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The Matildas’ agonisingly tense penalty shootout victory over France on Saturday night provided a moment of national sporting euphoria not seen since Cathy Freeman at the Sydney Olympics.
Credit: Jozef Benke
The exhilarating, white-knuckle three-hour epic World Cup soccer quarter-final in Brisbane was Australia’s most watched sporting event since Freeman’s run more than two decades ago. In a few swift kicks, the Matilda’s waltzed their way into history.
Sports Minister Anika Wells summed up the mood best, captured bawling her eyes out as she and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made it onto the pitch — probably to offer goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold a job in the defence ministry.
French President Emmanuel Macron, whose relationship with Australia has been sub-par in recent times, was magnanimous enough to make good on his bet with Albanese and back the Matildas in their semi-final against England.
Who knew all it took was beating the French at football to repair that sunk relationship?
Even the AFL, typically hostile to any other football code encroaching on its turf, was swept up in Matilda mania as punters at the MCG ignored a clash between Carlton and Melbourne to watch the shootout.
Former Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott joked from the MCG: “My god that was the closest I’ve ever been to standing up.”
On Sunday morning, as blood pressures simmered down, and Australia woke up to the best kind of hangover, the banalities of politics started to slowly return.
On ABC’s Insiders, Nationals leader David Littleproud decided to play “Captain Killjoy” (his words), standing with the scolds in the small business sector who are valiantly fighting against a public holiday should the Tillies win it all.
Mackenzie Arnold (right) embraces her Matildas teammates after Australia won the penalty shootout against France in the World Cup quarter-final.Credit: Reuters
COOK’S ‘SLUG GATE’ CASE UNDERDONE, SAYS JUDGE
Prominent catering mogul, critic of Daniel Andrews, and sometimes political candidate Ian Cook’s case against the Health Department and Brett Sutton doesn’t seem to be going entirely according to plan.
While he’s been able to hit the former chief health officer with accusations that he unfairly closed his I Cook Foods kitchen after a listeria-linked death, it looks like the case could do with a little more time in the oven.
That’s at least according to Supreme Court Justice Michael McDonald. During hearings last week, after a five-day delay, McDonald seems to have formed the view he’s given more than enough time to Cook’s silk, Marcus Clarke, KC, to get his act together.
“The trial’s already been delayed five days, Mr Clarke, and I don’t think it is unreasonable to observe that the reason for that delay is primarily at your feet,” he told Clarke, and his junior, former AAT member Vanessa Plain.
“I don’t want to seem harsh but my strong impression is that when you came to court initially, you were underdone.
“I have accommodated you and granted you significant indulgences so far by effectively adjourning the case off for five days to allow your side to get your house in order.”
Clarke’s other high-profile appearances include the Liberal-associated anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine mandate cases during the pandemic.
“Slug gate”, for those unfamiliar with one of the more niche political scandals in Victoria, is the theory that a slug was planted by a council worker at the facility to destroy Cook’s business
Ian Cook’s election campaign in Mulgrave against Daniel Andrews.Credit: Eamon Gallagher
But, despite it being about a fairly narrow legal issue (did Sutton act beyond his authority, or with reckless indifference, when he shut down ICF’s kitchen?), it has had a tinge of politics throughout.
For example, Cook ran unsuccessfully against Andrews in his seat of Mulgrave last year. His campaign was run by Emily Coltraine, the founder of fledgling social media-based anti-Andrews news outlet Voice for Victoria.
Coltraine, alongside James Catlin, defamation barrister and former press secretary to Jeff Kennett, started the Solis Foundation, a group which spruiks itself as “Your voice against corruption”.
One of Solis’ corruption focuses? “Slug gate”, with which they claim to be “closely involved”. Clarke didn’t respond to requests for comment.
ONCE UPON A CLIMATE CHANGE
Between maintaining the rage as a prominent climate change denier, regular conservative talking head and business associate of Gina Rinehart, rogue geologist Ian Plimer has found time to write a trilogy of children’s books.
Climate denialist Ian PlimerCredit: Paul Harris
The Little Green Book focuses on some of Plimer’s favourite topics, including why net zero is a lie, and attempts to answer a question posed to the geologist by the late Prince Phillip in a 2018 letter complaining about wind turbines.
Released next week, with volumes for primary schoolers, teenagers and “twenties and wrinklies”, the books are described by publisher, Connor Court, as “the perfect gift for all the grandchildren”.
Plimer sits on the board of Rinehart’s Roy Hill mine, and was appointed by the billionaire to chair Warrego energy after her Hancock Prospecting acquired a controlling stake in the gas exploration company.
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