If the government wanted to signal it was in touch with community concerns, walking through Hollywood-style velvet ropes and gold posts at parliament was probably not the best way to do it.
The ritzy accoutrements, aimed at separating politicians from the media as they arrive at parliament, seem more "let them eat cake" than cozzie living.
It was an image the government could have done without as it closed out a particularly challenging week.
Let's start with the extraordinary scenes of Labor MPs trying to shepherd their colleague, Riverton MP Jagadish Krishnan, past waiting media and into parliament.
Journalists have been asking MPs questions at that entrance for decades.
It's not the only way into the building, but it's often the only one media are waiting at.
Which makes it all the more extraordinary that when Dr Jags, as he's known, chose to walk through that entrance, MP Terry Healy tried to get between his beleaguered colleague and reporters before fellow MP Pierre Yang tried to pull him through the doorway.
The contribution of Cockburn MP David Scaife, who told reporters to be "ashamed of yourselves", didn't help — although he apologised the following day, saying he had been worried about politicians' safety claiming the entry was blocked by the media.
