CityNews columnist of 20 years (and author of 32 books) Robert Macklin died on January 16. Here fellow columnist HUGH SELBY reflects on this remarkable journalist’s written contribution to public debate in Canberra.
Our recently departed columnist Robert Macklin wrote the Gadfly column. What’s in a name?
A gadfly challenges any and all powerful people, the status quo or a popular position.
A gadfly is also a fly that bites large animals and annoys them, not only because of the localised pain but the persistence.
I thought I’d rummage through his columns (It’s easy. Simply type Robert Macklin into the search line with the eyeglass) and see what I could find that epitomised being a pointed, astute critic.
Back in April 2014 Robert wrote a column, “Go home, stop giving us a bad name!” His target was then attorney-general George Brandis, who was proposing changes to the racial vilification laws.
These changes so irked Robert that he quipped that George wanted to be Minister for Bigotry.
Who would have thought that George would compare more than a bit favourably with the shenanigans wrought by Albo and his band to pass poorly considered, probably unconstitutional laws about “hate” through our Parliament this week?
Memo to the government: being good listeners, considering and using a range of views, works better than pretending to care. Knee jerk only fools some of the people some of the time. Did you learn nothing from the failed Voice campaign?
In February 2019 Robert asked, “Is (Scomo) fighting the wrong war?” He was referring to Scomo’s repeated electoral success in playing the “turn back the boats” card, while ignoring the need to combat climate change. His friends, the climate change deniers, are all welcome to picnic outside somewhere when it’s mid-40s in the shade.
Robert sweetly commented that: “We know that Scomo… will be cuddling coal as the waters of Lake Burley Griffin lap the Parliament (and, as we now know, drown the red trams on Commonwealth Avenue Bridge) and the bushfires roar down from the Brindabella. But what of the Labor Party? Are they up for the fight?”
Seven years on, we know the answer to that question. No.
Also in February 2019, Robert asked: “Is no politician truly responsible anymore?” He pointed out that while governments always promise “action” on the recommendations made by Royal Commissions, that once the spotlight moves on to the next scandal, somehow it’s “back to business as usual”.
Memo Commissioner Virginia Bell: please ensure that any recommendations that you make are short, free of any ambiguity and include dates for implementation. Put another way, don’t give Albo and his team any wiggle room.
Robert got it right. As was his comment, “spare me the orotund ‘apology’ from the miscreant (minister) who says: ‘I take full responsibility’ and carries on as usual”. “Orotund” means a resonant, imposing voice, or a pompous, pretentious writing style. This was probably known to all readers of CityNews in 2019 but, alas, I needed to look it up.
Robert continued: “When we say ours is a system of ‘responsible democracy’, we used to be fair dinkum. Ministers actually resigned when their departments – or even their offices – stuffed up”.
What a lovely term is “fair dinkum”. Once it carried the idea of genuineness and commitment. Not any more. These days it means: “This is what I am claiming until I am caught red handed and have no escape. Catch me if you can, suckers.”
The “catching” is a segue to Robert’s lifelong affliction, which can be simply understood: you can take the boy out of Queensland, but you can’t take Queensland out of the boy. Which is why, even two years ago, he could write in our CityNews, decades after he left Brisbane, that: “As a Queenslander, I don’t like footy. I love it”.
A long, long time ago, when just a 14-year-old, so around 1958/59, he played on the Adelaide Oval, wearing a maroon jersey. He kicked a goal and his team won.
It was in 1866 that the first footy club was formed in Queensland. By the 1880s it was the leading football code in the state. But, by the time he played in Adelaide the game hadn’t been played at the Gabba for a long time.
There have been many changes to the fortunes of AFL since then, more than enough to keep the expat Robert glued to the TV during the long Canberra winters.
There are pages and pages of Robert’s insights, questions and quips to be found in a search of CityNews. This being the Australia Day long weekend I recommend having a look, even if only while the tennis is interrupted.
You’re bound, even if accidentally, to find something that grabs your attention. Which leads nicely to his Gadfly piece two years ago, “Cometh the moment, cometh the… coincidence”.
Robert had been thinking about, “the sudden unexpected arrival of the perfect persons to change the course of history just when it was most needed”.
I’d love to see an Aussie as part of the team that upends Donnie’s reign of contempt.
The last words belong to Robert: “Come on coincidence – it’s time once more to do your stuff”.
Former barrister Hugh Selby is the CityNews legal matters columnist.
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