Silks search for smoking gun. Big Tobacco has been in the High Court this week taking on the federal government’s plain packaging legislation, which will strip ciggie packs of their colourful brands and turn them into drab unappealing brown boxes. Silks acting for the cigarette giants say it’ll infringe on their property rights, while the federal government are hoping the measure will turn potential puffers away.

Desperate for a smoking gun yesterday, Gavan Griffith QC, counsel for the makers of Camel cigarettes, played the Orwell card, accusing the government of engaging in “doublespeak” over what effect the law will have on Big Tobacco’s trademarks.

The tobacco industry lawyers have been furiously arguing against plain packs, hoping to butt them out before they spread like wildfire to other nations (New Zealand has already announced similar plans). The full bench, which includes Law Enforcers power listers Robert French and William Gummow, will announce their judgement in the coming months.

Lundy losing friends on the Coast. Last year we put then-sports minister Mark Arbib on our Sports power list for his efforts to curb match fixing, gambling and doping. Now his replacement Kate Lundy has made her first big splash, announcing a new code of governance principles for sporting organisations.

Lundy issued updated Australian Sports Commission guidelines yesterday, pushing for sporting organisations to follow best practice governance. Some of the major sporting bodies currently undertaking reviews of governance include Cricket Australia and the Australian Rugby Union.

But not everyone’s happy about Lundy’s progress. The Gold Coast Bulletin today had a crack at the former trade unionist for not guaranteeing funds for the Glitter Strip’s turn to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Bully also had a go at Lundy for not knowing who the local boss of the Games was (Mark Stockwell for those playing at home). Come on guys, she’s only been in the job a month …

Gotye goes #1. Melbourne musician Gotye (real name Wally De Backer) has become the first Australian artist to top the US Billboard top 100 for 12 years.

De Backer’s smash hit Somebody That I Used to Know, which has already gone number one in 17 countries, is the first Australian tune to top the US chart since Savage Garden’s I knew I Loved You scored top billing in 2000.