Mal Brough is the best thing to happen to Labor in months.

News broke today that the controversial (read: stupid) Coalition comeback candidate held an official fundraiser at which the menu offered “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail — Small Breasts, Huge Thighs & A Big Red Box”.

Gillard, whose leadership is in some doubt, was being criticised internally this morning for seeking to make the election campaign about gender issues and s-xism. That criticism has since died. Mal Brough killed it by demonstrating that the PM had a point.

So here’s a few lessons from Menugate. Firstly, drop the stupid s-xist jokes and gibes and nastiness — or be prepared to annoy more than half the voters. There’s quite a few men in the male-dominated Coalition who should learn that lesson, now. Most of them are smarter than Brough, so don’t go public with their views. Well, move on, fellas. Do you really want to remind the voters the Coalition is a haven for old blokes?

Secondly, Brough, slammed for his involvement (and abuse of legal process) in the James Ashby/Peter Slipper affair, is a serious liability to the Coalition. Australian politics may be better off without this Howard-era relict. He should certainly not be parachuted onto the Coalition’s front bench.

Not everything is going Abbott’s way …