What Alexander Downer really thinks of Penny Wong

A rumour has been doing the rounds since election weekend that Alexander Downer made some disparaging comments about Labor Senator Penny Wong into an open mike when he was waiting for his Insiders interview last Sunday.

His interview, during which he remained composed, if a little tetchy, made headlines later because the outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister expressed disappointment that the party didn’t receive a bounce in the polls off the back of the Northern Territory Intervention.

Other than that slightly uncomfortable comment, and his insistence that the only reason the party was voted out was the “It’s Time” factor, Downer seemed fairly dignified in defeat. But what was he saying before his interview?

Crikey understands that as Senator Penny Wong was being interviewed, Downer was yelling obscenities. As Downer was being miked up, he kept reacting to Wong’s comments.

Nothing was put down on tape, but Crikey understands that at one point Downer yelled, in reference to the newly appointed Minister for Climate Change and Water, “Shut up you foul mouthed b-tch.”

We assume that was a strictly off the record comment.

But given that the Member for Mayo may not be sticking around for much longer, Crikey thought we’d revisit some of the more memorable on-the-record Attack Spaniel lines about other members of the Labor party:

• 7 September 2007, the Foreign Minister’s two cents on Rudd’s Mandarin skills:

I know dozens and dozens of people who speak a lot of languages, they don’t just speak Mandarin, but other languages as well. I did the French language course and Mr Rudd did the Chinese language course. I did mine in two months and he did his in two years, that could say something about him and me or something about the two languages. I think the former but that sounds a tad partisan.

• 9 September 2007, no love for Rudd:

The fact is that he (Rudd) is a person without experience and without substance.

• 24 August 2007, Downer says Rudd’s out of touch:

Kevin Rudd wants to be the boy in the bubble. 

• July 31 2007, on Rudd and Haneef:

I think we could sum Mr Rudd up in one word – and that word is jellyback … If Mr Rudd would have become a prime minister of Australia, I think we have a pretty clear idea that old jellyback would just do what the media said. And actually that’s not the best way … to run a country.

• 11 March 2007, on Kelvin Thomson after he was removed as Shadow Attorney General:

I’ve always thought Kelvin Thomson was a pretty grubby sort of character if I can say so and be – for a foreign minister be rather undiplomatic about him … I think he’s one of those people who was quite happy to make all sorts of pretty base allegations against people in the Government.

• 28 January 2007, on the ALP’s Iraq Policy:

Historically the left has always looked for soft options – from appeasement of Hitler, accommodation of Communist expansionism and unilateral disarmament in the Cold War.

Perhaps Penny Wong won’t, but Crikey (and Condi) are going to miss you Mr Downer.