Holiday leave? Did the NSW Labour Council take advantage of yesterday’s Melbourne Cup festivities to flog the Currawong holiday cottages on Pittwater?

Love and other rats. Michael Photios seems to be presiding over a major split amongst the moderate faction of the NSW Libs ahead of this weekend’s preselection for the Upper House. Michael Photios has been tipped to win comfortably on Saturday, which would have paved the way for his return into the NSW State Parliament. Bad blood, however, persists over the treatment meted out to the former coordinator of the moderates, Sam Witheridge. It’s making matters less easy to predict. Crikey hears a number of influentioal moderates would like to see Witheridge restored as factional convener – including Human Services Minister Joe Hockey.

Preaching on good manners. Some cute observations from Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs Chris Evans: “We support Minister Bishop’s argument, in her Robert Menzies lecture, that children should be encouraged to apologise when they have wronged another. We welcome this change of policy from the Howard Government, which until now has encouraged children to deny any wrongdoing for as long as possible before issuing a statement of profound regret. An apology to the Stolen Generations is long overdue.”

How to hack an election. It’s easier than you think.

Who nose where they get their ideas?

The Victorian Liberal Party’s ad surfaced last week, the Federal ALP’s on Sunday. According to ALP National Secretary Tim Gartrell, “it’s a coincidence.”