Another high profile preselection challenge? There’s a rumour
running in ACT Labor circles that former minister Bob McMullan may face
a challenge come preselection time – and that the phones are already
starting to ring with the suggestion that the votes be brought forward.

Empire building: Is the Attorney General’s Department about to swallow yet another agency?

Moved to verse: Tasmanian subscribers are now supplying election limericks:

Is our Parliament going to be hung?
The question’s on every Tas tongue,
The Libs working hard
Hope they hold the last card
With a team that’s good, solid, and young!

And

Health policy’s top of the list,
It really is not to be missed,
Hospitals are needed,
Their wants must be heeded,
Despite all the spin-doctors’ twist.

No-one in the Apple Isle, however, is across the issues in the way that
Australian Democrats candidate for Norwood, David Winderlich, is across
the issues in his home state of South Australia. Not content with
fighting for Labor’s most marginal set, he’s turned his attention to
the crucial country electorate of Hammond. Its colourful independent
MP, Peter Lewis, once claimed he shot a mate (to save him from a fate
worse than death) while on a secret mission in Indochina. Now there are
allegations that his Liberal opponent, Adrian Pederick, once assaulted
his mother:

In Hammond candidates for election,
Can be assured of a cordial reception.
‘Cos one shot a chum
Did the other bop Mum?
It takes guts here to hint at rejection.

It’s a small world: Trivia buffs, help us on this one. Isn’t there a bit of irony about Labor premiers turning up in the Australian Women’s Weekly
showing us their glorious homes? Didn’t a disgraced former Labor
premier, Red Ted Theodore, help set the mag up with his mate Frank
Packer?

Goodbye and good riddance: Vale Lyenko Urbancic. Be interesting to see which MPs turn up to the funeral to say thank you for all his work on their behalf.