‘MR Rabbit’ is always running and it might take him all the way to the Lodge.
One of the themes of Tony Abbott’s ascension to Opposition Leader and potentially becoming our next prime minister is his characterisation as an action man, keen to stay fit through a strict regime of running, cycling and swimming.
The witty Annabel Crabb suggested on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday that Abbott’s 36-hour wakeathon on election eve (“Why sleep at a time like this?”) with a series of meet and greets on the road was like a modern pentathlon. “At the end of it we should have demanded that he bake a quiche,” she dead panned.
Such stunts have an absurdist nature and reflect some of the hyper-reality of modern politics. It’s as though doing too much is not doing enough, reflected in the suicidal schedule of axed prime minister Kevin Rudd. 110 per cent? Give us 150 and drop for 40 push-ups while you’re at it.
The beauty of the strategy was that no-one could claim Abbott’s efforts were a put-on; he does marathons in his spare time and clearly believes in preparing properly for gruelling events.
One of his pet events has been in the news lately for slightly different reasons.
Associate Professor Chris Rissel, of Sydney University’s School of Public Health, reckons it might be time to repeal bike helmet laws to encourage more people to experience the health benefits of cycling.
According to the ABC website, Prof Rissel claims the greatest drop in head injuries was in the ’80s – before the laws were introduced – because of road-safety campaigns and speed controls.
He says the number of head injuries has remained steady since then, creating a case to overturn the helmet law. I recently overturned the law in my own way.
Perhaps my mind was elsewhere that morning but I got 1.5km before realising I didn’t have my helmet on.
Rather than return home, add 3km to my journey and be late for work, I decided to just keep going.
I sensed my fellow cyclists did not approve. In fact, on the return leg a cyclist actually chided me for it while we passed in a tunnel.
Overall there doesn’t appear to be an easy way for bikes and cars to co-exist without vast improvements in cycle paths.
Nor do the antics of the speed freaks on their hotted-up machines – I’m talking bike hoons here, not the V8 brigade – inspire much confidence.
Anyway, with the possibility that Mr Abbott might soon take on a precarious political arrangement as prime minister, I would strongly suggest he keep his helmet on.
PS: Congratulations to Curtin MP Julie Bishop, who yet again dominated western suburbs polling and may soon find herself sworn in as deputy Liberal leader to the PM.