Christian Kerr writes:


Rumour du jour. Is there any truth in the talk that WA Liberal leader
Matt Birney will get the chop next month, that the numbers are being worked by
former deputy leader Dan Sullivan for a
Paul Omodei ticket with him at number two? Check the smiles on Labor dials.

Rash
decisions. Is Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman considering leaving his
office? No, not resigning – but relocating because of an outbreak of rashes amongst
his office staff. All this with new digs already on the way?

Empire
building. As foreshadowed yesterday, the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s
Department Robert Cornall now has a new agency to go with his new AO. The
Classification Board and Classification Review Board will be separated from the
other functions of the Office of Film and Literature Classification and folded
into the AG’s Department. Should we read any freedom of speech implications
into this?

Manly
manoeuvrings. NSW Liberal preselection goss abounds, with talk that Michael
Darby, son of former MP Douglas Darby, now has the numbers to win preselection for the independent-held seat of
Manly fairly comfortably after aligning himself with local branch presidents
(and real estate agents) Doug Price and John Caputo. The price seems to be a
position in the Losers Lounge for Caputo and a run for the mayoralty for Price.

Poetry corner. Today’s news from the Tasmanian
campaign (in verse) is:

Both
major parties, you’ll find
Want a
pulp mill built, of the kind
That is
clean and best practice
(Whatever
that is)
With the
Greens going out of their mind.

Our State
schools are losing their ground
To the
mainland States, it’s been found,
So it’s
more smaller classes
To get
higher passes,
And more
of the 3Rs all round.

And a
contribution that could apply to either election says:

Land
taxes are high in this State
A thing
to which people relate
But the
Liberals say No
The tax
has to go,
Leaving
just that much more on your plate.

Serving
his constituents. We’re impressed by the dedication of Brisbane City Councillor
Norm Wyndham, who has recently spent six nights camped outside a constituent’s
home, “to investigate complaints of a barking dog”, according to the Courier-Mail.
He sounds mostly harmless to everyone – but himself.

Send your
snippets to christian@crikey.com.au