Boo! Politics again upsets a good night out

The heckling came out of silence during night-time introductions on the court. One or two or three loud boos encouraged a chorus.

The Prime Minister later laughed it off as an "Australian tradition." He had to.

Jacqui Lambie ripped into a "heap of rich people" complaining about a "bit of their tax taken off them to pay it forward".

On one hand it is somewhat refreshing and levelling for a political leader. On the other it is pretty boorish too.

Just because the "ruthless" shellacking came "just days" after a significant broken electoral promise, don't think this is game, set and match for the mid-term prime minister. Not by a long shot.

Was it even particularly about the tax cut changes? Or just because he was there. Face it. Getting booed is part of being prime minister.

All current and former PMs need a thick skin or they should stay at home as they all get heckled at sporting and music events. Some more than others. Scott Morrison even got booed at Shane Warne's state funeral at the MCG. And when he went to the Australian Open as PM in 2019.

Others are more surprising. Even the Silver Bodgie, Bob Hawke, copped a boo-fest at his beloved Woodford Folk Festival for suggesting Australia should invest in nuclear energy.

And Mr Albanese infamously got booed, as well as cheered, at the Byron Bay Blues Festival when he was not Jimmy Barnes.

Julia Gillard, Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd, and even the venerable Gough Whitlam got booed at large public events.

Sport and politics usually don't mix as well as politicians would like them to. Being seen to back a top team or player, take a share in a triumph, or just get a free, prominent seat is also an "Australian tradition" for politicians. Just take a gander at the Federal Register of Member's Interests.

Major sporting bodies also have an interest in courting politicians.

So did Labor's stage three tax cuts back-flip interfere with Jannik Sinner's win over Daniil Medvedev? More like politics has interfered in a good night out for people who could afford the $1000-plus tickets.

With the generous bump to every taxpayer's hip pocket, a promise of more cost-of-living relief, and a hefty boost to the Prime Minister's Office with the canny recruitment of Guardian Australia's political editor Katharine Murphy, there is more than a sniff of campaign sorting and early electioneering going around.

So boo to boos. There are bigger things to focus on. Like remembering there but for the grace of God go I, never interrupt your enemy they are making a mistake and not to make promises that can't be kept.

Just the basics.