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ANALYSIS

Q&A; recap: Questioner quietly fillets Humphrey B. Brandis on national television

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On Monday night's Q&A;, questioner Fred Thorpe did what questioners do when this program is at its best: she went toe-to-toe with the political class and poked it in the eye.

She did this with devastating effectiveness while the political class - let's say for arguments sake that its name was George Brandis, who is an attorney-general and a headache specifically - was staring at his feet and wondering why someone was standing on his toes. Brandis didn't really know what had hit him, or possibly didn't feel it, it was hard to say.

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Q&A;: Audience boos Brandis

Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis was on the back-foot during a tense episode of Q&A. Vision: ABC TV

He limped off with a glazed eye, having faced not just his bruising encounter with Ms Thorpe, but also several lively encounters with his Labor counterpart on the panel Tanya Plibersek, and a couple of interventions from host Tony Jones.

"I'm the moderator here," said Jones at one point.

"But Tanya…" said Brandis at another.

"Sorry George," said Jones a little later.

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But it was Ms Thorpe, the first questioner, who stuck respectfully to calling him Mr Brandis while she quietly filleted him on national television, pressing for answers on the government's Centrelink debt recovery debacle. This is a human and PR disaster - caused by the surprising fun to be had when you hand dealings with vulnerable people over to an automated payment system - and it requires a deft and empathetic political hand.

In such sensitive circumstances, watching George Brandis is like watching Humphrey B. Bear play the flute: it sounds terrible and he doesn't seem to realise he hasn't got any pants on. Yet he carries on regardless.

Ms Thorpe asked about politicians' expenses, in light of her having her disability support pension reviewed, "which I am raising three exceptional children with" and which she thought "would be less than what most politicians spend in a month".

Lo, declared George, setting off into battle armed with a potato he seemed to think might work if he could throw properly. Alas, he dropped it and was left with only his wits.

"I think you would agree…," he began optimistically, with a recitation of entitlements reform. He warmed hearts with words such as "a new mechanism established" and "independent authority", while Ms Thorpe evaluated him as one would evaluate a half-naked bear playing a flute.

But Humphrey B. Brandis ploughed on. It was about responsible budgeting and fairness, or as Tony Jones put it when he intervened: "He's basically saying to you that we're fixing up the entitlements issue and really, what's happening to you, the review of your pension, is essentially about budget rectitude."

"I think it's too little, too late," replied Ms Thorpe, as Mr B. Brandis put down his flute and sipped a glass of water, knowing he was about to cop it with the certainty of one who knows what a bear does in the woods.

Ms Thorpe: "This is my daughter Andy. She's in Year 11, she's my registered carer … and after taking care of her mum she's now going to study to become a doctor. Along with her brother and sister, my disability pension will produce far more for Australia than any politician ever will."

She said she had discovered her pension was being reviewed two weeks ago.

"The next day Mr Turnbull was having lunch with Rupert Murdoch at Kirribilli House and I'm glad they ate well that weekend because I spent most of that weekend throwing up from absolute fear, Mr Brandis, that if my pension is removed, what will become of us? I have no family."

Mr B. Brandis: "What you've done, particularly with your family, is something we should all admire enormously."

And then he went on: "But…"

But!

Mr B. Brandis, never say "but" after a story like that.

Say: "Let me look into it." Say: "We will fix this."

Or say: "I would now like to play Greensleeves", and hit that flute like your life depends on it.

Ms Thorpe: "The weekend the Prime Minister was enjoying the privileges of Kirribilli House with a billionaire, I was at home with $1.65 to my name trying to work out how to cook food for the remainder of the week.

"Could I just say to you all. Mr Hockey … referred to people like me as leaners, not lifters … I have never, ever been a leaner, and I am a very, very proud lifter, and I don't sit around sipping expensive bottles of Grange on the public dollar."

Mr B. Brandis tried a tactic he surely knows always engenders sympathy: trying to explain something Joe Hockey said. Then he was off again, saying things like "there have to be integrity measures".

When you're the person whose integrity is being randomly measured - and the person saying this to you is the person who was saying this to Ms Thorpe - well, what can you say?

Does a bear shit in the woods? Yes, but not right in front of you, usually.

The debate went on. Piers Akerman, a veteran of the Murdoch stable, was present in a bow tie, apparently thinking he had been invited to Dancing With the Stars but reluctantly finding himself attacking "dole bludgers" on Q&A;.

And Brandis was ready to flick all blame for Centrelink to his left.

"It was introduced in 2011 when you, Tanya, were the Minister for Human Services."

Plibersek: "I didn't stuff it up the way you have stuffed it up, George."

Jones advised Brandis to quit while he was behind.

Jones: "George, I think you're hearing from someone who's experienced the frustrations of trying to deal with that system. It might be a good idea to leave it there because there's a client, if you like, telling what it's like for them."

This was the cue for raucous laughter.

In the audience, Ms Thorpe smiled and shook her head. Humphrey B. Brandis looked down, evidently furious to realise he wasn't wearing any pants.

What a funny old fellow. He gets in all manner of strife.