Movie Plot: Albanese attempts to become Australian dictator after China-US war but it does not go to plan! Eventually, Peter Dutton becomes prime minister with the same goals as Albanese.

Characters at time of the War:

Prime Minister Albanese; Defence Minister Marles; Foreign Affairs Minister Wong; Treasurer Chalmers; Attorney-General Dreyfus; PM’s Chief-of-Staff Gartrell; Secretary of Department of PM&C Davis; Secretary of Treasury Kennedy; Minister of Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Conroy; Luke Gosling; Tanya Plibersek; Mike Burgess of ASIO. Journalists Greg Sheridan, David Speers, Cameron Stewart and Nick McKenzie. Premiers: NSW Minns, Vic Allan, Qld Miles, WA Cook, Tas Rockliff, SA Malinauskas.

New Characters in Part 5, 6 and 7:

Prime Minister Peter Dutton; Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham; Treasurer Angus Taylor, Defence Minister Andrew Hastie; Finance Minister Jane Hume; Attorney-General Michaella Cash; Minister of Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan; Dave Sharma; Paul Kelly; Michelle Gratton; Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw. Davis has been sacked as Secretary of the Department of PM&C and Minns has been appointed Secretary in his place.

Scene 66: Prime Minister’s Office

Cash: “The AFP say some teenagers were see in the park where Marles was killed and they were flying a drone. At least one was Asian.”

Minns: “Chinese?”

Cash: “They don’t know. Could be.”

Minns: “That’s enough if we can get Reece Kershaw to publicly say ‘Asian’. We will add the Chinese bit.”

Cash: “So, Marles was killed by a suspected Chinese agent flying a drone?”

Minns: “Yes. It is our duty – in the national interest to take advantage of this! It will give Sharma something to work with.”

Dutton: “This all sounds good. I like the way you think!”

Cash: “Chris Merritt of “Rule of Law Institute of Australia” has an article coming out tomorrow in The Australian suggesting Jillian Segal for the High Court.”

Dutton: “More good news. But we still need one of the existing judges to resign.”

Minns: “I will talk to Burgess again. There must be something we can use as leverage.”

Dutton: “Do you think he will deliver?”

Minns: “He was rattled when I raised the Mostyn issue. I think he will come-up with something.”

Scene 67: Park

Nick McKenzie is standing in a park waiting for someone when a middle-aged muscular man approaches him.

Man: “You McKenzie?”

After McKenzie nods, the man says: “I’m The Broker.”

McKenzie is wary: “How is John?”

Man: “John?”

McKenzie: “In Cambodia.”

Man: “I don’t any John. Especially in Cambodia.”

McKenzie pauses and then asks: “Are you ex-SAS?”

Man: “Yeah!”

McKenzie: “What is your name?”

Man: “Not important.”

McKenzie: “Why did you contact me?”

Man: “I am being pressured by the AFP.”

McKenzie: “Over what?”

Man: “Marles. They want to know who wanted him killed?”

McKenzie: “Did you do it? Organize it?”

Man: “Let’s just say, that I can point you in the right direction.”

McKenzie: “Why are you talking to me?”

Man: “Money. The Broker organization really screwed me. I need $100,000 to get away from them forever.”

McKenzie: “Impossible!”

Scene 68: Office of the Foreign Minister

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham: “It is slow moving nightmare. Where will it end?”

Minister of Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan: “Minns, as Secretary of the Department of PM & C should spend almost all his time in his public service office. Instead, almost every time I see Dutton, Minns is there. Even interrupts me when I am talking.”

Birmingham: “Even Hastie is starting to complain!”

Tehan: “So he should. AUKUS is destroying our ability to defend ourselves just as the US goes through self-doubt and turmoil.”

Birmingham: “Luckily non-one wants to invade us!”

Tehan: “Papua New Guinea?”

Birmingham: “Maybe Japan! The recent American experience has left them shocked and thinking more about their own defence efforts.”

Tehan: “Where is the US going now?”

Birmingham: “I spoke to Rudd yesterday. He thinks Washington needs time to sort itself out.”

Tehan: “Our problem is that they just see us as a forward base to protect them against China but I think that it would be unlikely that they would really defend us if it ever came to that.”

Birmingham: “That’s not how Dutton and Minns see it.”

Tehan: “How in the fuck did we get stuck with those two?”

