Is Tanner the leaker? Lindsay Tanner may well be exposed next week as the minister who has been aboard the Oakes train. Maybe its time for Gillard to ask for tickets…

What’s the real cost of the mining tax cuts? Want an idea what the Gillard/Swan changes to the Rudd resource tax could cost us? Take a look at the latest quarterly report from Brazilian iron ore giant, Vale. It said on Friday night, our time, that net profit for the June quarter was $US3.7 billion, more than double the $US1.6 billion of the March quarter and nearly five times the $US790 million in the June quarter of 2009. Now some of that is higher earnings from nickel and aluminium and other small businesses, but the lion’s share came from the company’s huge Brazilian iron ore mines.

On Thursday, watch Rio Tinto’s half year report to see how its iron ore business went. Rio is number two in the world, after Vale. Third-placed BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest miner, reports later this month. Australian iron ore mines are closer to Japan, Korea and especially China, so freight costs are lower and profit margins wider.

How to get back at the ex. Did you hear about the elite school in East Brighton where parents are so frustrated that some mothers persistently park illegally in school zones they are using their mobile phones and anonymous accounts to email the images to the school principal and senior teachers? It seems this school has historically had a high percentage of unhappily divorced mothers who are nonetheless still driving a car registered to ex-hubbies.

The obvious solution is deliberately park where you know you will get a fine and then let him pay it. The more dangerous the more likely to get noticed and the local council can’t do a thing. But it’s upsetting the other parents so they are photographing them and sending the images all around the school to various staff. The end result is anyone using the phone at drop-off time is harassed, but it does raise revenue and puts the brakes on using the phone while driving. Quite clever really.