The Liberal great and good meet the weekend after next for the party
federal council – but the Prime Minister doesn’t want any fringe
meetings. In a departure with usual practice, the election of the new
party federal executive has been scheduled for Friday night – upsetting
the plans for the traditional faction dinners.

Meanwhile, are the Nats smoothing a path to Canberra for a new star?
Queensland leader Ross Springborg hasn’t been able to get his pineapple
party off the ground, a unified conservative force in state politics –
so does he have plans to replace the National veteran and former
minister Bruce Scott in the south-west federal seat of Maranoa?