Through 2017, frustration at the standard of what passes for political debate in Australia and a desire to comment on the day's issues prompted much thought on the five-days-a-week morning walk around downtown Bowen.
The format was reasonably straightforward. It would take the form of a dialogue.
One possibility was a variation on the John Clarke/Bruce Dawe interview, but that has already been done.
And it has been done by people with far more satirical talent than Yours Truly.
Yes, Minister could have provided another avenue, but that would require familiarity with the internal workings of electoral offices and interactions with the public service.
Another writer might carry that off, but it seemed a long way outside The Author's experience.
There was, however, an obvious alternative.
In the early 1960s, the ABC used a variety of five- and ten-minute pieces to fill in the gaps at the end of content sourced from commercial networks overseas.
One was The Yarns of Billy Borker.
Two recurring characters would meet in a public bar.
One would pose an issue. The other, Billy Borker, would respond with a yarn drawn from his supposedly extensive experience across the Wide Brown Land.
So that was a viable template.
Invent a politician. Land the character in a situation where a member of the public poses a topical question. Have the character respond. Repeat as each new issue emerges.
Considerations Difficulties Complications The Too-Hard Baskets