Chapter 7

Sunday morning around 10:30 Sue called to ask whether I'd seen the news of "the shake-up." I hadn't and she told me to read the reports on the Internet and then call her back. I read:

Kevin Rudd has admitted his Government has "disappointed a lot of people" and let itself down by not living up to its promises or talking enough.

In a candid interview with columnist Laurie Oakes, the Prime Minister admitted he had been too focused on policy details and had not spent enough time explaining his climate change scheme to voters.

"We've disappointed a lot of people," he said. "We've let ourselves down."

The debate over the bungled handling of the Federal Government's home insulation scheme "reflects a wider disappointment in the community about what the Government has done".

Hours after the interview, he demoted Peter Garrett and announced a rethink in his Government's climate policy.

The Government's "Mr Fix-it", Greg Combet, has been handpicked by Mr Rudd to find a solution to the insulation mess. The scheme has been dumped after the deaths of four workers installing insulation batts, dozens of house fires and faulty insulation leaving more than 250,000 homes potentially unsafe. -- news.com.au

"What's that about?" Weena asked.

"The insulation disaster precipitated it, but Garrett was no one's favourite cabinet minister. But both Garrett and Combet are from Sydney, as I recall, so it's still NSW [New South Wales] in charge. I'll call Sue back and see what she thinks."

"Okay, Sue. I've read it. One rocker down, but not out of the cabinet ... What? ... That's a joke! ... Really? ... Really? ... Okay. I'll ask around quietly. I think it's crazy ... Yeah. Government ... Well, I'll talk to Weena and then make a few calls. And thanks, Sue."

"Okay. Tell me."

"Sue thinks my 'transfer' will disappear. Between the incident with the Chinese and Chaz' issues about insufficient water, we'd gotten three different ministries in an uproar. So with an irritated Mr. Darrell on the phone, someone thought they'd shift me out of Perth. She thinks it was someone in Garrett's office, but not Garrett. She also thinks it'll go away because part of the portfolio will go to Penny Wong, and she's definitely not one of the boys. It's too weird for me. But I'll call your dad and Maggie and see what older hands think."

"It sounds very strange to me, too. But Sue knows more about these things than we do. You make your calls; I'll keep the litter under control."

I phoned Maggie first, it was an hour later in The Alice. After some chit-chat, I asked if I could deliver a long peroration. She agreed, laughing. I mentioned the letter from the ministry, my response, the call from Shirl's father, Chaz' further identification of Darrell, and Sue's version of what was going on.

"Well, well, Gordy," Maggie said. "I've been working for over 30 years and never had so much fun. How do you do it? From my distant perspective — distant from both Perth and Canberra — what Ms Carr says makes sense. Wealthy business people think they're important and that their projects are important. So Mr. Darrell getting enraged at being somewhat thwarted is understandable. That he was too ignorant to differentiate between you and Chaz goes with that. And that he might phone some bloke in the capital to complain — hinting at donations, of course — makes sense, too. Now, whether the ministerial reshuffle will mean anything, I just don't know. I've never heard of a letter like the one you received without — uh — prior negotiation. Phone or fax or mail. If it was just an idiot in an office, it may well disappear below the horizon. Now ... how's Patrick?"

I told her about Pat's reading and the school incident.

"Good on him!" she said.

"Yes. But shouldn't we say or do something?" I told her of Pat's response when I'd asked him as to what would happen.

"He's right, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Well, boys will be boys. Is the baby okay?"

"Yes."

"And Weena?"

"Of course."

"Then you've no problems, do you?"

I laughed. "I guess not."

"Well my love to all three of them."

When I got off I thought about it for a few minutes. Then I called Rob. He liked Sue's scenario. He also expected that with a reshuffle, most of the under-whatevers and senior staff would either be gone or in confused disarray. I told him about Patrick at school. He roared. When he caught his breath he told me to ask Weena about her secret past in school. I promised to.