DEMOLITION DERBY: Fran pans Mal-function

Judging by her staff and today’s effort in The Australian, Fran Bailey is a nasty piece of work.

GETS TOUGH: SA Speaker Snelling says enough is enough

South Australian Speaker Jack Snelling has been overwhelmed with messages of support after telling unruly parliamentary colleagues to start behaving themselves.

GUARDED: Old bloke booted from Church property by bouncers

A split in the pro-life movement has prompted a heavy-handed reaction from the Catholic Church hierarchy, according to one side of the argument. In a move slammed by critics as an over-reaction, an elderly gentleman was booted from Church property by bouncers for handing someone a leaflet promoting a new rival organisation to the Right to Life.

COOLNESS: The Age is melting

The Age’s circulation is in meltdown. They celebrate by putting their domain name in fake and apparently melting ice at a Melbourne train station this morning.

LABOR’S PAIN: Party hearts break over Rudd’s Indonesian solution

The Prime Minister’s “hardline” on “illegal immigration” is causing considerable pain inside his own party. But his policy is popular with Labor voters, on this issue the gap between Labor elites and voters in the burbs couldn’t be bigger.

SUP WITH STEVE: Farewell banquet to honour Newnham’s patriotic service

Campaign wizard Stephen Newnham left the Victorian ALP Head Office a conquering hero, having slayed lefties, crazy rebels, Twentymans and Reds Ted. Patriots from across the state are gathering to thank him for his service and honour his contribution to freedom.

BIT RICH: Fairfax vendetta against Eddie Obeid enters fourth decade

The Financial Review isn’t such a bad newspaper. But it does have obsessions that sometimes drag it down into the lowest point of the Fairfax sewer. Their decision to splash today with a non-story about Eddie Obeid’s son’s farm shows up their unholy obsession with certain people in the NSW Labor Right. The national financial daily should be more serious than its continued campaign of vendetta journalism against people like Obeid and former Senator Graham Richardson would suggest.

CUCKOO: Inga Peulich pushes Bavarian beer hall

Popular and feisty Liberal state MP Inga Peulich has been photographed at a splendid German inspired tourist attraction “The Cuckoo” in her electorate in the Dandenongs.

RIPON: Louise Staley running for state seat

Word is that the IPA’s Louise Staley is having a crack at preselection for the Victorian seat of Ripon, held by Labor’s Agriculture Minister Joe Helper.

She’s up against two local and conservative members in Ballarat West who reputedly aren’t …

BIKIE GANG POLITICS: Alan Jones lays down the law to Alex Hawke on Liberal faction war

The King of Sydney radio Alan Jones has again taken aim at NSW Liberal rising star Alex Hawke, accusing the federal MP of engaging in “bikie gang politics” and of being a “cancer” on the party. He has called on party leaders Malcolm Turnbull and Barry O’Farrell to remove Hawke’s preselection. The stakes are getting higher. The tensions rising. With the NSW Liberals finally on the verge of winning government, this is a distraction they do not need.