Vikings Bon Jovi and family cuddles The simple pleasures of Michelle Rowland

Welcome to Quick Q- Monday’s Media weekly Q&A series dedicated to finding out more about the personalities that matter most in the Australian media landscape.

Every week The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age asks key figures across corporate media, business, sport, federal politics, radio, television and culture to answer a series questions about their life, careers, hobbies and news habits.

This week’s questionnaire Michelle Rowland, Labor’s communications spokeswoman.

Labor communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

How did you get your big break?
Luck. The 2009 redistribution of Federal electorate boundaries turned Greenway from a safe Liberal seat into potentially winnable for Labor. I got a call asking me to run. My life was heading in another direction and took a handbrake turn.

What are daily news media habits?
A scan of all the masthead apps. The rest of the day is swapping stories and chatting with my team.

Which living person do you most admire?
Barack Obama

Your guilty streaming pleasure?
"Vikings" (Netflix). Heavily-tattooed Nordic beefcakes in sweaty battle scenes. I’m only human.

Which phrase do you overuse?
"Don’t take this the wrong way, but…"

What did you want to do when you grew up?
A lawyer. Tick.

What was your first job?
A supermarket in Blacktown from age 15 right through high school and university. Checkout operator, shelf packer, cash office counter. I learnt everything about people in those 8 years.

Facebook or Instagram?
Instagram

Recommend a podcast...
"The Good Life: Andrew Leigh in Conversation". My amazing parliamentary colleague.

What’s one vice you wish you could give up?
Excessive online clothes shopping. I blame Instagram.

The song that’s always on high rotation?
"You Give Love a Bad Name” â€" Bon Jovi. I spent nearly every cent of my first pay packet on their album “Slippery When Wet”. I know every word of its every song, but this is their best.

What are you reading?
"The Labyrinth" â€" Amanda Lohrey. Just won the Miles Franklin Literary Award and I understand why.

Favourite movie of the past decade?
"Animal Kingdom". Sure it was a 2010 release, but it is sublime.

Top of your sporting bucket list?
The US Tennis Open. The whole thing.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Pick your battles.

What are the three things you couldn’t live without?
The anticipation of fun times and travel; a dirty martini in the perfect company; good morning cuddles from my young daughters. At least I’m getting a lot of the last one right now.

Lisa Visentin is a federal political reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, covering education and communications.

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