It’s been a banner week for people getting a good, old dose of comeuppance.
First there was Neil Young, daring Spotify to remove his music from their platform or ditch Joe Rogan. Apparently Neil didn’t take into account that he hasn’t had a hit in decades while Rogan is the most popular podcaster in the world, or that Spotify has just paid $100m to get him on their platform. Neil or Joe? Guess who Spotify chose?
But the most absolutely delicious serving of karma this week must surely be Mark McGowan, premier of West Australia.
McGowan, you might remember, has unilaterally declared that WA’s borders will remain completely closed, even as the rest of Australia ditches travel restrictions for the vaccinated, and eases restrictions on the unvaccinated.
Mark McGowan will be forced to spend two weeks in self-isolation after the Federal Court ruled he must travel to Sydney for his defamation battle against Clive Palmer.
Judge Michael Lee rejected the West Australian Premier’s request to give evidence remotely, via a video-link from Perth, instead ordering McGowan to appear in person at the end of February. The same goes for Sandgroper Attorney-General John Quigley.
Can I get a sad trombone?
“Sneakers” is hoist not only by his own rules, but by his previous legal actions against Palmer. When Palmer challenged WA’s hard border closures in 2020, WA not only succeeded in getting the case thrown out, but used its massive majority to ram through astonishing new powers in order to ensure that he could do so for as long as he liked. As well, WA’s parliament forbids its politicians to participate remotely.
Now, two of the more loathesome political figures in Australia are embroiled in a tit-for-tat legal mudfight.
Palmer kicked off the legal showdown in August 2020, claiming he was brought into “hatred, ridicule and contempt” when the premier referred to him as the “enemy of West Australia”, “the enemy of the state” and “the enemy of Australia”.
McGowan counter-claimed that his reputation had been damaged on eight occasions, including when the Queensland mining magnate and wannabe senator suggested he had “abused” the parliamentary system and lied to the public.
The Australian
No doubt both of them will attempt to use truth as a defense. In which case they might well both be on good ground.
In the meantime, perhaps that 4.2 registered on Queensland seismographs recently was Clive having a good old belly-laugh at Sneakers getting so spectacularly hoist on his own petard.