Tony Abbott is Prime Minister of Australia. For now.  We will know in the hours after 9 am on Monday morning (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) if the spill motion in the Liberal Party room meeting has been successful or not, and, if successful, if Abbott has retained his leadership. I hope he does.

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard is under observation at Royal Prince Philip hospital after overdosing on schadenfreude, the pleasure derived from witnessing someone else’s misfortune.

from Crikey …..

Officials admit: we can't justify data retention

Tony Abbott's leadership has been rocked by a political earthquake and is under imminent threat, with backbench MPs variously calling for the Prime Minister to resign, for a party room ballot next week and expressing doubt he can revive his political fortunes.

In 458 BC, with Rome facing imminent defeat by the combined forces of the Aequi and the Sabines, the Senate declared Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus dictator of the city for six months. The retired statesman, an aristocrat of reduced means, drove off Rome’s enemies. Fifteen days after being appointed, he resigned his dictatorship and returned to his humble family farm.

Today Mr Hockey said the Coalition risked repeating the mistakes made by the Labor caucus under the previous government.

from politicoz ….

The impasse has caused great uncertainty for students who have just received university offers for 2015. While their fees are locked in for the current year, students will not know the fee scale for following years of their degrees. So far, only two universities have released fee estimates in the event the legislation passes the Senate.