Mal Brough is a very bad loser

Malcolm Farr

Malcolm Farr wrote an interesting article a few days ago that gives us an insight into Mal Brough's character. He's the man the LNP will put up against Peter Slipper in next year's election.


Farr relates an incident that happened back in 2001 when he was umpire at a social cricket match in Canberra between the pollies and the press gallery.  Brough came into bat confidently and started well, but when a fast ball from Mark Ludlow hit his pads right in front of the stumps, there was a shout from the wicket keeper and others, and Farr called him out.  He writes:

He stormed off the ground in a loud fury, suggesting there was a plot to get him off the pitch.  He threw his bat and pads to the ground and demanded his wife follow him to the car.  He took off in that car at great speed, leaving behind stunned team mates and opponents.  Some 30 minutes later, he and his wife returned.  Brough made an announcement to the spectators which was so extraordinary, it can't be repeated here.  He then set about heckling the umpire - me. He did it in such an unacceptable fashion, that Ian Causley, an old-school gentleman and National Party MP apologised to my wife who had to listen to it all.  It was a remarkable display of self-indulgence, bad temper and contempt for the social occasion.

Mal Brough

Brough was 40 years old when this incident occurred, old enough to know better, and was still talking about his dismissal two weeks later. Little did he realize that people were still talking about his disgraceful dummy spit.

Mal Brough was named by Judge Rares to be deeply implicated in the Peter Slipper/James Ashby sexual harassment affair yet so far, he hasn't made a comment about that damning indictment. His leader, Tony Abbott is looking silly by saying he hasn't yet read the  Judge's report and is standing firmly by his man.

By the time next year's election comes around, Peter Slipper probably won't stand and Mal Brough is likely to win the Queensland seat of Fisher.  And his constituents may never know that their MP is a petulant, arrogant man who has no concept of how to lose gracefully.