Our politicians didn’t want to miss the running of the Melbourne Cup today so they brought Question Time forward half an hour. Both sides are claiming it was their idea and that the other side didn’t want it, but the truth is, they all wanted it and at one minute to 3pm, the chamber was empty. I’m reminded of Alan Wilkie’s angst about problem gamblers and wonder if he placed a bet, if not, he would be one of the few people in the House today who didn’t.
The lucky Victorians get a public holiday on the first Tuesday in November but the rest of us have to work. Most employers allow a television to be brought into the office but workers are expected to get back to work as soon as the race is over.
Tony Abbott said he didn't want question time curtailed so "we suggested to the Government" that question time start early so people could listen to the Cup. "We were happy with that, we didn't want question time shortened but we were perfectly happy for it to start early," he told commercial radio.
But Anthony Albanese tweeted last week "I have proposed a rearrangement of business for Tue that would ensure the big race was taken into account – will finalise on Mon”. I wonder if there is another Parliament anywhere in the world who would rearrange their schedule around a horse race. Probably not. Julia Gillard had Manighar and Tony Abbott picked the winner Dunaden.
French Jockey Christophe Lemaire who only arrived in Melbourne 24 hours ago after Craig Williams lost an appeal to keep the ride, shed tears of joy when the judges told him he had beaten England’s Red Cadeaux by a nostril. The German horse Lucas Cranach was third. This is the second year in a row that France has taken home the big prize, this year $6.2 million. Jockey Lemaire will take home a minimum fee of $180,000 - five per cent of first prize money.
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