Bear's burden

WHEN Julia Gillard moved into the prime ministerial suite, she let the media in for a good snoop. That's how we know she has a fine taste in memorabilia.

WHEN Julia Gillard moved into the prime ministerial suite, she let the media in for a good snoop. That's how we know she has a fine taste in memorabilia and souvenirs.

There are the obligatory family snaps, including a pic of her with partner Tim Mathieson. There's the touching sight of a Sherrin football and Western Bulldogs scarf (first and only premiership in 1954). And there's a photograph of children with Humphrey B Bear. Which brings us to a story in the Moorabbin Kingston Leader about a former Humphrey B Bear, John Maclean, being given a four-month good behaviour bond by magistrate Rod Crisp for pushing and swearing at a primary school vice-principal in front of shocked students and parents. Crisp said Maclean would have to "grin and bear it" after being told of his past career as a children's bear. Maclean wasn't happy at the revelation, hissing to his lawyer: "Don't tell everyone that", no doubt worried about his continued presence in the PM's office.

Stare-way to Kevin

THE Chaser team -- winding up for their debut with Yes We Canberra last night -- have fired off a couple of viral video clips. In one segment, titled the Death Stare Olympics, Julie Bishop outstares Chas Licciardello (he's a pushover for a good, hard stare). Bishop does a jig-come-holler at her impressive victory. We take our hat off to Bishop. If she ever became prime minister, that stare would send opponents scurrying for shelter. Another segment, which found its way on to The Australian's website yesterday, brings viewers the Angry Kevin Burger that contains spilt blood, bile, is rodent copulated and is not just angry, it's effing furious. This shows that Australian political life is maturing in unexpected ways.

Sex in the Family?

AUSTRALIAN Sex Party spokesman Robbie Swan says Family First approached ASP president Fiona Patten in Adelaide, asking about a preference deal at the federal poll. But Family First chairman Bob Day denies an offer was made, claiming the Sex Party is trying to discredit Family First. "I can assure you that [the claimed offer] is completely false. We would not, have not, and would never contemplate such an arrangement," Day told the ABC. But Swan and Patten insist approaches were made. "We have been hounded by all the parties over preferences. Family First have been hounding us. They set up a clandestine meeting at Melbourne airport to meet Fiona. But we would never preference them. We are not trying to embarrass them or anything. Now they are backing away; its's such bullshit, it totally happened," Swan says. Patten says the Australian Sex Party would be urging voters to put Family First last. Family First senator Steve Fielding's office says the party routinely holds meetings with other parties.

The coy candidate

TOEY disendorsed NSW federal Labor MP Belinda Neal is refusing to confirm what everyone in her electorate on the central coast knows: that she will contest the election as an independent. We are not sure why she is being so coy; perhaps she likes the modest publicity that goes with keeping the media on tenterhooks. The latest word is that she will announce her candidacy at the last minute; nominations close at midday today. Yesterday she blessed Gosford voters with her presence but stayed mum on her political future in federal politics, which is roughly Buckley's (& Nunn). Suggestions she has a future in running anger-management courses are cheap and uncalled for.

Premier news fan

MIKE Rann is making no effort to repair what was once a great love affair with the media, moving his attacks on the fourth estate from his Twitter feed to the airwaves. The South Australian Premier, once known as Media Mike, yesterday told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa that journalists think the election campaign is boring because "people haven't stuffed up". Rann says he knows this because "I used to be a political reporter" (briefly for New Zealand radio in the early 1970s before becoming a spin doctor for Labor from 1977 onwards). He says that today's news, unlike in his day, is reported with either "malice, bias or comment" and that too many people "are using spin for their own political objectives". He should know.

Fidel starts again

WHILE the froth flies and the bubble foams at home, over in Cuba former president Fidel Castro is threatening to publish the first volume of his memoirs. We italicise first because Castro at his peak was notorious for his long-winded harangues that would sometimes last for hours, causing listeners to fall asleep from exhaustion. He doesn't say how many volumes he has planned, but at a rough guess buyers should make about a metre of shelf space. The book, The Strategic Victory, will look at how a few hundred revolutionaries defeated the Cuban army in 1958. Castro ruled Cuba without domestic opposition since he seized power. His opponents were imprisoned without trial while ordinary Cubans were sentenced to a life of poverty as the country's economy crumbled. But he's unlikely to dwell on the negatives.