Albanese and post-China/US War Dictatorship: Part 10

Movie Plot: Anthony Albanese attempts to become Australian dictator after a China-US war in early 2025 but it does not go to plan! Eventually, Peter Dutton becomes prime minister with the same goals as Albanese. In the latest episode, Trump tells Dutton that he thinks it funny that a Collins submarine sunk because of rust and demands even more money paid to the US for AUKUS because any submarines built by Australia or Britain will probably sink.”

Characters at time of the War:

Prime Minister Albanese; Defence Minister Marles; Foreign Affairs Minister Wong; Treasurer Chalmers; Attorney-General Dreyfus; PM’s Chief-of-Staff Gartrell; Secretary of Department of PM&C Davis; Secretary of Treasury Kennedy; Minister of Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Conroy Luke Gosling; Tanya Plibersek; Mike Burgess of ASIO. Journalists Greg Sheridan, David Speers, Cameron Stewart and Nick McKenzie. Premiers: NSW Minns, Vic Allan, Qld Miles, WA Cook, Tas Rockliff, SA Malinauskas.

New Characters in Parts 5 to 10:

Prime Minister Peter Dutton; Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham; Treasurer Angus Taylor, Defence Minister Andrew Hastie; Attorney-General Michaella Cash; Minister of Immigration Dan Tehan; Minister for Citizenship Dave Sharma; Journalists Paul Kelly and Michelle Gratton; Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw. Alex Ryvchin of the Council of Australian Jewry. Davis has been sacked as Secretary of the Department of PM&C and Minns has swapped political sides and been appointed Secretary in his place. Burgess has been sacked as head of ASIO and Minns has also secretly been appointed to this position.

Scene 84: Public Service Office

Dave Sharma is meeting with Alex Ryvchin

Sharma: “So, the Israeli intelligence has some experience with The Broker?’

Ryvchin: “Yes. Someone took out a contract on a businessman in Tel Aviv. There is no proof, but it is suspected that it was part of a dispute between rich Russian immigrants.”

Sharma: “They know who – or what – The Broker is?”

Ryvchin: “Yes and no. They think it is likely an algorithm that now operates without human control. It does not have human intelligence but it does learn from its mistakes and successes. When the Israelis thought they could identify how to get inside it to see how it works, it suddenly changed – all known possible contact points and payment possibilities changed. After a while of inactivity it suddenly reappeared in a different form.”

Sharma: “So, we can’t find out who actually killed Jagot? I mean, a person who planted the bomb?”

Ryvchin: “No.”

Scene 85: Prime Minister’s Office

Prime Minister Peter Dutton is meeting with Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister (and secret head of ASIO) Chris Minns, Defence Minister Hastie, Foreign Affairs Minister Birmingham

Dutton: “Is there any chance that this is a mistake? That it’s only a temporary problem?”

Hastie: “I am afraid not. The submarine is gone and so are all 42 crew.”

Birmingham: “We knew that the Collins submarines were starting to rust. So, why was it up near Indonesia?”

Hastie: “We wanted to offer some support for Indonesia against Chinese aggression in the Natuna Sea.”

Birmingham: “I didn’t know they asked for help.”

Dutton: “They didn’t. But we also wanted to demonstrate to Trump that we are prepared to play our part in countering China.

Minns: “So, the sub just collapsed under the sea because some part of the hull was rusty?”

Hastie: “It seems so. There is no other explanation.”

Dutton: “This is a PR disaster for us. Can we say it was sunk by the Chinese?”

Hastie: “Maybe. But a lot of people know that rust was most likely.”

Dutton: “Ah! Most likely is not the same as knowing!”

Minns: “Yes! With a good PR approach and some supporting words from the Americans we should be able to spin the Chinese story. Not everyone will believe it, but most of the population will.”

Dutton: “And play the AUKUS angle.”

Birmingham: “You mean we need AUKUS subs because all the Collins class are rusty?”

Dutton: “Don’t be so cynical. We need AUKUS because of Chinese aggression.”

Minns: “Now is probably a good time to announce the restrictions on Chinese in Australia.”

Dutton: “Let’s wait a few days. Give us time to get the maximum out of the Collins sub story.”

Scene 86: Press Office in Parliament House

Greg Sheridan: “There is a rumour that something has happened to one of the Collins submarines. But the offices of the PM and Hastie are not saying anything. We need to get onto this.”

Cameron Stewart: “China?”

Sheridan: “Possibly. But it is a very old sub. Maybe just sunk.”

David Speers: “Reuters have something on it. It was near Indonesia.”

Stewart: “China is also near! This is good enough for me.”

Sheridan: “Dutton’s office has just announced a press conference in half an hour.”

All the journalists leave the press office and return later.

Sheridan to Stewart: “I will write something on the need to counter China. Can you do something on the need for AUKUS? And stay away from any suggestion of rust!”

Scene 87: Prime Minister’s Office

Peter Dutton is meeting with Attorney-General Michaella Cash, and Chris Minns

Dutton: “Idiots! The got caught killing Jagot and deserve what they get. I knew both of them when we were in the Queensland police together, but I need to downplay it as much as possible. What were they thinking? Why kill a High Court judge?”

Cash: “Money! AFP raids have found access codes to Bitcoin accounts. Equal to over $1 million dollars each.”

