While other media outlets suck up to the rich and powerful under the guise of doing a “list”, this year Crikey wants to recognise a higher honour: being a shitstirrer.
We’ve assembled our inaugural 2024 Shitstirrers Index for the 10 biggest nuisances to powerful people, drawn from more than 1,000 nominations from our readers (let’s just say the term resonated).
The hallmark of a true shitstirrer is that you know one when you see one. But given we were inundated with names, the council considered a few questions to help separate the good from the truly great shitstirrers.
We thought about the biggest shitstorms this year and who was behind them. We weighed up who punched (up) above their weight, plus whose handiwork left a lasting impact. And front of mind: who had fun and showed flair while doing it? You can read more about our rationale here.
It’s been a superlative year for shitstirring, and this week Crikey has relished celebrating our honourees (see those ranked 10-8, 7-5 and 4-2) and their accomplishments.
Despite the overall strength of the field, one person has stood head and shoulders above the rest. It brings us great pleasure to award the top gong to someone whose shitstirring has defined not only the year but also this session of federal Parliament. They have an uncanny ability to get under the skin of seemingly everyone — politicians, media commentators, average punters — and to use that ability to drive attention towards their political cause.
His political opponents visibly loathe him. Hell, even those sympathetic to his cause aren’t all too fond of him. And, most tellingly, the most powerful man in the country, Anthony Albanese, very clearly fucking hates him.
You already know who I’m talking about, don’t you?
1. Max Chandler-Mather
Max Chandler-Mather was swept into Parliament as part of the “Greenslide” in Queensland at the 2022 federal election. But the member for Griffith wasn’t destined to take up as much of the national spotlight as he has. No doubt, housing was always set to be an enormous issue, but Chandler-Mather has elevated it to the defining topic of this Parliament (and perhaps the forthcoming election).
That fact Chandler-Mather annoys some is hardly news. A glance at profiles of the Brisbane-based MP show it’s his defining characteristic, with headlines like “Attention-seeker or renters’ champion? The Greens MP driving pollies up the wall”, “People think Max Chandler-Mather is annoying. Does he care?” and “Meet Max Chandler-Mather: the man getting under Anthony Albanese’s skin”. (These are just the headlines — you should see how wild some of the copy is.)
What’s more interesting is how he stirs the pot. Unlike some of the other esteemed members of this year’s Shitstirrer Index, Chandler-Mather’s power hasn’t come from leaking, shouting, protesting or squatting. In fact, looking back at his defining moments reveals just how inoffensive his methods are. It’s just his message, the fact that he painstakingly stays on message, and maybe something ineffable about him that deeply frustrates and enrages.
When he used question time to rightly point out that Anthony Albanese is one of many Australian property investors who receive billions in tax concessions, the prime minister started slinging personal insults. When he appeared on stage at a rally for the CFMEU, a union that until recently had been affiliated with the Labor Party (albeit one facing some serious allegations), government ministers lined up to kick the minor party MP. Incredibly, Chandler-Mather even faced derision for saying he couldn’t afford to buy a house on a healthy parliamentarian’s salary for reasons that include how he personally pays for free meals in his electorate. It feels like Chander-Mather pisses people off just by breathing.
Is his preternatural shitstirring ability innate or learned? Is it the result of painstaking planning or something that happens on the fly? Fittingly, Chandler-Mather frustratingly deflects when speaking to Crikey, saying that it’s a team effort.
“While I was out there in the media making a lot of those arguments, I think those arguments only carried weight because of the large groups of volunteers and other people and organisers helping,” he said.
It was about a year ago when Chandler-Mather remembers realising just how much animosity Albanese felt towards him. While being personally attacked, he recalled thinking it was a big mistake by the government.
“It’s like they almost felt like their solution to the housing crisis was just attacking us more, and not just me, but, you know, people in the Greens and the broader movement,” he said.
The end of the year was arguably a down moment for Chandler-Mather and his prickly campaign on housing reform. The Greens eventually agreed to pass the government’s “Help to Buy” housing scheme after months of negotiations (and calling it a “lottery”) without much to show for it.
Was this a capitulation that showed the limits of people’s patience for shitstirring? At the time, Chandler-Mather deftly spun the Green’s acquiescence as a new test for the government. “If we come to the next election and there’s still a housing crisis — well, that’s a question Labor has to answer.”
A lot is riding on the next few months to determine how we look back on Max Chandler-Mather’s shitstirring. One thing is for sure: elections are fertile ground for mischief-making and truth-telling. We’ll see if our Shitstirrer of the Year will earn a place on next year’s index.
Do you agree with our choice? Who would you have picked? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
