Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese took a risk on Sunday night, venturing onto the main stage at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest for a short address before bona fide headliner Jimmy Barnes. By Monday morning, Barnesy’s entertainer son David Campbell had taken to social media to clarify that his dad had invited Albo on stage as a show of support for the wannabe-PM, who has styled himself as an ardent supporter of the arts and Aussie music.
“The booing was because the band were on stage, the crowd were pumped and ready to rock,” Campbell wrote. “When the ‘working class man’ was announced, Albo came on. Classic switch. There were a few boos but more cheers.”
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese introduces Jimmy Barnes during a visit to the Byron Bay Bluesfest.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
But by Monday afternoon, Albo was showing even more of an appetite to cross into foreign territory, visiting the Newstead Brewery in the inner Brisbane suburb of Milton. Touring the brewery, Albo heard how the watering hole had come perilously close to losing its entire stockpile of beer during Brisbane’s floods last month.
Not included on the Labor-does-Milton tour? The fact that the brewery is around the corner from the federal Liberals’ long-serving campaign headquarters.
Bottoms up: Albo takes a sip.Credit:Illustration: John Shakespeare
As this column has reported previously, the Libs’ Milton campaign house is a hit – of sorts – with some true believers, who have been won over by its proximity to an Anytime Fitness 24-hour gym and the Brisbane River. More plain-speaking campaigners will say the three breweries within walking distance of the HQ’s front door, including Queensland’s main XXXX brewery, make the location and long working hours bearable. Particularly when Liberal campaign outfits have had a booze-free policy in place since the John Howard years.
It’s taken until this year for the Labor camp – which is headquartered in Sydney’s Surry Hills – to follow suit, adopting the same no-booze stance. But that didn’t appear to make any difference on Monday arvo as Albo knocked back a cold beer and pizza in front of cameras after the tour.
And who could blame him? It was a holiday, after all.
