The Morning Edition

Episode Title: The Sketch: Tony Wright on the Coalition’s 'ship of fools'
Release Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Samantha Selinger-Morris (The Age & Sydney Morning Herald)
Guest: Tony Wright, Associate Editor of The Age

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Tony Wright's irreverent political sketch, capturing the turmoil within Australia's conservative Coalition after the Nationals' dramatic split. Wright uses maritime disaster metaphors—especially the Titanic—to articulate the chaos, blame-shifting, and political opportunism roiling the once-powerful alliance, with an eye for comic absurdity and historical resonance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: A Political Shipwreck

• Wright’s Sketch Approach:
  Political sketches, described by executive producer Tammy Mills as “akin to a verbal cartoon” (00:32), serve to vividly encapsulate critical political moments with wit.

• Titanic Metaphor:
  Instead of grand comparisons to the Titanic disaster, Tony Wright opts for a closer look at the panic and chaos within the ship’s underfilled lifeboats—a “miniature” form of catastrophe (01:07).

  • The Coalition: “A collection of a few ambitious egos and a rump of the confused left over from the last election, with no obvious passage to a land of hope and glory” (01:42).
  • The image: Party members scrambling for survival as their alliance sinks.

The Nationals’ Bolt & Blame Game

• Timing of the Split:
  The Nationals’ dramatic break from the Coalition coincides with national mourning after the Bondi massacre, a move Wright deems particularly ill-advised:

  • “They had the decent opportunity to take a deep breath and think things through, says Moore, David Littleproud actually bawled it out loud. He and his mates: ‘Cannot be part of the Shadow Ministry under Susan Lee. Clos[ing] quotes. Susan, so shove her into the sea.’” (02:32)

• Infighting and Absurd Denials:
  National Senator Susan MacDonald denies Littleproud’s statements, even as party resignations fly.

  • Bridget Mackenzie blames Opposition Leader Susan Lee for “accepting the written resignations from the front bench,” a charge delivered in “a day of heroically absurd statements” (03:02).

• Underlying Panic:
  The core fear: the rise of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, compared to an “iceberg” the Coalition cannot navigate around (03:22).

Historical Parallels and Queensland Upstarts

• Echoes of the 1980s:
  Wright connects the current bedlam to past distractions—Joe Bjelke-Petersen’s failed prime ministerial ambitions—which “came to nothing beyond the end of Ian Sinclair’s period as leader of the Nationals” (03:44).

• Present-Day Parodies:

  • Pauline Hanson: “Another Queenslander with a remarkably inflated opinion of her political abilities, wonderfully demonstrated by her declaration a few days ago that she was ready to lead the nation” (04:12).
  • Barnaby Joyce: Now the sole One Nation MP in the House, revels in the schism he partly caused, offering “marriage counselling” to the battered Coalition:
    • “Cautioning that the coalition's predilection for divorce looked crazy and chaotic” (04:34).

Satirical Climax

• Enduring Absurdity:
  Wright closes with a final jab at the party’s obliviousness:
  • “People still find it difficult to believe the Titanic's orchestra kept playing as the ship went down” (04:48).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Coalition’s Motivation for Splitting:

  • “The Nationals decided to shoulder everyone out of the way during their bolt for the boats on Thursday says a great deal.” – Tony Wright (02:15)

• On Leadership Denials:

  • “National Senator Susan MacDonald made a bold bid for going down with the ship when she denied outright that Little Proud had said the Coalition could not proceed with Susan Lee at the helm.” – Tony Wright (02:55)

• On Pauline Hanson:

  • “Her new sidekick, Barnaby Joyce, elected as a gnat but now the single One Nation MP in the House of Representatives was so pleased the Nationals had fallen for their own fear of drowning that he couldn't resist a little burlesque.” – Tony Wright (04:18)

• On Coalition Dysfunction:

  • “Having spent much of his energy over the years blowing up various relationships, he lectured his former colleagues that you don't blow the whole show up.” – Tony Wright (04:24)

• On Political Absurdity:

  • “…a day of heroically absurd statements. This wasn't even the nuttiest.” – Tony Wright (03:10)
  • “And people still find it difficult to believe the Titanic's orchestra kept playing as the ship went down.” – Tony Wright (04:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:32 – Introduction by Tammy Mills; defining the “political sketch” and its importance.
• 01:07 – Tony Wright opens his sketch: the Titanic/lifeboat analogy.
• 02:15 – The Nationals’ dramatic decision and opportunistic timing.
• 02:55 – Senator MacDonald’s denial and front bench resignations.
• 03:44 – Past Coalition disasters: Joe Bjelke-Petersen, Sinclair, Blunt, and Peacock.
• 04:12 – Enter Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce’s new allegiance.
• 04:48 – Final punchline: Titanic’s orchestra analogy.

Tone and Style

Tony Wright delivers his observations with sharp wit, a heavy dose of irony, and historical perspective, employing humorous metaphors and a pointedly satirical lens. The episode maintains a brisk, lightly mocking tone, highlighting both the seriousness and the absurdity of Australia’s right-wing political chaos.