We’ve all had it happen. We’ve met someone that by all logic should be our foe and yet… there’s a connection there that we just can’t deny.
Sometimes it forms the basis of a romantic comedy, or a police drama about a rookie cop gaining the respect of a grizzled veteran. And sometimes it’s the highest parliament in the land.
Yes, politics is great at creating enemies, but sometimes the REAL election victory is the friendships that we make along the way.
And look, it would be easy to focus on some of the more combative pairings – Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young versus Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm! Fraser Anning versus the entire parliament! Bob Katter versus crocodiles! – but let’s reflect on the times when political differences clearly don’t stop the love from blossoming
Christopher Pyne and Anthony Albanese
Pyne’s retirement means that this comedy double-act in waiting will be rent asunder, but the waspish SA minister and the laconic NSW Labor MP have demonstrated an easy rhythm, even when explaining why the other is utterly wrong. And Nine’s morning show Today realised that, which is why they regularly stuck them together as easy political content.
Weirdly enough, when Pyne got his own Sky programme in 2016 he teamed up with Labor MP Richard Marles in a show which has somehow failed to set the world alight, despite providing this sort of calibre of amazing television.
Ed Husic and Josh Frydenberg
These two have often celebrated their personal friendship as a triumph of principles over politics and religion, with the Muslim Labor MP and the Jewish federal treasurer doing photospreads and interviews together about how they’re BFFs.
Both are children of parents fleeing persecution – the Husics came to Australia from Bosnia, the Frydenbergs from Germany – and when Husic gave an impassioned speech condemning Fraser Anning’s “final solution… for the immigration problem” speech he was embraced on the floor of parliament by Frydenberg in one of the most genuinely sweet moments of the last garbage fire parliament.
Josh Frydenberg crosses the chamber to embrace Ed Husic as the House of Representatives condemns Senator Fraser Anning's first speech pic.twitter.com/KtVOVbCbOr
— Alex Ellinghausen (@ellinghausen) August 15, 2018
No, YOU’RE misting up. We just something in our eye is all.
Penny Wong and Mathias Cormann
This is an enduring pair up which will continue after the election regardless of the result, since neither are up for re-election until 2022. And as the respective leaders of their party in the senate they’re kind of the alternative prime ministers – ones which most Australians would probably prefer to their counterparts in the lower house.
They’re often at odds, especially during the gladiatorial combat of Senate Estimates (which was surprisingly extended this week when the PM failed to call an election) but even Cormann agreed that they deserve a show together:
Coming up on the next episode of 'Cormann and Wong'… #auspol @abcnews pic.twitter.com/HwC38e4TdO
— ABC Politics (@politicsabc) April 4, 2019
See, Australia? Sometimes parliament is about laughing, loving and learning together – just like the best romantic comedies.
Now, about those crocodiles…