No Sirree, not Sir Plus, the World's Greatest Treasurer!

"Pardon, Sire, your hubris-boots are licked clean. Would you like the polish with spittle? The dainty morsels of bovine excreta from Crawford Ranch, rotten flesh from Nanking, trench vomit from the Dardanelles, used condom from Anzac Cove and baby brain from Fallujah were all very tasty, thank you very much."

Who is he kidding, with all this fake umbrage? The house is on the books, the kids can finish off at Kings and Ascham. Kirribilli or Billionaire's Row, it doesn't matter. A fair trade of merchant bankers, Turnbull for Costello.

Who has been instrumental in piping rivers of silver from the public purse into Macquarie pockets, via fees, consultancies and management contracts? And now has the arse to tell us we won't be able to afford health care for the elderly? The States love it, too. There's more to life than Public Service, especially when you are back in the private sector after a gruelling stint as head of department, signing off the reports and contracts that reward the unworthy.

On the precedents of these two malignant cankers, the only ones left in politics will be those who enjoy nothing more than the ruthless exercise of unlimited power. Now, when can I set the date of the next election?

T. G. Kerr, could we have all that again in plain English?

The world's great treasurer was Paul Keating.

Stop your bleating . . . English.

Too true, Len, I just cannot see The Heir sulking on the backbench. He's not exactly a good look when he thinks he has good news. Not in my lounge-room, thank you.

I watched a bit of the footy on a huge plasma TV in the local consumer goods warehouse. It's a tough decision - lay out the $9K for a new wide-screen, or save it up for the IVF. Yes, nothing is free, these days. But it's a choice - stay on the sheep's back, or hitch your star-wars to a flotilla of flying porkies.

TG Kerr, John Howard thinks he will win in a showdown with Costello. He must to goad him publically. Howard wants to bring it on. Costello is no coward in parliamentary debate, so Costello must not have the numbers.

They both would be counting.

How arrogant can Howard get? He wants to sit Costello on his backside before the Government takes the Senate. It may have something to do with Telstra. Howard would want to do the organsing for that sale and Howard is snuggling up to the USA.

The Federal National Party have a lot to lose with the sale of Telstra. Regional Australia is going to pay dearly and so is the National Party and John Anderson. That means Labor can use the Federal Nats because the bush is going to slide backwards even more than it has.

Yes all the balls are in the air and Costello would take a defeat by Howard very hard indeed.

I wonder which way John Anderson the National Party would vote. They are losers whoever they pick.

Beazley and Labor should attack John Anderson and make the Nats the balance of power in a vote for Liberal Leader.