Politicians and police came together to mark White Ribbon Day on Monday, where Victoria’s Police Commissioner Ken Lay made a scathing attack on the “” pickup artist Julien Blanc.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott used the White Ribbon event to encourage domestic violence victims to come forward, saying those inflicting violence would feel the full force of the law.
However, his Queensland colleague had a more severe suggestion, saying that perpetrators should be banished to “uninhabited subarctic islands with active volcanoes”.
Senator Barry O’Sullivan suggested that places such as Heard and McDonald islands (both Australian Antarctic, not Arctic, territories) were the “perfect dumping ground for these deadbeat cowards”.
“We can send them there without a coat,” he said.
Barnacle Bill and pep talk Tony
And there was a lot of chatter early in the week about a particular kind of crustacean.
On Tuesday Mr Abbott gave his colleagues a pep talk and pledged to clear the Coalition ship of “” in the final two weeks of parliament.
He may have been talking about pushing through policy, but it was the nautical language which caught the attention of the opposition – in fact, it was repeated so often in a National Press Club address by Bill Shorten that the chamber nicknamed the opposition leader “Barnacle Bill”.
Parliament also heard some less than shipshape comments from the Defence Minister, whose following controversial criticism of an Australian shipbuilder.
Senator David Johnston made the “rhetorical flourish” on Tuesday, saying he wouldn’t trust the Australian Submarine Corporation “to build a canoe”.
But much liked the controversial , Mr Johnston retains the Prime Minister’s support.
The PUP bites back
Meanwhile, the Senate has been thrown into disarray with the inevitable split between Jacqui Lambie and the Palmer United Party.
The now-independent Senator announced her on Monday, telling the Senate she will be casting her vote against a number of the government’s proposed changes and staying strong on the .
She also stepped back from a personal dispute with party leader Clive Palmer, saying she did not have time for a “mudslinging contest”.
Mr Palmer was less conciliatory, accusing Senator Lambie of “making things up” and being a spy for the major parties.
Internal politics wasn't the only thing on Clive Palmer's plate this week. Wednesday saw a civil case against him in Brisbane’s Supreme Court.
The federal MP and mining magnate has been from two Chinese-owned mining companies, allegations he has repeatedly denied.
Slash and burn for public broadcasters
There was little to laugh about for public broadcasters this week as the managing directors of ABC and SBS separately addressed their staff on funding cuts.
Hundreds of jobs are due to be due to $254 million in cuts, while SBS is likely to make up some of its $53 million in losses through proposed changes to advertising.
In an interview with Sky News, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull seemed to suggest Mr Abbott had not fulfilled his promise to protect the public broadcasters, in a move later described as throwing the PM “”.
The slip up was clarified when Mr Abbott's “promise” was up to interpretation depending on how people viewed this election-eve interview with the PM:
Colleague Christopher Pyne was upset over the decision to close ABC TV production in the South Australian capital, but his distain was directed towards the slashed rather than the slasher.
The Education Minister once again petitioned the ABC to save jobs in his hometown of Adelaide, saying the loss of talent would be “irreplaceable”.
Beer ban for Victorian politicians?
The Senate will lose a long-serving senator at the next federal election as Kate Lundy announced her impending resignation. The Labor senator for the ACT will quit politics at the next federal election.
Meanwhile, former prime minister John Howard joined Victorian Premier Denis Napthine on the campaign trail this week, hugging babies and posing for selfies.
Mr Howard didn’t have to steer clear of the beer, but others may soon have to with a proposal to make MPs face on sitting days.
The pitch by Labor MPs in Victoria has been met with a shrug from the incumbent, while federal politicians have been too busy with , and the float to notice.
The final bite
More politicians were kicked out of Question Time under 94a this week – a record-breaking 18 alone on Thursday - but Andrew Leigh was saved from the chop by an unlikely source.
The Labor MP was breaking the rules with a prop, but Speaker Bronwyn Bishop said she couldn’t see it as her view was "blocked by the splendid head of the Leader of the Opposition”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs this week made an effort to reach out to the common man.
DFAT posted on Twitter:
An admirable sentiment, even if a failure.
Luckily there was Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to lift the spirits of the Twittersphere with her emoji enthusiasm.
And finally, Freya Newman, the woman who leaked private emails detailing a avoided conviction with a good behaviour bond.
It could have been a very different ending if Senator O’Sullivan was in charge of the sentencing.
