Given a situation like that studio and with Palmer in the hot seat, with his well known loose-cannon reputation and a mouth that's faster than his brain, any director worth his salt would have had one camera watching any Chinese person whenever the subject of China came up, awaiting just such a moment.
Dear Miss Wong was perfectly correct to not react overtly to the big oaf, politically, and, as I said, she's a consummate politician.
Just as with Abbott a couple of years back, allow me to paraphrase, God help us all if Wong ever becomes PM!

So the argument now is not that Ms Wong was somehow taken by surprise, but that she is the consummate politician who measured her (nil) reaction.

However that is what the OP is saying is it not? That Ms Wong's legendary sharp sight, hair trigger and ferocity for all things 'racist' and discriminatory stem not from commitment at all, because it can be turned on and off as she pleases, especially where there is an advantage in it for her. In this case she was smooching up to a despised rival - all pats and strokes - and cynically focussed on her political secondary gain. No different from her flexible principles demonstrated by her before.

That is political pragmatism and convenience. Hypocrisy as well from a politician who rides the victim bandwagon and constantly lectures others from the Manual of Political Correctness.

That makes her no better than any other political attack dog and the comparison with Tony Abbott of the past is a good one.

G'dayBruce, "God help us all if Wong ever becomes PM!"

Yes, many would agree with you too!

Come off it, the so called deputy PM Wazza Truss was on the panel, where was the "leadership" from the plonker? If Palmer wants to make a fool of himself on national TV , who are we to stop him.

Come on, Paul..

Apparently one is only expected to censure Palmer if one is sitting on the panel and happens to be of Chinese extraction.

Then they get a whole thread dedicated to impugning them - even though they didn't actually make the offending comment themselves.

otb is especially excited to be involved in the sledging because the said candidate is not only a woman - but a leftie as well!

(Hoorah!)

Dear Poirot,

This entire hooha is all about Clive Palmer's
dispute with the Chinese Mining Company -
Citic Pacific. Apparently according to articles
on the web Palmer is in dispute with Citic
over just about every facet of a mining joint
venture in WA's Pilbara region. Citic claims
Palmer stole $12 million from a trust account.
Whereas Palmer doesn't deny this - but he feels
he was entitled to that money and he's suing Citic
for royalties he claims they owe him.

Hence his anger on "Q and A," and rant.

Complex situation that I daresay will eventually
come to light. There's no denying though that this
guy can attract media attention.

However, the attacks here on Senator Penny Wong
simply don't make any sense. She's not Chinese,
and as you and others have pointed out - why
focus on her simply because she's a woman, looks
Asian, is a Labor MP, oh wait.

I guess I've answered my own questions.
Of course a certain calibre of men would find her
a threat.

What was I thinking.

Well Fox, I realise you can't be referring to me, at no point have I denigrated Wong " simply because she's a woman, looks
Asian, is a Labor MP".
I denigrated her for being exactly what she is, a highly successful part of a decayed and rotten to the core Party political system.
However, it's highly disingenuous of you to say " a certain calibre of men would find her a threat", that's a classic fudge from feminists, and not worth the energy it took to type it.
Dismissing contrary opinions in that manner is not conducive to good communication or debate, and it demeans you as much as you might wish to demean men