An intriguing rumour reaches Dr Mumbo.
If his usually highly reliable source is correct, Steve Bannon – founding member of ultra-rightwing commentary website Breitbart and Donald Trump election mastermind – is headed for Australia.
Bannon: Coming to Sydney? | Image: Gage Skidmore
Dr Mumbo understands that Bannon will be a guest of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, which has relocated this year from Sydney Opera House to Cockatoo Island.
The November event – which appropriately enough enjoys the slogan “New venue. New date. New danger.” – is a project led by The Ethics Centre and UNSW Centre for Ideas.
A potential clue about the appearance of the as-yet-unannounced Bannon came in May’s launch announcement, which featured a nod towards the world of Trump’s world of Fake News. The announcement teased that the event “will explore themes of trust and truth”.
Dr Mumbo put a call into The Ethics Centre, who declined to confirm or deny whether Bannon would be appearing. They did however, tell Dr Mumbo that they’d love to talk to potential sponsors of the event.