Election preparations? Go looking for the Ministerial Code of Conduct at the PM&C website and you’ll get the message “The page you are looking for has been moved or does not exist”. They must be getting ready for the election.

Are you Little Sir Echo’s echo? The Sefton Playhouse, “Western Sydney’s Hottest Strip Club” as it bills itself, is hosting a Kevin Rudd lookalike contest this Friday evening at 6:00pm. They’ve erected “Sefton Playhouse Supports Kevin” banners and posters and the exterior of the venue is a sight to behold, or so Crikey is told. Five hundred dollars is up for grabs. They should know a bit about PM material, too. The Sefton Playhouse is in Paul Keating’s old electorate of Blaxland.

Andrew Laming on the nose? Commonwealth prosecutors have sought independent legal advice over whether to lay charges against Queensland Liberal MHR Andrew Laming, The Australian reports today. And Crikey hears talk that Laming is being left off local Liberal advertising. The Oz has financial consultant Cheryl Macnaught down as a possible Liberal candidate for his seat of Bowman. Crikey hears that approaches are being made to local councillor Peter Dowling.

How to waste money on a campaign . Bob Day, the Liberal candidate for the South Australian marginal of Makin, has deeper pockets than many others – and he’s decided to reach into them to pay for personalised stamps. Crikey hears that the Labor campaign there isn’t doing as well as the bruvvers would hope, but we don’t put it down to this tactic.

So much for the new spirit of openness in the Victorian government….