Parliamentary saints:

Alan Thomas writes: Re. “Who are the Patron Saints of Parliament?” (yesterday, item 11). Regarding possible patron saints of Parliament, how about St Anthony of Egypt. He spent ages sitting on top of a pole in the Egyptian desert. Whether it was a publicity stunt or whether he thought it was going to do some good, one will never know.

However I would suggest that this St Anthony would be a much better proposition — imagine some of our present day pollies sitting on top of a pole in the desert!

That’s quite a pun isn’t it ?  Pollies or polies…

Alex Byrne writes: Blessed Julia of Gillard (formerly spelt Certaldo) was  born to an impoverished noble family. Worked as a domestic servant in her youth in the Rudd household in Canberra. Julia returned to the quiet of Gillard where she rescued a child from educational failure, which brought her unwanted fame. She retired to lived nearly 30 years as an anchoress in a cell built onto the Victorian Parliament.  Blessed Julia is represented as a woman wearing a black habit  rescuing a child  from a burning  school. (With apologies to Saints.SQPN.com)

Saint Barnaby of Joyce, preacher and martyr, was stoned to death because of his persistent evangelizing. The doubtful “Gospel of Saint Barnaby” is attributed to him. It states that climate change is not the happening and calls Wong “the deceived.” The book also says the Nationals will rise into Heaven without being crucified. Saint Barnaby’s thistle is a kind of knapweed (Centaurea solstitialis) flowering on St. Barnabas’s Day, June 11th, and regarded as a pest throughout the west.

Rann and water:

Peter Carson writes: Re. “Rann ‘saves’ the Murray-Darling, then looks for the door?” (yesterday, item 1). Now that Rann has “negotiated” an  extra 400Gl of floodwaters for SA, what happens with the $2 billion desal plant?

Crikey and The Oz:

Mike Carlton writes: Re. Yesterday’s editorial. The Australian is “the only truly vibrant, intelligent newspaper in the country,”  you say. Tosh.  The Australian is a newspaper in Speedos and Lycra, ostentatiously scratching its nuts.

Charles Smith writes: Crikey wrote: “First, it’s no coincidence that the only editor prepared to engage in the debate happens to run the only truly vibrant, intelligent newspaper in the country.”

Only truly has Crikey taken leave of its collective senses?

Ten Minutes by Tractor:

Keith Conlon writes: Re. “Daily Proposition: over-eat at a country winery. How degustation!” (yesterday, item 8). Enjoyed the piece on the 10 Minutes by Tractor winery meal. One important correction, however. The Penfolds’ offering is at their “Magill Estate” restaurant, a sleek international architecture addition to the old bluestone winery where it all began.  It sits amid vineyards on the Hills Face of the Mt.Lofty Ranges in suburban Adelaide, with views across the city.

And it’s where the legendary Max Schubert made the first few vintages of the Grange. In April, they will also offer two special menus for their “Grange Prerelease Dinners”, which also includes a taste of all of their superpremium range.

Must declare an interest — I usually get that the onerous task of MC for one of them. We are also paying customers for celebratory occasions, however