Has Abbott done a deal on tobacco? Last Thursday newspapers ran an ad for the tobacco industry-supported Alliance of Australian Retailers against the government’s plain cigarette packaging plan. There was talk of a $5 million campaign, running in print and electronic media. But the ad has not been spotted since, when the campaign was universally lampooned and links to the Liberal Party canvassed on Lateline and in The Daily Telegraph.

The absence raises the interesting question of whether the opposition may have done a deal, judging the campaign as an unwelcome major distraction. Given that associations with the tobacco industry are like an appearance with the Grim Reaper, this could have only been perceived as a major election campaign negative. So keen to see the campaign disappear along with the inept advocates fronting the campaign, has a deal been done that if Abbott wins, the plain packs proposal will die?

Nasty robo-calls in Eden Monaro. I have heard that telephone surveys in the electorate of Eden Monaro are staight-out traditional Liberal Party push polling — the interviewer making quite outrageous statements that they claim to be the words of Dr Mike Kelly, the current ALP representative. Some of the recipients have tape recorded the phone calls and reported them to the local ABC radio station. The person I spoke to — who said he had initially consented to a survey — didn’t believe Mike had said that.

Builders say thanks to the stimulus. A friend of mine installs large water tanks (around 200,000 litres) around south-east Queensland and many of them go into schools to compliment buildings erected under the stimulus package. So far, without exception, all contractors who are responsible for the erection of the buildings say that they would have gone into liquidation had it not been for the package. There is simply no other major construction happening. Most were into high rise construction before the GFC.

Griffin leaves ALP short-staffed. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Alan Griffin managed to lose two staff just before the election was called, gaining him a new record for staff turnover. Regardless of the reasons ALP HQ was reportedly unimpressed as it meant two less staff available for allocation to work on the campaign.

The young Libs smell a victory. In the last few weeks the secret Liberal election campaign HQ has been based at 90 Collins Street in Melbourne. The faithful young volunteers started out sheepishly hiding their lanyard passes as they exited level 10. This week they have been much less inconspicuous and smirking more. Power to them?

Henry’s post-election schedule. Ken Henry is due to give a speech to all Treasury staff on Wednesday, October 11 at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra. If he’s still there post-election…

Watchdog on the leash. Why is the ACCC no longer managing section 53b of the Trade Practices Act (misleading conduct in relation to employment) under this Labor government? No government department is managing this particular law. Could it be politically motivated?

McInnes and the DJ suppliers. Instead of doing the easy thing and digging around the background of the David Jones complainant, Kirsty Fraser-Kirk, journos should start nosing around the way that former CEO Mark McInnes ran the company, especially his relations with suppliers? The descriptions of the business tactics of the former CEO are not very complimentary and you’d have to wonder if the company’s board was aware of these as well. He played fravourites, promoting some, discriminating against others.

Foxtel (wrongly) targeting the oldies. They are cunning devils at Foxtel. Holders of the Seniors Card in NSW have started receiving a special offer from the Pay TV company with a special offer: “now here’s a package that’s just for Seniors Card members,” said the blurb in the mail and online. The accompanying letter was addressed personally to a Seniors Card member and claimed to have “researched the programs that Seniors Card members enjoy and tailored a package of 20 channels to suit those needs”. Just for $39 a month.

The letter is signed by Lisa Connors-Brent — “FOXTEL Seniors Card Package Member”. Among the 20 channels, not a movie or sports channel (except for Fox Sports News). But for an extra $16 a month Seniors Card members can add “either” a movie or sports channel package of at least seven more channels “with the option of removing it at any time”. You’d have to ask how closely was this package researched, because sport certainly ‘skews’, as they say in marketing, to older viewers, especially male viewers. (Male viewers watch more Pay TV than female viewers do because of the football and cricket and other sport). One of the 20 channels is Sky Racing channel, which is really a gambling forum. So if you want sport and movies, it’s really another $32 a month. And the IQ digital recorder is not included and costs an extra $10 a month. So not much of a bargain at all, but questions raised about how the information was made available to Foxtel to personally address letters to Seniors Card members.

Qatar not cleared for landing. I was speaking to a Qatar Airways staffer recently who told me that QA had negotiated for landing rights at Sydney Airport, only to change their mind at the last minute. This has all but jeopardised their expansion plans into the Australian market, as the Australian government aren’t willing to take them seriously any more.