Seats of Power

While observing State Parliament question time on A-Pac (I used my Foxtel IQ and fast forwarded the Dorothy Dixes), a few things were quite apparent to me. Firstly, as I watched Kevin Foley nervously fiddling with his pen like a naughty school boy while answering a question, it was clearly apparent that he is a dead man walking. I had never seen the Treasurer show such apparent weakness and loss of direction. While he had regained his bluster by the third sitting day, the Opposition, and more importantly his own front bench, could sniff the blood in the water. It is clear that some time this year, probably following the Federal election and State budget, Foley will be tapped on the shoulder. Possible replacements include fellow front benchers Tom Koutsantonis or Jay Weatherill. The second observation I made concerned the seating arrangements of the various frontbenchers.

A curious observation that I made regarded the seating arrangements of the ALP’s Ministers, particularly the Attorney General John Rau. The portfolio of Attorney General is traditionally one of the most senior positions in any Government. At the very least, it deserves a position on the front row of the Government bench. Rau, however, is tucked away in the corner in between junior Ministers Grace Portolesi and Jack Snelling. Upon further examination, I determined that the only possible explanation for the seating arrangements was based on length of service in the Cabinet. This seems highly unconventional, and I believe is designed to prevent the perception that Rau was now within grasp of the top job. It could also suggest that Rann, Foley, Hill and Conlon didn’t want anyone else infiltrating their clique. Whatever the reason, the seating arrangements do not send the message of a united Government.

A few seats closer to the Premier sits Tom Koutsantonis. Having left working in political offices prior to Kouts’s appointment, this was my first real opportunity to see him in action. What I saw was the same old head kicker trying desperately to adapt his ridiculing, berating, wise cracking style to the functions of a Minister. During a DD, Kouts was interrupted by three points of order, which is possibly a first. DD’s are traditionally boring drones about Government achievements, primarily designed to suck up air time to limit the number of Opposition questions. Kouts however, couldn’t stick to his script, but rather attempted to engage in mudslinging and belittling of Opposition members. Foley, Conlon, Rann and Atkinson are masters of destroying the Opposition during question time, but there is an art to doing it successfully. Koutsantonis’s feeble effort showed that he is not yet ready for elevation to higher posts, although I sense he would disagree with this assertion.

Another Minister that is being groomed for big things is Jack Snelling. Jack is one of the nicest members of the Government. We have had many great conversations about the merits of home brewing. While Jack responded to both DD’s and questions without notice in a dignified and professional manner, it is clear that he is still finding his feet in his new role. I suspect that when Kevin Foley is tapped on the shoulder in coming months, this will trigger a ballot for the leadership. While Jack is spoken about within Labor circles as a future Premier, I don’t personally think that he will be ready for this role in the next 6 months. I will be keeping my eyes on Kouts and Jack over the next few months, as would the ALP backbench. If they fail to make considerable strides during this time, ugly ducklings Rau and Weatherill may become leadership swans.