Christian Kerr writes:

The
anonymous briefings presented each Tuesday by a “spokesman” – Boothby
MP Andrew Southcott, actually – after the Liberal and National party
rooms hold their meetings are not usually well attended affairs.

Rather
than relying on the bowdlerised version on offer, Gallery journos
usually hit the phones direct to their favourite government moles. But
yesterday’s was packed, with journos probing the state of Coalition
relations – in particular, how they stood on issues like Telstra, IR,
student unionism and whatever pork packages the Nats are currently
angling for.

A couple of other issues got mentioned in passing –
like David Hicks. The assembled hacks were told that an MP had raised
the issue of the Guantanamo prisoner, and that the prime minister had
said it was taking too long for his case to come to trial – although
appeals against its legality had played a part. Judi Moylan, everyone
assumed, and moved on. Blue-ribbon bleeding heart.

It emerged
later in the day that NSW MP and former minister Danna Vale had
actually raised the issue. Vale is a product of the Class of ’96,
occupies what used to be safe Labor turf and is seen as a Howard
loyalist. But she rocked the boat back in 2000 over mandatory
sentencing of young offenders in the Northern Territory and featured in
the refugee revolt earlier this year.

Something has changed in
the Howard Government – and just saying “Barnaby Joyce, Barnaby Joyce,
Barnaby Joyce” grossly oversimplifies matters.