It’s a tough job, Sunday newspaper journalism, because by the time
Saturday comes round everyone’s pinched your hot stories. But the Sunday Age‘s
Canberra correspondent Phil Hudson managed a minor scoop yesterday,
flushing Treasurer Costello out of his Christmas break with a
wide-ranging interview.

Aside from shedding some wan light on Costello’s wishy-washy “family-friendly tax cuts”,
Hudson managed to coax out and underline Costello’s (equally
wishy-washy) views on gay relationship rights.

Peter Costello says he
respects people who have long-term same-sex relationships but has
rejected the push for gay marriage. “I respect people who have
long-term same-sex relationships,” he said.

Do you think everybody got the message, Phil?

Costello even came out with this lame some-of-my-best-friends-are-gay
rejoinder: “I know a number of people who have [presumably long-term
relationships]… but I wouldn’t change the traditional and legal
understanding of marriage.”

Not quite as catchy as Keating’s “I don’t care what you say – two blokes and a cocker spaniel don’t make a family” policy.