What hypocrites the left are. Bronwyn Bishop's spends $5000 on using a helicopter to get her to a function, and we never hear the end of it. SYH over claims $15000 and refuses to pay it back, and she still holds a portfolio, Sam Dastardly takes a bribe, and Fat Albert claims he's done nothing wrong.

What's good for the goose is good for the propaganda.

Australian Financial Review today, "Sam Dastyari's South China Sea support is a big deal and a timely warning"

"It is a priceless lesson in the vulnerability of Australian democracy to foreign influence in a contested Asia"
Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Shadow, you are obviously a person with little, or no political experience. Its all about perception, in the case of Bishop she was perceived as a pompous ass who thought she had an entitlement which placed her above the rest of us. If you want to succeed in politics never ever place yourself above the people, Bob Hawke was very good at projecting an image of being "ordinary", John Howard at times was savvy, the green and gold trackie dacks were more valuable than a ton of policy . Paul Keating couldn't do it, and Tony Abbott just failed. Kevin Rudd could look good sometimes, his worse policy ever was "fair shake of the sauce bottle" showed he was out of touch and nerdy, also could have been perceived as being too smart for his own good, a bit Keating like. If only he had, had a policy of sucking and not shaking! He may have gone down as Australia's best PM ever. Gillard, well, she was a woman, and couldn't cut it in a pair of trckie dacks. Turnbull, is too elitists, he needs to get out and be seen eating a meat pie, but never ever be perceived as a none genuine pie eater, it spells political death.
it has nothing to do with reality, the dinosaur loving, multi millionaire Clive Palmer, for a short time developed a persona of ordinaryness, but it fell apart, and it was goodbye Clive. Hanson, although somewhat extreme, is perceived as ordinary by some, and therefore voteable, so is Xenophon. Bob Katter has a good persona, always looks like he's just popped in from the sheep muster, goes down well.
Dastyari, committed the cardinal sin of doing something the rest of us wouldn't do, and has paid the price. No matter what he ever he achieves in politics in the future, he will always be seen as 'Sneaky' Sam!

Paul,

I am fully aware of the part of optics, the part of the social media, and the myopia of the left with respect to the indiscretions of their own.

The only reason SHY got away with rorting the taxman is because she was regarded as the parliamentary clown that couldn't manage herself.

Just look at Lambie who got a senate seat even though she is barely literate.

Shadow,

Fortunately or unfortunately whatever the case may be, politician is the least qualified job in Australia, you don't even need a primary school education, you don't even have to be literate, a blithering idiot can get the job, and sometimes do. If our polys had to apply for the position in the normal way, half would not get a look in, and some who get soundly defeated at the polls would be first choice by far. I have seen some very good people, even from the Liberal Party, get defeated and I know they would have been excellent members based on their ability, but ability doesn't count for much at the ballot box.
Jacqui Lambie's best asset is she could be your sister, and Pauline Hanson is the nice lady from the fish n' chip shop. I know you don't like Bill Shorten, and not meny do, I'm not real sweet on him myself, but on a personality bases he is perceived better than Malcolm Turnbull. Put Turbull in a Shorten body and he would be 50 points clear in the polls. Unfortunately for politicians the electable persona is non lasting and fades over time. The biggest exception in my time to that was Bob Menzies, he managed to maintain his kindly grandpa persona for about 20 years.
I have been privileged to have met four PM's in my lifetime. Gough Whitlam came across as arrogant, Malcolm Fraser as snobby, Bob Hawke seemed nasty, but Bill Mcmahon was very nice, the kind of nice old gentleman you would like to be your next door neighbor. Billy would be tops, keeping an eye on the place when you went on hols, and would collect the mail for you as well, maybe even cut the lawn, but as a PM Billy was the worse I have ever experienced, the other three were far better at it.