Piers Akerman on the whaling wars: “The Australian Government
could easily send these ecofreaks and their supporters like Greens
Senator Bob Brown a sharper message by removing Greenpeace’s tax exempt
status. After all, it lost its Canadian charitable status in 1989
because it was found not to be providing a discernible benefit to the
public. There is no reason why Australian taxpayers should be
supporting this multinational publicity machine.” More from Akerman here. Canada, of course, is the birthplace of Greenpeace.

Ideas above their station: “Greens leader Peg Putt wants to be
deputy premier in a coalition government with Labor in the event of a
hung parliament,” the Hobart Mercuryreports
today. “The Greens would also want to snare several key ministerial
positions within any coalition cabinet, with the environment portfolio
an obvious prize.” Wonder what the Labor Party has to say? Is this
hubris from the Greens, a bit of stirring by the Mercury – or something
pushed by Labor so they can dismiss it out of hand. The issue of
stability of government is significant in Tasmania. Surely the Greens
aren’t silly enough to promote an uncomfortable coalition as a serious
proposal.

Any port in a storm: Will Ron Wilson, an adviser to Victorian
Liberal leader Robert Doyle, end up with the seat of deputy Phil
Honeywood’s seat of Warrandyte? Not a bad move, snaring one of the few
safe berths.

Latest polling: It’s summer, people! Even tragics like me have got other things on our mind than politics. Forget today’s Newspoll as a political yardstick. Consider it as a diversion – like the Dan Brown you bought to read at the beach.