how the chosen ones ended australia's sporting prowess & revealed its secret past ….

from Crikey ….

This week's phoney reasons to attack Labor's economic management

from Crikey ….

The $800-a-night pokies habit and paying the ultimate price

from politicoz ….

The winter break for the politicians with all the glorious distractions, the overseas trips, holidays in the north and the Olympics, is about to end and the spring offensive is upon us.

The Coalition's aim is to find new ways to belt the Gillard Government on the well worn issues, keeping its foot on a grounded opponent.

The Olympics are replete with breathtaking sights and sounds. The blur of Usain Bolt. The wash created by that human propeller Michael Phelps. 

However, at London 2012, there is unlikely to be a moment more utterly gobsmacking than the Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates declaring the key to an improved performance by Australia was to make sport compulsory in school, and to thus increase participation rates.

I have not forgotten them... they lurk on the drawing board in various forms... this is number 32...

A spectacular boat explosion, pointed guns, BRW rich listers and secret shareholdings in the British Virgin Islands are just some of the intriguing elements involving former government ministers, investors and controversial coalmining deals worth tens of millions of dollars.