re-endorsed her leadership the day before.
Yesterday, she fulfilled a promise by inviting him to her official Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, to take part in an Easter egg hunt for a children's charity, even posing with the DJ, who was dressed as a giant Easter Bunny, for "selfies" pictures that she later posted on Twitter.
(Ms Gillard's only other radio interview on Friday was with ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine, who during the 2010 election campaign accused the Prime Minister of deliberately mangling the Opposition Leader's name to make it sound like "Mr Rabbit".)
Pressed about Ms Gillard's invitation to Sandilands, Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson today said the Prime Minister would not condone every utterance that came out of the mouth of every Australian.
“You just don't write people off all over the place because of particular statements they make,” he told the ABC. “Let's not just dwell in the past.”
Labor elder and former prime minister Bob Hawke yesterday implored the current leadership of the party to "get on with the business of governing".
But the toughest woman in politics opted for the soft-boiled approach to strategy after high drama divided her government in two last week.
As the vanquished backers of Kevin Rudd headed home to their electorates for the weekend to lick their wounds, the Prime Minister issued a photo-op only alert for fluffy pictures.
Leader of the house Anthony Albanese, who kept his role and portfolio despite his status as a Rudd supporter, was one of the few to go to work in his community, attending the 10th anniversary celebrations at St Matthew's Anglican church in Ashbury.
Mr Rudd kept to a familiar routine, attending church, but there was little to be seen of former tertiary education minister Chris Bowen, former arts minister Simon Crean, former human services minister Kim Carr or the former whip Joel Fitzgibbon.
Those who remain on the frontbench, including Mr Albanese and Gillard supporter Defence Minister Stephen Smith, fronted a political grilling yesterday morning. Mr Abbott also fronted News Limited journalist Andrew Bolt on the Ten Network.
Ms Gillard started the weekend in northern NSW, where she attended the wedding of her press secretary Laura Anderson and Wayne Swan's former chief-of-staff Jim Chalmers, and on Saturday announced new details of the national broadband network rollout in the region.
After saying the government still had work to do, she flew to her electorate in Melbourne for the Weerama Festival before jetting to Sydney to celebrate Greek Independence Day, where she was mobbed by those in attendance.
"We love you," one young girl screamed from the throng.
Angela Katsidis, 42, was surprised to see the Prime Minister after last week's drama in Canberra.
"They made her tough, I can tell you that, but I think everyone was hoping for more than armour with our leader," she said.
"I've been so disappointed with Labor this year, and especially last week. There's too much self-interest in politics."
As the Prime Minister told Sandilands on Friday, she had "some time on Sunday so let's go and look for some Easter eggs, and I can't wait to see you in a rabbit outfit". And eventually, she made her way to Kirribilli House to make good on the promise.
"She won't be talking about the leadership and you can tell them I told you so," said her communications adviser, John McTernan.
Ms Gillard took a phone call from her study before greeting Sandilands and the kids with an awkward question-and-answer session that canvassed lost funding for a dunny race, no longer sponsored in the Prime Minister's Melbourne electorate of Lalor, and the DJ's Rolls Royce.
A coterie of advisers from her office ran the hunt, handing out baskets for the children and acting as the finish line in the egg-and-spoon race, which Ms Gillard lost.
A mother called out: "Same time next year?"
"Same time next year," Ms Gillard said.
But first, the election.
No comments:
Post a Comment