He’ll always be a winner

One other anecdote comes to mind to illustrate the point. After one of the Goss Government budgets – it was late in term I think – and at the end of the arcane media "lock up" that accompanied this annual function, the assembled media had a question.

Treasurer Keith De Lacy and his media advisor – my friend Ron Watson – had long departed, as had the Treasury boffins. It was a technical question, actually of no great impact, but Goss was plainly stumped for an answer.

He looked, poor chap, rather as one imagines a rabbit might look when confronted with a sudden, unexpected spotlight. Then he spotted me (I'd been in the lock-up too, writing the next morning's editorial) and he evinced immediate relief.

"Richard, can you explain it?" he said brightly, or possibly hopefully.

Fortunately, I could. I did. The chooks shuffled off satisfied.

Vale Wayne Goss. You'll always be a winner.

Wayne Goss died two days ago, Nov. 10, 2014, of a brain tumour. He was first diagnosed with brain cancer 17 years ago.