Two new Senators and the Nats think they’re on the comeback trail? It’s interesting to read the report in today’s Australian that: “Tensions are rising in Coalition ranks with the Nationals plotting to abolish the NSW seat of Liberal Party maverick Alby Schultz. The Nationals’ newly-promoted agriculture minister, Peter McGauran, attacked Mr Schultz yesterday as “a problem for the Liberals” and urged the Coalition partner to deal with the outspoken MP… The Nationals are considering urging the Australian Electoral Commission to abolish Mr Schultz’s regional seat of Hume as part of a planned electoral redistribution.” Watch Hume.

Yass may be about to become an interesting political flashpoint. The rumours that high profile resident Pru Goward might want a run have been rebuffed by the Commissioner for the Status of Women herself – but haven’t gone away. There’s talk that Schultz would like to see his son succeed him – think Ludwig of Bavaria without any artistic interests. And, most interesting of all, there are constant murmurings about the Nationals’ member for the Yass-based state seat of Burrinjuck since 1999, the young and capable Katrina Hodgkinson.

Hodgkinson would offer a very different face for the Nats in the Federal Parliament. Do they really want Hume to go?