offered this generous support for her former colleague: “That's really a question for Kelly.”
But Duncan Storrar was back in real time as an inquisitor, this time via video.
“With over a million people in this country living on a couple of hundred dollars a week below the poverty line, how can these people get their story out to the public without getting attacked by the mainstream media?” Storrar wanted to know.
Duncan Storrar made his appearance from the relative safety of a video cross
“Most people have something horrible in their past that they don't want people to know about and if every time somebody just speaks about what their life's like they get attacked in the mainstream media, how on earth will that ever make things better? People need to be able to speak in order for everyone else in the country to know what life's like down at the bottom.”
Well. Where to start?
Tony Jones was there to offer viewers a primer.
Jones: “Ill remind anyone who doesn't know Duncan's story, he stirred up a storm when he challenged the Federal Government's plans to give tax breaks to the middle class but not to the poorest Australians. Some viewers launched an online campaign to raise money for Duncan but the Murdoch media raked through his life and attacked him. Let's find out what our panel thinks.”
Institute of Public Affairs executive director John Roskam warming the cockles of everyone's heart
The panel – Fiona Nash, Labors Andrew Leigh, social researcher Rebecca Huntley, academic and class researcher Jill Sheppard and John Roskam from the Institute of Public Affairs – mostly empathised.
As Sheppard noted: “We're not good at these conversations.”
Storrar, she said, "was attacked. Really pilloried by certain areas of the media. If we don't give people from all classes, from all parts of our society, access to a public voice, then we are not going to be able to enhance this conversation. Its not going to become any less unedifying than it is at the moment.”
Then came John Roskam, who couched his IPA-speak in comforting language but barely concealed the undertone.
OK, lets be frank: he didnt conceal the undertone at all.
“Duncan asked a key question a few years ago … he's participating in the public debate and good on him.”
Roskam went on: “It does concern me that sometimes we listen to where people are coming from, and them as an individual, rather than what theyre saying.”
The horror!
Jones: “One of the things he's communicated to us is, he's spoken to friends of his who try to encourage other people to speak out and they're all terrified of doing it. Because in their past the are things they don't want splashed all over the front page of a tabloid newspaper in Melbourne which is what happened to him.”
Roskam went on: “Duncan and his friends should be entitled to participate. But their participation comes in a context”.
Jones: “With a price.”
Roskam: “Im not sure it's a price.”
Jones: “It was for him.”
Roskam: “Its a context, that we engage in a debate and good on Duncan for participating.”
Storrars heart was no doubt warmed by this generosity of spirit.
Meanwhile, during this Q&A episode devoted to the class divide, the real story was unfolding off camera. During the show, a child was born – a child now fifth in line to be Australias head of state.
As John Roskam might say, good on William and Kate for participating.
It will be very interesting to see what life has in store for the new royal prince. One imagines Duncan Storrar will not be surprised by the outcome.
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