Spotted outside the ABC this morning — veteran investigative journalist John Pilger stepping into a fancy black, chauffeur-driven limousine. Pilger even let the chauffeur (who was decked out in the full uniform including natty hat) open the door for him…

Apparently the government spending on advertising for NetAlert is scheduled to end 9 October. What date does that make the election?

Was that the Courier Mail journalists holding a party last Friday at the Queens Arms hotel in trendy inner city New Farm? Were they the people pouring beer over the heads of security staff and throwing drinks across a crowded room? Was it a drunken hack who ripped the shirt of the hotel duty manager? Were several journos who had gone outside to smoke refused re-entry because they were too intoxicated? If any other members of the community behaved in this way, their behaviour would’ve been written up in the paper as a mini-riot.

Kevin Rudd’s climate change policy may include reviving the position of “Ambassador for the Environment” which was created with great fanfare by the Hawke Government in 1989. Sir Ninian Stephen was the first person to hold the office. The position was downgraded under the Howard Government and is now a relatively junior position within DFAT. The position will be revived and re-branded as the “Ambassador for Climate Change” with the occupant to be given the status and trappings of fully-blown ambassador. Their brief will be to travel the world drumming up support for Australia’s climate change initiatives in a “post-Kyoto” environment. Rumour has it that former UN ambassador Richard Butler has been approached to fill the position. He and Rudd first met when Rudd was at DFAT in the 1980s. Butler has been telling people in various Canberra circles that Rudd regularly calls him for advice and has been using him as a sounding board for new ideas since he became Opposition Leader…