One of the biggest criticisms levelled at politics today is that it is too political.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From same-sex marriage to the super trawler, surplus and beyond, the politics lurks, waiting to pounce.
So it was against the odds yesterday when Tony Abbott had a go at taking the politics out.
At midday he called a press conference in the Bali Memorial Garden at Parliament. Accompanied by a man injured in the 2002 bombing, Abbott solemnly informed those gathered of his efforts to give the victims $30 million in support.
Australia ''would be a mean-spirited nation'' it if commemorated the tenth anniversary next month without providing this ''modest level of compensation,'' he said.
Despite the bad impression he was painting of Labor, Abbott pointed out that he didn't want it to be a ''party-political thing''.
''I have done my best to work constructively with the government on this,'' he said, before praising the work of former attorney-general (and Rudd backer) Robert McClelland. And calling on Julia Gillard to stand up in parliament that afternoon and give the funding the nod.
There was a distinct air of last-ditchedness as Abbott talked of his frustration - though it was somewhat undermined by the fact he had spoken to Gillard two days previously and that she said she'd ''have another look''.
Nevertheless, Abbott insisted: ''I'm reluctant to be appearing here.''
Reluctant or not, that didn't stop Nicola Roxon raising her own concerns just over an hour later.
According to the current Attorney-General, it wasn't appropriate to conduct a political press conference in Parliament Houses' memorial gardens.
''I don't think Mr Abbott has behaved in any way in showing that this is a non-partisan issue,'' she said from the height of a tall pony.
Within minutes of Roxon wrapping, Julie Bishop rode in on an even higher horse.
The Deputy Opposition Leader called on Roxon to apologise for her ''reprehensible'' comments.
''I condemn her for trying to turn Tony Abbott's passion and concern for the victims of the Bali bombing into a political point scoring effort,'' Bishop said, before alluding to more sinister goings on.
''Day after day, we are seeing Labor senior female members trotted out at the behest of the male strategists in the Labor party to attack Tony Abbott,'' she fumed.
''We've had enough''.
If this was Abbott taking the politics out of an issue, one can only imagine what would have happened if he'd wanted to keep it in.
