Here's the media's little secret of the campaign trail - journos like me get to stay in some of the best hotels in Australia. It is one of the few luxuries left for us journos.
On Sunday and Monday night it was the Hyatt on the Park in Melbourne. A large wood-panelled room with a marbled bathroom and a spa and espresso maker for my efforts.
Political parties have a taste for the high life - financed by tax payers through travel allowance. When the campaign starts media organisations have to cough up their credit card details to tag along. The major parties have a field day, using the plastic to book journos into the best hotels in town. Craig Thomson eat your heart out.
The average cost of a week on the road for one journo to their employers is around $20,000.
I wonder whether it's a great look in the current economic environment but in the increasingly tight financial position of many media organisations the campaign trail is even harder to justify. Journos are on the road for when things go pear shaped and to provide colour and movement. But much is now picked up by the journos back in Canberra. As a result, the days of the large campaign media contingent are probably numbered. Last year, the Courier-Mail pulled the pin on the campaign trail during the State election. And on this campaign one radio journo has been told by his employer to find cheaper digs. I suspect other media organisations will follow suit. Either that or the media companies should lay down an ultimatum to Labor and the Coalition, cut the cost of the campaign trail or we won't cover your events.
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In years gone by the evenings after a day on the campaign trail used to be spent at the bar swapping yarns and getting leads. Good old fashioned hard living journos.
I prefer though now to spend it in the gym. I guess that's why I'm not a very good journo. But at least I can be a fit one, who doesn't have my gut hanging over my belt. And being on the tread mill also is a comforting reminder of my career in general.
The added benefit of a gym session during a campaign is I can plug in to music but also watch the images of the day flash before me on the TVs on the gym. Campaign footage shorn of sound, apart from my racing heart and my 80s, 90s Gen X playlist is a funny way of reviewing the day.
Just the images and no context provided from the talking heads of prime time. Things strike you that may not see during the day.
But maybe I should spend the time down at the bar.
Bzzz. As it happens, there is still time to hold up the bar.
It's a text message from our ever upbeat Coalition tour organiser. Such messages pop up periodically through the day a minute or so before something happens. It prevents journos like me calling the Wilderness Society to get their koala bears out to the event for a good photo opportunity. "Abbott on 3AW 4.05", "Bus leaves 12.45" etc. But this time we are informed "Mr Abbott has asked me to invite you along to informal drinks" at the Hotel restaurant.
Events like these are a chance to compare notes on how the campaign is traveling. On any campaign it's always a case of Stockholm syndrome. You rarely get an idea of how the other side is traveling apart from a few TV clips during the day. And there's inevitably conversation turns to where the Coalition magical mystery goes next. Perth ? Brisbane ?
Thankfully there are few if any marginal seats in Adelaide.
Abbott moves through the room, a staffer by his side doing the introductions to the groups of journos. His maniacal laugh ricochets around the room. The topic of conversation was Sunday night's debate.
No-one is happy. It was a dud - the equivalent of a David Speers double interview on Sky News. Limited interaction between the candidates and tight time keeping limits the interchange between Abbott and Rudd.
Labor campaigners were aghast at Rudd's performance. Where was the Rudd of one month ago who flew solo in Question Time without notes the day after he returned to the leadership?
The TV guys are particularly unhappy they were forced to take a fixed feed from Sky. There was no opportunity to get a camera behind the leaders to get a shot of Rudd's speaking notes.
"How would you feel if you had to take AAP copy of the debate?" asks one TV guy of print journos.
Abbott reckons the further debates should be community forum type affairs where the questions come from all comers. Journos have every chance to ask questions at others why not give the community a shot, argues Abbott.
I tend to agree. As journos we get very caught up in the intricacies of political debate and tend to lose perspective. At the same, some times sustained questioning on policy detail is required. Both types of debates are needed.
I reckon the biggest problem was setting it in the National Press Club - the quintessential Canberra beltway establishment. Staid setting for staid debate.
But here's the problem. At the end of the day, modern political parties prefer these kind of debates where no risk is taken and there are few chances for rogue questions. There is very little incentive to try something more free flowing.
One reply on my first post complained the announcement by Rudd of legislation to legalise gay marriage was largely overlooked in the debate by the MSM. Maybe. It was a significant moment
But it deserved better than to be thrown in by Rudd late in the piece in response to a question. It deserved to be part of his opening if he wanted to give it genuine prominence. And anyone who knows about the history of Rudd's approach to this issue is entitled to be cynical.
Anyhoo. Abbott moves around the room blocking up when he gets to a group of camos. The loud roar that ensues overwhelms Joe Hockey who has joined the drinks late. Pet. A Credlin who stands at the edge of the room sullenly casts a glare to the group photo of Abbott and the camos that has been set up.
Across the street in another bar a few Coalition staffers are looking exceedingly happy with themselves. But in the same bar a couple of Labor staffers I run into look less ebullient. Another day and no Rudd magic.
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