Fun and Games in Fort Fumble. All officers in the Defence Signals Directorate, Defence Intelligence Organisation and the International Policy Division of the Defence Department have to sign a statutory declaration stating that they did not access the Minister’s computer. Some persons deemed to be “of interest” will be interviewed by investigators. Anyone not signing a declaration will be interviewed.

Isn’t it time to revisit the anti-Emissions Trading Scheme petition being run by the so-called “Australian Environment Foundation” — a front for the IPA. The petition was launched five weeks ago by climate sceptic Dennis Jensen who claimed it would be “a very tangible demonstration of the public’s opposition” to the Rudd government’s ETS. Almost 1000 people had supposedly signed the petition on its launch day.

Five weeks later and the petition still hasn’t reached the 2,000 signature mark. At this rate it will take roughly 17,000 weeks or another 327 years to get to a majority of people on the electoral roll — if our population stops growing. Surely even the climate-change doubting Liberals must be wondering if it was worth embarrassing Malcolm Turnbull for the sake of less than 2000 signatures on a meaningless internet petition.

Work with what you know: former and occasional current Costello adviser David Gazard has teamed up with former Coalition staffer Chris Fryar to form “Advise”. Their single client, according to the Register of Lobbyists, is the Australian College of Cosmetic Surgery.

I had a phone call this week from Visy Recycling to inform me that the price of emptying my paper-recycling bin each week was increasing on May 1st by over 360%. Listening to the sob story about recycled paper being worthless in the current economic climate was bad enough, but being told I couldn’t cancel the service until my contract runs out was worse. Sure the contract does provide for price increases, but 360% in one go and the only option to lump it, that’s just plain wrong.

On Nine and the Logies. Simmone Jade Mackinnon, Nine’s sole Gold Logie nominee (who is also nominated in the Silver Logie Best actress category) drove down from her North Coast home (a journey of some hours) to attend the Logies nominations launch; Nine and TV week too cheap to fly her in. And, to add insult to injury, she has been told she won’t be bringing a partner this year. A Gold Logie nominee sitting by herself on TV’s night of nights? After the disgraceful way Nine treated the final series of McLeod’s Daughters, that’d be right…

The cost cutting at Sydney’s number one radio station 2GB is getting beyond a joke. 2GB, the official rights broadcast holders of the NRL have slashed their spending so much that they have begun calling some games off television from their studios in Pyrmont … can you believe it? Their contempt for the audience is staggering. It got so bad last Saturday that a season ending injury to an Australian player (Brent Tate) was not picked up until after the match was completed and they crossed to the Fox TV sideline interviews … surely the NRL must step in..?

Rugby Sevens tournament to be held in Adelaide has canceled all entertainment.