Facing a preselection loss in his seat of Hughes, and becoming ever more embarrassing even by the standards of the Morrison government, climate denialist and COVID misinformation spreader Craig Kelly has moved to the crossbench and thus relieved Scott Morrison of a continuing political problem.
Kelly has been a controversy magnet that even the brazen Morrison has found difficult to ignore. His promotion of COVID quackery led to — eventually — an attempted prime ministerial rebuke in the last sitting of parliament.
That failed to rein him in: Kelly ignored Morrison and went right back to Facebook to continue to advocate for discredited COVID treatments such as ivermectin, until the social media platform suspended his account. Revelations that Kelly’s long-time staffer Frank Zumbo was under investigation for harassment of Kelly’s female staff and had been the subject of a provisional apprehended violence order emerged last week as the government roiled from its mishandling of the Brittany Higgins’ scandal.
Now that Kelly has moved to the crossbench — albeit guaranteeing to support the government in votes of no confidence — Morrison no longer has to answer for his rogue backbencher, who is free to peddle whatever conspiracy theories he likes unrestrained by criticism by the prime minister.
It will make the government’s legislative task on non-confidence and supply issues somewhat more difficult — especially with Barnaby Joyce and friends eager to humiliate Michael McCormack — but given the government has a decidedly minimal agenda and has ruled out any significant reforms for the rest of this term, that wouldn’t faze the government leadership.
As for Kelly, he may believe he can turn his large Facebook following into his own political brand, or perhaps join another party — the Nationals or One Nation — assuming Facebook allows him to remain. His chances in Hughes against a Liberal with some connection to the 21st century, however, look dubious.
Such a shame – clearly the government was not sufficiently corrupt and dishonest for him.
But he is plenty stupid enough to line up with Pauline.
Well, there’s a meeting of the minds. Although Malcolm Roberts might start to feel a bit jealous.
If Pauline won’t have him, Kelly can always join Rod Culleton’s Great Australia Party, with the redoubtable Pete Evans. What a pair they would make!
Yes, though I suspect that the raving narcissism of both, would get in the way of a constructive working relationship.
Rubaduddub, three drips in a tub….but I wouldn’t buy one off him.
Yeah! Hypocrite Hanson is like a adoption agency for strays, look at that list of failures in her growing arsenal of rejects and I include hypocrite in that list also.
Maybe she can get Palmer onboard also!
” …his rogue backbencher, who is free to peddle whatever conspiracy theories he likes unrestrained by criticism by the prime minister.”
There was criticism of Kelly from the PM? I heard plenty of references to a “dressing down” but criticism? From this PM? Ya dreamin’ BK.
You must have miss-heard what went on. I believe the proper report should have said : the Prime Minister gave Craig Kelly a severe dressing gown”. He has been seen around the electorate in the early hours of the morning in the said gown, and it doesn’t suit him at all – the cut is not flattering to his waistline and the colour is awful.
I think that dressing gown was from FDotM’s grauniad kennel.
It doesn’t really matter where the fat fool sits in the house, he
ll still vote for Scomo, at least until Murdoch tells him not to in the run-up to whenever Murdoch decides to replace Morrison with Dutton, and that will happen as soon as Scomos polling drops.I reckon this is the start of him marketing himself for a plum Senate gig with whatever fringe party in NSW.
In politics, stupidity is seldom an impediment – – Bonaparte!
Bugger! Considering he does such a “great job in Hughes”?
It’s that “great job in Hughes” perception by our extreme right prime minister which is the very reason why there is likely to be reconciliation with this fool who will again be imposed on the unthinking voters of Hughes as Morrison’s “captains pock”.