Dutton: “So, who paid them?”

Minns: “It looks like it was another deal with The Broker!”

Dutton: “Does the AFP have any idea who wanted Jagot killed?”

Cash: “No. And it this seems to be typical of The Broker which just acts as an intermediary.”

Scene 88: Public Service Office

Chris Minns is meeting with Citizenship Minister Sharma

Minns: “I told Dutton that I have directed ASIO to focus on finding whoever ordered the killing of Jagot, but I have actually told them that the Chinese issues are more important.”

Sharma: “Thanks!”

Minns: “In return, I need your help. I want to get into parliament but given absence of elections the only way is to be appointed to the Senate.”

Sharma: “But there are no vacancies. Someone will need to die or resign. You are not thinking of ….?”

Minns: “Using The Broker? No. But if one of the NSW senators could be offered a very lucrative business position it would be open for me to be appointed.”

Sharma: “What does Dutton think of this idea?”

Minns: “I haven’t discussed it with him. He might see me as a threat. Best to wait until there is an actual vacancy.”

Sharma: “You want my help?”

Minns: “Can you find an organization to offer a senator a financial deal that is too good to reject?”

Sharma: “I suppose its possible. But a Jewish associated outfit would need some assurance about your support for Israel”

Minns: “I am protecting you on the Jagot issue. That should be an indication of what I can do.”

Sharma: “OK.”

Scene 89: Park

Nick McKenzie meets with former head of ASIO Burgess

Burgess: “You are still alive!”

McKenzie: “Yeh! Although I assume Minns wishes it was otherwise.”

Burgess: “In any case, I think you are wrong about any link between Minns and Jagot. There is nothing in it for him.”

McKenzie: “He is extremely ambitious and lacks scruples.”

Burgess: “Yes. But I may have something else for you. I occasionally hear from a few former colleagues at ASIO. They prefer to talk to me than Minns. Dave Sharma fits in here somewhere, along with Alex Ryvchin of the Council of Australian Jewry who he talks to a lot.”

McKenzie: “How exactly?”

Burgess: “My friends in ASIO have heard that Ryvchin is trying to raise a lot of money.”

McKenzie: “Mmm. This could make sense. You think Ryvchin – and Sharma – have been dealing with The Broker on Jagot?”

Burgess: “Don’t know. But something is going on.”

McKenzie: “Anything on those two that the AFP arrested in relation to Jagot?”

Burgess: “I haven’t heard anything.”

Scene 90: Public Service Office

Foreign Minister Birmingham, Treasurer Angus Taylor, Minister for Immigration Dan Tehan are meeting.

Birmingham: “Tony Sheldon has resigned his NSW Senate seat. I’ve heard that Chris Minns wants it.”

Taylor: “That would be a surprise. A former NSW Labor Premier becoming a NSW Liberal Senator.”

Tehan: “Maybe not. Apparently Sharma is backing him.”

Taylor: “What about Dutton?”

Tehan: “He won’t try to stand in the way. Minns has some sort of hold over him.”

Birmingham: “Being head of the Prime Minister department will have given some leverage, and if he is really head of ASIO then even more.”

Tehan: “He is quite scary. I know he talks about China but the driving force is pure ambition.”

Taylor: “What’s in it for Sharma?”

Tehan: “Also ambition. But he is also a racist.”

Birmingham: “Those two might now be working together, but it won’t last. They may even work together against Dutton but will eventually be at each other’s throats.”

Scene 91: Prime Minister’s Office

Dutton is meeting with Minns and Sharma

Dutton: “I have told Birmingham that I want to split his department so there will be a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a separate Ministry of Trade.”

Minns: “How did he take it?”

Dutton: “Not happy, especially when he found out that you would get Foreign Affairs and he would be left only with Trade. But I said that Trade was now a top issue as we find alternatives to trading with China. I promised extra staff and trips to UK, Europe etc.”

Minns: “We can now offer even more support to Israel and be firmer in urging the US to go after Iran.”

Sharma: “Good news! And I have more! Jo Tarnawsky is prepared to say that it is possible that Marles’ wife had confused her with Penny Wong and it was Wong who was having an affair with Marles.”

Dutton: “But this still doesn’t mean that Wong wanted Marles dead in the way his wife claimed that Tarnawsky wanted him dead because he would not live with her.”

Minns: “Don’t try to be so logical. There are – as they say – alternative facts which don’t need to be proved to be believed. We can just leave it as an unsaid but implied fact.”

Dutton: “I like this! And, play up Wong’s Chinese ancestry to emphasis the AUKUS angle.”

Minns: “Oh! I just had an idea!”

Dutton: “What?”

Minns: “Maybe we can do this in another way? We can somehow get the message to Wong that Tarnawsky will hold-off on saying this if Penny becomes a stronger AUKUS supporter.”

Sharma: “Very sneaky!”

Scene 92: Public Service Office

Foreign Minister Birmingham, Treasurer Angus Taylor, Minister for Immigration Dan Tehan are meeting.

Birmingham: “Dutton has spoken to Trump.”

Tehan: “How did it go?”

Birmingham: “Trump thought it funny that the Collins sunk because of rust. Wants even more money from us for AUKUS because, he says, it is too dangerous to let any submarines be built by us or the British. They might sink!”