Seems the new Minister has hit the ground running. Joe Hockey has told all of the senior managers on Tuesday night that all contract and part time workers in DEWR are to be paid out and dismissed as of 9am yesterday morning. Mr Hockey said he was about to tighten the ropes on these departments and he has started. There was also a clear call to Centrelink to start today retrieving money from unemployment benefit recipients who are rorting the system.

I’m told the Courier-Mail police reporter Paula Doneman quit after throwing a tanty over some changes made to a story under her byline. She allegedly demanded a front page apology and quit when it was refused. Ironically, it’s been suggested Paula had had things changed under other reporters’ bylines in the past.

Which laws could a very large Australian health fund be bending? The Health Act or the Trade Practices Act? This will probably become big news by the time the AFL season kicks off…