Liberals withering on a flagpole, corruption in NSW and a war with China?

In this episode… we look at the week in federal politics: the Liberal Party is in contortions over a tatty flag on top of Australian Parliament House (the important things) and wants to repeal the government’s popular superannuation tax – in the unlikely event it returns to government in the near future.

Malcolm Turnbull appears at the Robodebt Royal Commission – with the same level of collective amnesia which afflicted many other witnesses – and there are also calls for Katherine Campbell to be sacked from the public service.

A call for the takeover of Liberal Party branches by right-wing Christian groups needs to be resisted, otherwise that will be the end of the party.

International Women’s Day didn’t have the dramas from the time of Scott Morrison, and we should be thankful for that.

And is Dutton really facing a #Libspill? It’s in the interests of the Liberal Party to keep him there as a placeholder, but who’s next?

The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption finds that corrupt behaviour in New South Wales is not actually corrupt. John Barilaro landed the trade job that he created while he was a Minister in NSW Parliament, and wasn’t qualified for. But the ICAC ruled that it wasn’t corruption. And, by the way, where is the report into alleged corruptions by Gladys Berejiklian?

And we are going to war with China in three years’ time, so we’ll need to order our military fatigues and start practising our commando techniques. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, of course – this would have to be among the more irresponsible and foolish journalism of recent years. And it’s racist as well. So, put the guns away, return the fatigues to sender: there will be not war with China.

It’s all a media beat-up.