The Informer: Text leaks and protest feats

As everyone began clocking off for the week, Barnaby Joyce's work was only beginning as more blunt words said behind the Prime Minister's back were leaked Friday afternoon, with Joyce branding Morrison as "a hypocrite and a liar" in March 2021 when he was still a backbencher.

The text message had been sent through a third party to Brittany Higgins after she spoke out about her alleged rape by a fellow staffer in Parliament House.

As soon as Joyce got wind these messages would leak, his Thursday was a flurry of apologies and an offer to resign which the Prime Minister declined.

Saturday morning was a press conference where Mr Joyce humbly stated "my view from the backbench about the Prime Minister was based on assumption and commentary not from a one-on-one working relationship".

"And from a one-on-one working relationship, I found a man who has honoured every agreement that he has made with me and who I have noted has honoured every agreement that he has made with others from both sides of the political fence," he said.

While honouring agreements seem important from the beet-red Barnaby in this press conference, they weren't important enough to avoid flaking on ABC's David Speers and Insiders, which he was due to be a guest on Sunday morning.

Instead, replacing him is the much more tame and textless (as far as we know), Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews.

A few other uncomfortable additions to the world of federal politics includes Scott Morrison getting his fingers into a woman's hair in one of his more notable public appearances since being branded a psycho and Barnaby Joyce's fiancee Vikki Campion penning an op-ed in the Daily Telegraph saying the minister who wrote texts to Gladys Berejiklian "should apologise or quit".

Clearly a miscommunication between the two now that Barnaby has joined the club of anti-Scott Morrison texts.

Speaking of uncomfortable, it feels like this city has been taken over by Australia's fringe representatives as Canberrans have stood back and watched trucks blocking main roads, upside down flags and endless chanting against establishments, media and vaccines.

Approximately 1000 protesters have rallied across central Canberra including Glebe Park, Parliament House, Old Parliament House and the City.

A collective mix of interests including anti-vaxxers, sovereign citizens, Indigenous rights activists, extreme right wing groups and evangelical Christians have united under the common cause of ending a vaccine mandate and for the resignation of Australian political leaders.

Furthermore West Australian doomsday prepper James Edward Greer, 44, has been released from custody after he was allegedly caught with a modified rifle and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.

So all-in-all, just another cruisy Saturday in the capital as I struggle to determine if politicians or protestors have gone more loopy this week.

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