I'd just like to stress something for all the feathers being ruffled.

People take things *literally* with the Morrison government - and they shouldn't.

Stop thinking Morrison & co are engaging in war-mongering.

They don't have the faintest intention of bombing anybody.

Zero.

Firstly, the public servant Mike Pezzullo's speech. It had nothing to do with China.

It was about him.

He's trying to have himself manouvered over to Secretary of Dept of Defence.

He's using "China War" (or whatever theme is convenient) as a device to achieve his aims.

. . .

Secondly, Peter Dutton chest thumping over China.

This is more about appealing to Australian's obsessive insular sovereignty (you notice how often the government use that word) & Australian's votes than it is about engaging with China.

It serves two purposes - votes. And votes.

I forgot to add that Peter Dutton's chest thumping is also a message that he's there as the boss of Defence and you'd better look out.

Thirdly, Scott Morrison playing war games in the top end.

And they are just that - games. Simplistic, jingoistic media-lap-them-up games.

$747M is an absolute piss in the ocean to the Dept of Defence.

This govt would spend that in 6 months just on consultants. Seriously.

It had zero to do with the money, which Defence would have received anyway in the course of events.

Political leaders know uniforms win votes.

Scott Morrison can't do what other leaders do and organise a military parade with him on a dais as macho tanks and goose stepping soldiers flow past him.

Even though his craven, vote chasing team would organise that in a heart beat if they could.

So what's the next best thing?

Morrison loves to insert himself at the top of the news cycle to control the news.

He shapes the news for the media - not the other way round.

Nothing gets the media salivating more than dramatic pictures & big headlines with language like "shoot" or "beef" or "war" in them.

And the reason Morrison and the media love this is because it sucks the punters in.

Morrison likes Australians to feel safe and secure and comfortable with him at the helm.

It's the imagery his team are always trying to paint.

It. Wins. Votes.

Nobody in the Morrison government (inc Mr Pezzullo & Peter Dutton) have the faintest notion or whiff of creating a "war" with China.

Nil.

This isn't about looking outwards across the water.

This is all about looking inwards across Australia, at the voters and the ballot box.