Among the Secretaries that might be contemplating “The Night of the Long Knives” you forgot to mention Nick Warner in Defence. As a former worker in the PM’s Office he must be a candidate for the chop. Interestingly, word has it that he might be very glad of such an excuse to walk away from his nightmarish department without having to actually resign.

The AFP have reported to the CDPP about their customs regulations investigation into the Poul Spirit and the other oil tankers which delivered dodgy Iraqi oil to Australia during the oil-for-food program. The Tax Office have been tasked by the CDPP but have been told from on high to go slow, very slow. Costello has Downer by the greying short and curlies.

You can add to the growing list of Peter Garrett backflips: West Papua. Prior to becoming a shadow minister he was very active on the issue, even raising Indonesian human rights abuses in Parliament. But since his elevation, silence. Several activists have written to him asking him to support self-determination and the response has been, “your concerns have been noted”. Garrett’s transformation from a strong, passionate advocate to a bland, do nothing, ALP hack is really depressing.

A WIN TV heavie wants to make a local WA version of Lassie. He was quoted as saying to a producer, “It was a huge success in the 60s and will cheap to produce here. You only have to hire 2 actors and a dog”. Two days later he phoned the producer back and asked how his Lassie idea was going. With some hesitation and quick thinking he answered, “We are still looking for a dog”. Cross my heart, true story.

Hi local (Liberal supporting) net workers!! As part of the Wentworth campaign we want to identify supporters in the following apartment buildings who would be prepared to host an afternoon tea/drinks with invited neighbours (say 20 to 50) to meet Malcolm Turnbull in October and November. Obviously we are targeting the new areas for Wentworth being generally postcodes 2010 and 2011 Kings cross, Potts Point, Elizabeth Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Woolloomooloo, East Sydney, Darlinghurst. The key buildings are listed below as a starting point. Any other suggestions/offers in the neighbourhoods are very welcome. Crown Gardens – Crown Street in Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo Élan 1 Kings Cross Road Kings Cross IKON Apartments 81 Macleay St, Potts Point I’m sure you appreciate the confidentiality of this exercise. Please do not forward this email. I look forward to your feedback. Shayne, Wentworth Campaign Committee.

Is it just wishful thinking on my part or have the big business “work reform” ads stopped running? About time the penny dropped that the more that those damned ads ran the more the ALP support went up. Wonder what the business campaign has cost.

A Clayton Utz partner may be looking for a bit of property advice having just had the family home sold out from under him by his Trustee in Bankruptcy acting on behalf of the ATO to whom he owes many many millions of dollars. Perhaps he accidently shredded his records in the Clutz shredder.

Plenty of fun and games in the moderate controlled SA division of the Liberal Party. The first executive meeting was held earlier this week with moderate supported President Sean Edwards putting forward some suggestions on people to head up committees. He was supported in his nominations by State Leader Martin Hamilton Smith and Senate Leader Nick Minchin. However, Pyne Staffer and sometime Gilbert and Sullivan soprano, James Stevens decided to oppose the appointments with a set of nominations all of his own (or at least those approved by Chris Pyne and Simon Birmingham.) The “no factions” (which really means no more right faction!) ticket who were elected at the recent AGM chose to vote with Stevens even though one member of the executive said he “didn’t know any of the people involved as I have only been a member for a couple of months!” I guess thats’s military discipline for you. Their decision to roll the President and sack a highly regarded lawyer from the constitution committee in favour of unemployed housewife Lyn Petrie was unusual to say the least. I guess they want to give the hapless Maria Kourtesis one more chance to win a political career through appeal even if the state council won’t vote for her. I wonder just how many SA seats this mob of fools will end up costing South Australian Liberals… perhaps even Pyne’s own seat… now wouldn’t that be justice!

How come Aussies For Anzus have got an American domain address?

From the lucerne knoll: I read with interest your conspiracy theory/rumour/tip regarding Japanese coal interests possibly introducing the GGFlu as a response to millionaire Hunter horsies opposing coal mining in the Valley… This morning, as I entered the ACT I saw the most bizarre sight… As you enter the ACT on the Federal Hwy from the Sydney direction, there is a large flashing road sign proclaiming that horses are forbidden to enter the ACT. An elderly Japanese gentleman was standing in front of this sign while a younger Japanese gentleman was taking his picture. The elderly fellow was holding a newspaper up in front of him with a big grin on his face. Could it have been a newspaper frontpage regarding the horse flu? Could these gentlemen be traveling around and infecting horses as they go? Will the ACT have an outbreak in the next few days? They were heading south…