In the light of the news re Fairfax and Southern Cross, one wonders whether John Laws had wind of this development and whether it played any part in his apparently hasty decision to retire. There is much to fear from Brian McCarthy who is rumoured to run the radio group following its acquisition by Fairfax — he has a reputation as a ruthless cost-cutter and Laws’ salary would be firmly in his sights. We suspect Lawsy is getting out while it’s still his decision.

Overheard among BiLo staffers: Unsuppressed giggles as Coles execs rang them in a phone hook-up to reassure that the new Wesfarmers-led regime would be just as open honest as the one maintained by current management. Here’s hoping not!

John Lyons is using Mercedes Corby’s lawyer Bill Kalantzis in his threat to sue Gerald Stone over the claims in his book.

During the cold Australian winter, not content with surviving 49 degree heat and sandstorms in Saudi Arabia, and a drinking contest with Liu Shengyu, Vice Secretary of the Tianjin Communist Party, Peter Slipper (Member for Fisher) is heading off to Korea to visit the DMZ when the delegation, of which he is head, finishes in Shanghai in a few days time.