During his interview with Leigh Sales (7:30, ABC TV) on 7 February 2019 , Ken Henry, with the blow-torch of negative scrutiny squarely trained on him, grudgingly, showed cracks in his arrogant self-presentation.

Henry’s initial, pained countenance, downward gaze and mumbling speech at the start of the interview, was akin to a shameful, sheepish schoolboy in the principal’s office having to explain his poor behaviour.