“Politicians get interesting when they’re assassinated or resign,” Bob
Carr said introducing a Centre for Independent Studies do last night.

Carr fired off his lines so rapidly he sounded like a combination of a borsch belt
comedian and a scat singer, so he’s obviously enjoying
himself. And being interesting. But NSW politics sans Carr is suddenly
looking very different, too.

We mentioned Alex Mitchell’s Sun Herald yarns on Monday. He’s either got very good sources or a high definition set top box plugged into the crystal ball.

His forecasts about Iemma and the vendor tax and the Treasury
portfolio, Andrew Refshauge, Carmel Tebbutt looking at a shift from the
upper house to his seat of Marrickville and Craig Knowles considering
his future, all look pretty good today. The only outstanding prediction
concerns attorney general and environment minister Bob Debus. Nothing
has happened to him – yet.

A gag doing the round in Sydney Town says Iemma is Italian for Unsworth.

Yes and no. “The slate has been wiped clean at Governor Macquarie Tower – literally,” The SMH
reports today. “The shiny chrome board in the foyer listing the
ministries in the 41-storey building was empty yesterday; the names
erased as if the Carr Government never existed.”

There are almost two years until the next election and a handy electoral
buffer. Combine that with a new team and Iemma shouldn’t be worrying
yet.

However, he will be starting in the job with two by-elections – and the
fight in Andrew Refshauge’s seat of Marrickville will be a hard one.
The Greens have a chance. His resignation was a slap back at the party
for the way he was treated over Carr’s retirement.

The left is also fighting over the succession to the deputy’s position.

A nasty by-election, bastardry, brawls in the left and right. There are
bigger problems of more relevance Iemma would rather have to deal with.