Philip
Ruddock
is the Father of the House – our longest serving Federal MP. And he’s
also rumoured to have been the recipient of a number of interesting
offers of jobs after politics. Government jobs.

Now there’s
talk about a new one – Australian Ambassador to the United Nations. It
would fit well with Ruddock’s small “l” Liberal, internationalist
credentials. It would let him end a long career cleaning off the
tarnish that accumulated during his time as Immigration Minister.

There’s
talk that Helen Coonan wants to be Attorney-General – and talk of general
despair over her performance in the Communications portfolio.
While a Ruddock move mightn’t result in Coonan getting her dream job,
it would give the Government a chance for a shake-up after what
promises to be a fraught parliamentary session.

But would anyone
risk a preselection in Sydney Liberal heartland now? And if one
veteran moved on, would it spark calls for another veteran to also move on?