For the editors of the West Australian, the government’s defeat over the medical evacuations bill was nothing short of catastrophic.
The historic vote was illustrated on the front page of the Kerry Stokes-owned paper with a cartoon countdown to the first “illegal boat arrival” – and an unflattering photo of Bill Shorten finger pointing.
PM's historic loss in Parliament sets up Australia for another border security election, parents are being banned from shouting during junior sports matches and how a secret CBD sting caught three alleged crooks outside a luxury hotel. All this and more inside The West Australian pic.twitter.com/nX1AhCOF5Z
— The West Australian (@westaustralian) February 12, 2019
The Stokes organ ran with the line pushed by the prime minister who said Labor had opened the floodgates for the return of the boats and the weakening of border protection.
“How many illegal boats will arrive before the election?” the West Australian asked in what was perhaps the most hysterical of the front pages on Wednesday. “PM’s historic loss on border protection sets up same old election battle.”
The story also dominated the Rupert Murdoch-owned papers around the country, with every masthead savaging Labor for the historic defeat.
Perhaps surprisingly, the return of Hakeem al-Araibi to Melbourne airport on Tuesday, 77 days after he was arrested in Thailand, didn’t make the front pages.
The Daily Telegraph’s headlined screamed “Grin reapers” and was accompanied by a photograph of Wentworth MP Kerryn Phelps smiling and embracing fellow crossbenchers Julia Banks and Rebekha Sharkie.
“Kerryn Phelps was all smiles after consigning the Morrison government to a historic loss on the floor of the House of Representatives with Labor’s full backing,” the front-page story said.
Today’s @theheraldsun front page pic.twitter.com/2vUYbvWV9L
— damon johnston (@damonheraldsun) February 12, 2019
The Herald Sun was the most sedate of the Murdoch papers, running a small story on the bottom left-hand side of the tabloid front page saying: “PM slaps Shorten over loss” with no photograph. The Underbelly-style story of drug lord Tony Mokbel being bashed in jail was too good a Melbourne yarn to move aside for politics. Mokbel wearing a bad wig was the featured photograph.
The Nine-owned papers ran with the government’s historic loss, but stayed away from the scare tactics of suggesting a flotilla of boats was on the horizon.
The Canberra Times went with a down-page headline of “PM’s historic defeat”, the Sydney Morning Herald said “Historic loss for PM” with the same celebratory photograph of the three crossbenchers used by the Telegraph, and the Melbourne Age said “PM suffers historic defeat over refugees”.
Today's front page, with @CroweDM @finbaromallon pic.twitter.com/1IWOMol7lF
— Canberra Times (@canberratimes) February 12, 2019
The Australian Financial Review added a flavour of the fierce political battle in parliament with the headline “ScoMo toughs out historic loss” over photographs of the two leaders in the house.
