Nursing crisis nobody wants to discuss. Is it true Commonwealth and state governments are sitting on a report from Health Workforce Australia that finds Australia faces a catastrophic shortage of nurses by the end of the decade? “The National Training Plan was to have been released earlier this year but spooked governments have buried it in the black hole of Commonwealth-state relations,” says our source.

Developers push new Sydney party. Word on the street is that the Living City Party — Frank Sartor’s old mob once accused of being a donations front for Sydney mayor Clover Moore — is gearing up for a big push at council. “Fuelled by developers,” we’re told.

No paperless office in Vic government. A Spring Street insider points to a looming Victorian government IT disaster. We’re told the $6 million-plus “grants system” built under the previous Labor government to supposedly reform grants across the Department of Planning and Community Development and then to expand across government is on its last legs. “Commonly referred to as the HMS Titanic, it’s next to useless with staff reverting to paper-based systems to keep track of grants,” they say.

We woz right: another Beazley MP. Kim’s daughter Hannah Beazley is making a run for the WA state seat of Riverton, The Australian reported yesterday. But then, we told you that four months ago.

Telstra staff nervous after cancer scares. Some employees at Telstra’s Gold Coast office are nervous after two youngish men contracted rare forms of cancer within the last 12 months. A communications tower sits on top of the two-storey building. “Several people have already left — everyone remembers the ABC building in Brisbane,” says one staffer.

AFP cop watch: the saga continues. More theories and coffee tips for our AFP friends in Balmain, as the long-running saga over their 24/7 presence continues. If it’s not the close proximity of the consulates of Iran and Syria — as we suggested yesterday — perhaps it’s about renewed IRA fears?

“I am surprised that no one has noted that the Irish Echo is housed in that building. Back to the 70s?”

Perhaps not. But there were more takeaway tips for the stranded coppers. One local writes:

“As Gilbert and Sullivan sang: ‘A policeman’s lot is not a happy one.’ And the bored AFP officers in Darling Street have all my sympathy. The advice to walk down to Bertoni’s for their cappuccino is excellent. Friendly staff, good coffee and probably lots of questions from the crowd of customers about what they’re up to. On second thoughts maybe the advice is not so excellent. The Syrian consulate is indeed at 13/340 Darling Street. I’m saddened that they don’t pop out with a coffee for the AFP boys from time to time, they certainly deserve it.”

Then there’s the coppers spotted across the cove at Drummoyne. A Crikey spy’s spy reports:

“There has been a red unmarked AFP car stationed in Henricks Avenue, Drummoyne (perpendicular to Victoria Place) day and night for well over a month. It is positioned outside a half-built house (read: palace) which features some prominent CCTV camera installations. A strange thing to see on a building site. Related? The local member John Sidoti lives just down the road. Not sure he is in danger (well, certainly not of losing his seat thanks to Angela D’Amores’ tribulations at the ICAC), unless of course a mangrove-loving vegetation vigilante has joined dots. All the lovely mangrove trees outside Sidoti’s waterfront house just one day fell over. Weird. As for coffee, not even a Birre & Pizza in sight. Looks like the poor agents are living off $1 cappuccinos from 7Eleven.”