There’s nothing like the smell of desperation in the air and it’s never more obvious than when it’s wafting over the actions of our politicians.
The last three months of the year are traditionally known for their hectic pace, high levels of stress and a general push to “tie up” any niggling issues of national interest in time for the New Year.
But if the activities of our world leaders over the past six weeks are anything to go by, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’ve been willing to do practically anything (even other people’s jobs) just to avoid the pressures of doing their own.
You might call it “donning the red feather boa”, in honour of Cheryl Kernot’s 1998 foray into the Moulin Rouge via the pages of the Women’s Weekly.
It’s that moment when you know a politician will do just about anything to get attention and it’s quite hard to watch.
News.com.au reports today that just two weeks ahead of his mid-term election Barack Obama will make a guest appearance on popular science show Mythbusters. An interesting choice for the leader of a party that’s tipped for a beating and the president of a country still facing woeful economic conditions.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced plans to team up with singer Thom Yorke from Radiohead to record a single commemorating Remembrance Day, the national holiday for remembering fallen soldiers.
On a recent official visit to Moscow, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out in gym with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and our own action man Tony Abbott was spared the humiliation when Australian troops in Afghanistan turned down his generous offer to hit the war zone with them.
But if there was a prize for the leader most willing to cross the line into “what are you doing that for” territory it should go to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.
As part of her “walk-a mile-in-my-shoes” campaign Ms Bligh has already spent a day wheeling trolleys around a Brisbane hospital as an orderly and a couple of shifts working as a Coles checkout chick.
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