Items still being posted. The author is having a Simon and Garfunkel inspired delayed start. The concert was great but recovery gets more difficult as the years advance.

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

Australia

Ute gate

Rudd swerves on car scandal Sydney Morning Herald

Rudd’s adviser ‘unable to sleep’ – The Australian

Car dealer grateful, even though he got no financial help – Melbourne Age

Heat turns on to Swan – Melbourne Age

Auditor to lean on OzCar witnesses – The Australian

Turnbull, Swan set for showdown over Utegate email – Brisbane Courier Mail

Public servant ‘an ill man’– The Australian

Swan denies doing any special deals over uteSydney Morning Herald

How Utegate began with my call to Ford Credit’s Greg Cohen – Steve Lewis gives some detail in the Sydney Daily Telegraph on how his story developed

Private man Godwin Grech at centre of Utegate storm – Sydney Daily Telegraph

Showdown on ute affair – The Australian

Interest rates

Official interest rate more likely to fall – Ross Gittins predicts in the Sydney Morning Herald

Strange things

AFP to launch full probe into banknote firm – part owned by the Reserve Bank – Melbourne Age

Education

School principals do the sums on wasteful systemSydney Morning Herald

Schools are failing us, says Gillard Sydney Morning Herald

Political life

Anger over grab for developer cashSydney Morning Herald

Logan Mayor Pam Parker ‘rules like the Queen’ – Brisbane Courier Mail

Anna Bligh rejects liar tag – Brisbane Courier Mail

Health

Minister ignoring advice – ambosMelbourne Herald Sun

Opinion

There’s no such thing as a free ute; now someone will have to pay for it – Phillip Coorey in the Sydney Morning Herald

The bruiser, the boof and the bore – Paul Sheehan writes in the Sydney Morning Herald about Christopher Pyne – the member for Skirt

Vital time for Australia’s three most senior politicians – says the Sydney /daily Telegraph editorial

Why Swan’s explanation adds fuel to Utegate fire – says Peter van Onselen in the Brisbane Courier Mail

BUSINESS

Huge resource merger in the air – mining group Xstrata has approached rival Anglo American about a £41 billion ($84billion) merger that would create one of the world’s biggest resource companies. – Sydney Morning Herald