Bearpit humour. More mirth from the NSW Legislative Council and their debate on electoral laws. The Reverend Fred Nile accused the Greens of campaigning for the prisoner vote. The Nationals’ Duncan Gay then suggested the Labor Party was just trying to protect Graham Richardson’s right to vote. And our sympathies to Democrat Arthur Chesterfield-Evans. Numerous interjections were heard along the lines of “Do what you like Arthur, you still won’t get re-elected.”

Egalitarian gesture. The Walkley Foundation is getting an English Lord to give the keynote address on “social equity journalism” at their corporate social responsibility lunch next Friday. The egalitarians at the foundation obviously feel that the keynote address will have more authority if given by someone with a title.

Forget the orange bellied parrot – what about the peroxided Swan? Did Media Monitors really get Warwick Capper and Ian Campbell confused in their summary of Seven’s Sunrise yesterday?

He said what?!? Nick Minchin on Sol: “In the eyes of politicians and ordinary Australians these packages look startlingly big, but (Mr Trujillo’s) is not all that unusual a package.”

The Brethren and voluntary voting. It’s not up on the PM’s website – and no wonder. Our beloved leader seemed to somewhat fluff his lines on ABC Radio in Melbourne yesterday on the Exclusive Brethren and their voting habits. A number of influential colleagues of his favour voluntary voting. The influential Righthinker site  has had some interesting observations to make on the subject recently. Australian Citizens have a duty to vote, yet the Brethren refuse. The PM, though, defends them. He’d better watch out. Peter Costello might just come out and say: “If you don’t like our secular Aussie values, then go back to Plymouth”.