After yesterday’s shenanigans over whether there would be a foreign policy white paper or merely a policy strategy document —  DFAT head Frances Adamson said yesterday it was the latter, contradicting a story Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had planted in the media — the white paper was suddenly on.

Late yesterday afternoon, presumably after a “WTF?” phone call from Bishop’s office, Adamson reversed herself in her evidence to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade committee — suddenly DFAT was working on a white paper. She had seen media reports (well, that would be Ms Tips’ account) and there was some “confusion”, she said. Confusion, of course, entirely generated by DFAT not having done the basics of checking what the minister’s position was on a likely topic of estimates questions. Hardly an auspicious estimates start for new secretary Adamson.