Tony Abbott “reckons” he was taken out of “context” when he said that if you didn’t like your job you should just “stuff it”. Which doesn’t seem to “stack up”, given that what has been reported was what he said, give or take a “pair” or “two” of daggy finger-signed “inverted commas”.

If punctuation can form a saving “context” for an otherwise awkward statement, then the technique is bound to catch on. John Howard can claim that he only even meant to ignore “climate change”. Kevin Rudd will denounce “trade unions”. We need never again worry about “Bronwyn Bishop”. Julia Gillard wears “pants”. Maybe if the Liberals lose next week they can claim that all Rudd has is a “majority”, so why “worry”. Hmm. Just might “work”.