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I'm in Sydney and begin my morning ritual of stalking the Prime Minister's media advisers, desperate for any scrap of information, so I can arrange to file our pictures.
These three men are the keepers of all things secret when it comes to the PM's daily schedule. Ben "Magic" Mitchell, Tony "Grumpy" O'Leary (although I have to say he seems to have lightened up of late) and David "Luffy" Luff of FOX FM fame.
Can I get an electorate? A suburb? A general direction?
Ah, Somersby. In the end the bus driver gives us a clue. I get the feeling he doesn't like John Howard very much. Something to do with WorkChoices.
The press gang boards the bus and ends up at a small engineering company. The camera crews, photographers and journalists negotiate their way through nuts and bolts and all sorts of heavy machinery. So far, so good.
We get back on the bus and are told we're heading for the Erina Fair shopping complex.
There's an audible groan from the guys, but me, I?m excited. Any excuse to go shopping.
So, the PM is going to the shopping centre, will stop for lunch for half an hour and then do a bit of meet and greet, Luffy tells us.
We arrive at Erina Fair and the PM slowly makes his way through the crowd, posing for photos along the way.
Shopping centre management looks increasingly nervous as the media beast stumbles over strollers and trolleys and narrowly avoids a wheelchair.
One young worker runs up to the PM and asks to have her photo taken with him on her mobile phone.
Now, having covered federal politics for nearly five years, I've heard a lot of questions asked of the PM. But not this one:
"So, Prime Minister, who would you turn gay for?"
The PM looks lost for words and his wife Janette quickly steps in.
"I don't think you should answer that John," she said, as she steered him away.
Apparently it's a "Rove" thing.
Word soon spreads from Camp Rudd that the Labor Leader is in the neighbourhood on his way to the same shopping complex.
The PM's advisers and security staff suddenly pick up the pace.
John and Janette stopped by the food court. Luckily a table has been saved for them and they don't have to clear away someone else's leftover KFC trays like the rest of us.
After originally being told the PM would stop for half an hour for lunch and the rest of us would have time to do the same, Mr Howard appears to wolf down a couple of triangle sandwiches.
A few minutes later, and we're off again!
The PM climbs into C1 and prepares to speed away.
There was no escaping the Rudd Juggernaut though.
Just as the PM's car prepared to drive off, a bus emblazoned with a giant photo of his nemesis Kevin Rudd pulled up, directly in our shots.
John Howard has always said he'll remain Prime Minister unless he got hit by a bus.
Phew, that was close.
Your Comments
6 Comments
Subsidiising private health funds at the expense of services to the working people. ( over 40 health funds advertising and overheads plus $1.4 b profit last year)
In their own words they have been "whiteanting" our health service for 11 years.
enlightened
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