TREASURER Scott Morrison admitted he knows nothing about AFL to a Wodonga business lunch on Friday, but he certainly knows how to wield a metaphorical cricket bat.
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The Liberal Party big hitter was at the Wodonga Chamber of Commerce event to support his former parliamentary colleague Sophie Mirabella.
The Liberal candidate for Indi, who sat next to Mr Morrison on the Opposition front bench in Canberra for six years, lauded the Sydneysider in her introduction.
“He actually gives a damn, he's a normal person as a politician,” Mrs Mirabella said.
Mr Morrison then talked up his friend “Soph” and her advocacy, even referring to her helping him as Immigration Minister after she lost the 2013 Indi election.
“I could not have stopped the boats if I did not have Sophie's support over all those years,” Mr Morrison said.
“Let's just say with a new member for Indi we did not get that support.”
It was during question time that Mr Morrison went into dead bat mode.
Asked by Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie about the prospect of a regional funding program continuing, a block was played.
“Well the budget is on May 3, so I don't plan on sharing anything more,” Mr Morrison replied.
After some motherhood statements about supporting worthy programs, Cr Speedie asked whether federal assistance grants for councils would be unfrozen.
“I refer you to my previous answer or I can do a Tony Jones and say I'll take that as a comment,” Mr Morrison said.
Queries about the wine equalisation tax rebate and salary sacrifice were met with the same wait-and-see method.
Mr Morrison was more forthcoming about his football knowledge when a questioner was pondering their poser.
“I know nothing about AFL, so don't ask me about that,” he said.
Having faced 37 minutes of questioning, Mr Morrison retired for lunch in the mould of the Test cricketer who has blunted the attack.
The nation awaits his budget shots.
