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Barnaby Joyce (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)

Australia’s political media has long suffered from what might be called Maverickitis, the symptoms of which are an intense fascination with and distorted perception of politicians they deem to be mavericks — those who refuse to toe their parties’ lines whether on policy or presentation.

Of course, the media complain that your average politician is so focused on party-issued talking points, and the parties enforce such conformity, that anyone who offers something different is a breath of fresh air. What they don’t mention is that if the media wasn’t so obsessed with “gaffes” gotchas and backflips, politicians wouldn’t need to be so defensive and banal.

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