Drawers on show

REELING from the decision by six NSW Labor MPs to quit at the March election - not to mention the many scandals besetting her government - Premier Kristina Keneally needs more than a lucky break.

REELING from the decision by six NSW Labor MPs to quit at the March election - not to mention the many scandals besetting her government - Premier Kristina Keneally needs more than a lucky break.

But she got one when opposition roads spokesman and Nationals leader Andrew Stoner recently let it slip that small-target Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell is considering a congestion tax for Sydney. This is not a new idea, of course. Former London lord mayor Ken Livingston introduced a congestion tax that has been quite successful. Central London is no longer in the grip of an endless traffic jam. Stoner has been back-tracking, giving Keneally the chance to scare drivers. "[Former Liberal premier] Nick Greiner was very clear that when he was in opposition he had two drawers, a top drawer and a bottom drawer: the top drawer with the policies he was going to tell the people about, the bottom drawer with the things he intended to do, once he won office. I think what we have seen here is a peek into Barry O'Farrell's bottom drawer . . . by Andrew Stoner, a release he realised he wasn't supposed to put out there, and in a scramble this morning he attempted to put it back and shove it back in the bottom drawer."

African conquest

FORMER star of Western Australia's Labor machine, Keating government minister and Rudd government parliamentary secretary Bob McMullan has been appointed a special envoy for Africa, a job that could be interpreted as a challenge or a particularly unpleasant sandwich. The thinking may be that McMullan's job will be to twist African arms to get votes for Australia's inexplicable desire to get a temporary seat on the UN Security Council. And while he's at it, he can persuade African nations to vote for Australia's bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup. There are about 50 countries in Africa, and that's a lot of votes.

Political mo-ments

FORMER US ambassador to the UN John Bolton has hinted he may run for president. Bolton is a familiar face to Australians and instantly recognisable because of his handsome white moustache. Apparently, the US has not had a hairy-faced president since Woodrow Wilson replaced the moustachioed William Taft in 1912. Bolton has a way to go before he challenges the former glory that decorated Queensland MP Warren Entsch's face, whose mo is now sadly lost. Not all moustache wearers in history were as nice as Bolton and Entsch. Consider Joseph Stalin, a mass murderer. Then there was Adolf Hitler, whose pathetic little tuft couldn't disguise that fact he was up there with comrade Stalin. Saddam Hussein had quite a lot of blood on his hands, too. But, on the plus side, Test cricket selector Merv Hughes makes up for all those bad eggs. Author of One Thousand Beards Allan Peterkin says: "Facial hair is the kiss of death in politics." Facial hair is about "playful rebellion . . . do you want a politician who's into playful rebellion?" The mystery behind Entsch's missing mo is thus revealed. And, of course, Barry O'Farrell got rid of his beard when he decided to get serious about his leadership chances in NSW.

Game of the name

WE know that soon-to-be-canonised Mary MacKillop is becoming a true saint because she now shares the same protection of her name as did Don Bradman. Julia Gillard has put out a press statement saying companies will be banned from using the MacKillop name. The only other Australian to have received such recognition was Bradman, patron saint of the willow.

Queen usurped

HARRY Potter series author J.K. Rowling is more powerful than the Queen of Australia, according a British survey of magazine editors. In second place was pop singer turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham. The Queen was in third spot. Others in the top 10 are the Prime Minister David Cameron's wife, Samantha Cameron, and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. Singer Amy Winehouse and artist Tracey Emin were puzzlingly overlooked.

Wrestle mania

INDIAN Wrestling Federation president Gurdial Singh Mander need not worry about the sport being dropped from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, as had been mooted. The Scots have decided to keep wrestling on the program, but wrestling in kilts is out. This is great news for those who enjoy watching hairy, sweaty men grappling with each other in the most unseemly manner. Indeed Greco-Roman may be added following a review next year. India has won nine wrestling gold medals in the Delhi Games.

Crash-test dummies

IN The Australian's sports section yesterday, there was an excellent photograph of New Zealander Fabian Coulthard rolling his Commodore at 290km/h. Obviously Coulthard is lucky to be alive. Yet in the background at the Bathurst 1000, some racing fans can be seen raising their arms in triumph as if a goal had been scored on the siren. It was spectacular, but the fans could not have known Coulthard would survive the crash.