Because Peter Allen, the late, great entertainer, was Australian, Gorton thought it was fair play to grope Allen's wife . . . Prime Minister Bob Menzies used to get so drunk at press breakfasts that I once saw him stir his coffee with a cigar. Prime Minister Harold Holt had a few too many, went out to catch a wave on a beach outside Melbourne and was promptly eaten by a shark. Australian newspapermen in my day would spend 16 hours working and eight hours tap-dancing with mysterious people while under the affluence of inkahol. No, it is no joke.
Booze is bad.
But in this political climate, let's not blame John Newcombe for having a few beers with Dubya. Look, when it comes down to it, Australians have no dog in this political fight. We are totally nonpartisan. I'm sure Bill wasn't drinking. Oh, he may have had a drink, but like not inhaling that grass, he probably didn't swallow the booze.