Kitchen Cabinet

Former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull is no stranger to Annabel Crabb, she profiled him for her 2009 Walkley Award winning Quarterly Essay "Stop At Nothing: The Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull". For this encounter Malcolm Turnbull invites Annabel to his property in country NSW, to catch their own yabbies for lunch. He talks openly about how his father Bruce raised him after the unexpected departure of his mother (and all the household furniture) at age 9. A dab hand in the kitchen, Malcolm cooks roast tomato, yabby and rocket pasta whilst regaling Annabel with stories about his time working for Kerry Packer. For lunch they are joined by Malcolm's wife, Lucy Turnbull, former Lord Mayor of Sydney. Lucy reveals the difficulty of being the spouse during fierce leadership battles. They shed light on Malcolm's leadership defeat, the bleak period that followed his removal and how he has found his equilibrium again.

Annabel heads to Logan, Queensland to dine with Craig Emerson, Labor MP, former boyfriend of Julia Gillard and the man famous for his protest ditty "Whyalla Wipeout". Whilst whipping up a spicy Salmon stir fry, he talks to Annabel about his difficult childhood and how he was the king of the nerds in high school. Craig reminisces about his days working as an economics advisor for Bob Hawke, and reveals that a minister's big spending proposal could get up if the PM had a good day at the racetrack. Over dinner in a tropical courtyard, Craig talks about leadership tensions and Julia Gillard’s famous misogyny speech. In the aftermath of “Whyalla Wipeout” his children banned him from any future musical performances, but will he be able to suppress his instincts when Annabel comes to call?

Originally elected to the South Australian parliament for a single issue, Nick 'No Pokies' Xenophon has now shifted his attention to the federal senate. The notoriously private Xenophon won't let anyone into his home, so he invites Annabel to his Adelaide office, which is conveniently decked out with a fully operational kitchen. Resourcefully incorporating several kitchen dishcloths, he painstakingly prepares some classic Greek dips. Then Nick, Annabel and 10 kilograms of octopi head off to a Greek yiros restaurant, where Nick takes over the barbecue coals and shares his secret to cooking perfect octopus. Over dinner Nick discusses some of his famous show downs with the Labor government when he held the balance of power in the Senate.

Media shy Labor powerhouse, Jenny Macklin, opens up her Melbourne home to Annabel for a feast of curries. Annabel heads straight to the pantry and finds an exceedingly organised spice drawer, providing clues to why Jenny is the guru behind key Labor policies such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Apology and paid parental leave. In 2001, whilst Labor was in opposition, Jenny became the first female Deputy Leader. She served as deputy for three leaders until Julia Gillard ousted her from the role. Over a delicious lunch, Jenny reveals how she mended her relationship with Julia Gillard, and how she remained committed to major policy reforms despite the difficulties of working in a hung parliament.

In a Kitchen Cabinet first, Liberal MP Sussan Ley flies her own plane to a Broken Hill shearer's shed to show Annabel how to cook a classic country roast, which they share with Australia's self-proclaimed "most disgraced senator" Bill Heffernan. Whilst preparing lunch Annabel discovers that Sussan has one of the most interesting CVs in federal parliament - she has been a farmer, punk, economist, air traffic controller, aerial stock musterer and sometimes gun-toting shearers' cook. Over mouth watering meal Bill explains to Annabel why he is happy to get into a few parliamentary scrapes, and even an arm wrestle or two, in order to stand up for the bush.

In the aftermath of the Labor leadership change, Annabel heads to the Blue Mountains in NSW to check the pulse of the Labor party with candid Senator Doug Cameron. This former trade union boss, and keen ally of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, is not a comfortable cook. Born and raised in Scotland, the possibility of Doug serving a national dish that involved offal or deep frying was high, but Annabel is pleasantly surprised, and Doug is overjoyed, when he rustles up a tasty lunch of barramundi, mash and veges. Over lunch Doug talks openly about why he hasn't touched alcohol in over 20 years and how he dealt with violent threats levelled at him during his time leading the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union.

In part one of this Kitchen Cabinet Election Special, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott invites Annabel to his home in Sydney for a barbecue where they discuss leading the Liberal Party, life in politics, his student days, the priesthood and the ups and downs of the campaign trail. He mobilises his resident culinary experts, daughters Frances and Bridget, to assist in the kitchen. And as always Annabel brings a delicious dessert - a nutty quince crumble paired with a homemade custard with an interesting back story.

In part two of this Kitchen Cabinet Election Special, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd invites Annabel to the verandah of his Brisbane home for a spot of high tea. In the kitchen Kevin's daughter Jessica helps him prepare his favourite chocolate slice using a recipe from his mother's cookbook and Annabel asks the PM's to assist in the assembly of her dessert - Kevlovas. Over tea, Kevin talks about his family, losing the Prime Ministership in 2010 and why, despite the odds, he remains loyal to the Labor party.