Birmingham: “Right now they are, with the help of Sharma, winning the PR battle. And the continual attacks on the free speech First Amendment in the US are giving them cover for shutting down debate here.”

Scene 69: Prime Minister’s Office

Dutton: “I think Burgess is stalling.”

Minns: “He may feel guilty about Mostyn. Afraid that something similar will happen to Wong.”

Dutton: “And Michella says that he is not helping us in any way with getting Jillian Segal into the High Court.”

Minns: “We probably need to get rid of him. Who can replace him?”

Dutton: “Someone with not too high-profile – but reliable!”

Minns: “I just had an idea. Burgess talked to the media a couple of times and it destroyed the mystic of a secret ASIO ensuring Australia’s national security. Let’s appoint someone but keep the name a secret. It’s been done before and the Brits are very good at this sort of game.”

Dutton: “Good idea. I like it. But who?”

Minns: “Me! It would be secret even from other minister except Cash, and we would only ever refer to The Director.”

Dutton laughs: “It would drive them crazy. But can it be done?”

Minns: “Scott Morrison held multiple secret ministry positions at once. The Governor-General will enjoy the game, I am sure!”

Scene 70: Park

Burgess: “I have been sacked.”

Davis: “Who is the new head of ASIO?”

Burgess: “I don’t know. It is secret. I suspect it is Minns.”

Davis: “In addition to having my old job as head of PM&C?”

Burgess: “Yes.”

Davis: “I suspect Minns is a Lavrenti Beria.”

Burgess: “Who?”

Davis: “Never mind. What will you do?”

Burgess: “I don’t know. What do you suggest?”

Davis: “Talk to Nick McKenzie.”

Burgess: “No. That would betray my oath to Australia and betray my colleagues.”

Davis: “What is the alternative? Dutton and Minns are out of control.”

Scene 71: Public Service Office

Sharma: “Dutton would not tell me who the new head of ASIO is.”

Minns: “I am sorry. I can’t tell you either. The PM and Cash, who is directly responsible for ASIO, have decided that our national security would be best served by this appointment being a secret.”

Sharma: “But I am Minister for Citizenship! I need to know because I need to work with ASIO.”

Minns: “You can work through me.”

Sharma: But, will he – or she – help us get a High Court vacancy so that Jillian Segal can be appointed?”

Minns: “You can be sure of that! But it may take time. Now, there are other issues we need to discuss. I have asked the Treasury Secretary to think of ways that we can take-over any significant businesses owned or controlled by Chinese.”

Sharma: “What does Angus Taylor think of that?”

Minns: “He’s not particularly happy but will go along with it.”

Sharma: “The Muslim business sector is much smaller, but we should treat everyone equally and include them.”

Minns nods, and then asks: “What about passports?”

Sharma: “I’ve been thinking about that. We could say that it is no longer possible for an Australian citizen to also hold citizenship of another country except if that country is on a special list – like the UK, US, Israel etc. To be able to vote in Australia someone will need to prove that they are not also a citizen of another non-exempt country.”

Minns: “Not voting may not be a big deal for many people.”

Sharma: “It would be more than this. If you can’t prove that you are not a citizen of a non-exempt country, then you cannot have any citizen-type rights in Australia. No social welfare and only be able to work in a few low-paid jobs.”

Minns: “This is starting to sound good. How is your new departmental secretary with all this. What’s her name again?”

Sharma: “Jeni Whalan. Not very happy. She may have to go.”

Minns: “You remember? I questioned your sexual motives in hiring her.”

Scene 72: Prime Minister’s Office

Dutton: “Who is this Jo Tarnawsky? Marles former chief-of-staff. Can we use her in some way?”

Minns: “Not unless she is prepared to tell us something about Marles that we don’t already know.”

Dutton: “What about a Chinese connection?”

Minns: “It is unlikely. She now just wants money for supposed bullying and PTSD. Another Brittany Higgins!”

Dutton: “If we pay her enough she might talk about ‘her suspicions’ that the Chinese were after Marles because of his support for AUKUS?”

Minns: “Its probably worth a try.”

Dutton: “Can you talk to her, saying you were very fond of Marles from your days in the Labor Party but knew he could be a bully?”

Minns: “I might use Sue Chrysanthou as an intermediary. She likes getting close to people to get their trust.”