Here’s a rumour doing the rounds in Adelaide and Canberra at the moment: It appears that while Mike Rann has been happy to lead the ALP into the next South Australian state election, some six months ago when all the news about his alleged affair with a parliamentary bar worker broke (Michelle who?) he was on the verge of quitting politics altogether. That was while Kevin Foley, Rann’s obvious successor, was in the middle of his own navel-gazing phase.

Rann was apparently talked out of it by Kevin Rudd but was told if he led the ALP to a state election victory, he’d be given an out and Rudd would appoint him to an ambassadorial role. And what plumb job is about to come up for grabs? None other than the current role of Australia’s Ambassador to Italy held by another South Australian, ex-Howard government minister Amanda Vanstone, whose three-year terms finishes in July 2010.

The Rome option story is doing the rounds of DFAT and among some ALP circles. Rann has apparently had enough and wants out. Foley is raring to take over. Maybe someone should ask Rann the simple question: do you intend to lead the ALP for the next four years?

Labor has set its preselection timetable in Queensland. And while many want to shut out the Electrical Trades Union, the union appears to have the numbers in Bowman — if not Jason Young then someone else with its backing.

Meanwhile, it looks like the Left has the numbers to put a candidate up in Ryan, but the Right is pushing for national executive intervention to get its candidate up.

Check out the successful preselection of the LNP candidate for Longman, 19-year-old Wyatt Roy. His preselection has caused deep division between LNP Party president Bruce McIver (a supporter of Roy) and LNP state party treasurer Barry O’Sullivan, who has indicated he will withhold funds to the Longman campaign

Meanwhile, the federal secretary of the Liberal Party will not support Longman  financially and with any visits.

As a volunteer at FBi I was shocked at the “Ask Richard” promotion — and in particular the way it was dumped on volunteers at the last minute.

We were all called to a meeting where we were told the promotion was going ahead, and anyone who questioned it was publicly shamed by a defensive program manager and station manager. There was no consultation at all.

It’s typical of a station that bans its presenters from using the word “community” on air and spends as much energy as possible limiting all decision-making to a small autocratic team (read: clique)

The only way in which FBi resembles a community station these days is that it is poor. Also, it is supposed to be a youth station but all the people with any power are well over 30.

FBi has regular meetings with volunteers — to find out what brands they think are “cool” and should advertise on the station.

Yesterday Qantas flight QF818 departed from Melbourne at 3.35pm. It landed in Canberra with only one engine. Emergency services lined the runway.