Flight of fancy

AT a press conference in Canberra yesterday, Greens leader Bob Brown began his statement on the anti-siphoning list of televised sport with a homily about a pair of magpies.

AT a press conference in Canberra yesterday, Greens leader Bob Brown began his statement on the anti-siphoning list of televised sport with a homily about a pair of magpies.

Brown told the wide-eyed throng that when walking into the Senate courtyard earlier in the week he observed the magpies warbling and carolling at each other. Strewth's trained observer in attendance wondered if a lesson on harmony among territorial birds was about to be delivered. But Brown confounded his audience - now hanging off every syllable - by telling how the magpies suddenly locked beaks in a violent struggle. This went on for 15 minutes (well, time can seem elongated when nature is on display, red in beak and claw), until they disengaged and resumed carolling, apparently contented. Perhaps it's a reflection of what goes on in parliament, Brown offered. Here ended the lesson.

Cabinet capers

IN the face of persistent rumours in Perth, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett is staying mum on whether fun-loving former treasurer Troy Buswell will come back into cabinet, possibly as finance minister. When opposition Treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt asked whether the Premier's "good friend, the member for Vasse [Buswell]", would return to cabinet, Barnett said he would not discuss cabinet reshuffles. But he told Wyatt: "You're right, the honourable member for Vasse is a very good friend of mine . . . in fact your father [Liberal member Cedric Wyatt] is a very good friend of mine. If you were to come over, I give this guarantee, if you were to come over I will consider you for a cabinet position." Wyatt did not take the offer as a compliment.

Working up a thirst

YOU can almost see Victorian Premier John Brumby bouncing on his toes, shadow boxing his opponent, undaunted by the difference in weight. Brumby may land more blows but he should watch out for Liberal leader Ted Baillieu's haymaker. Before climbing into the ring last night, Brumby gave himself a pep talk. "I think it will be a pretty good forum, pretty robust. I think there will be a lot of exchange to and forth. I think it could be lively. I'm looking forward to having a beer. With a bit of luck, I either would have earned it or I'll need it." Brumby's longing for a beer comes two months after former British prime minister Tony Blair confessed to using alcohol as a prop: a "stiff whisky or G & T before dinner, couple of glasses of wine or even half a bottle".

No confessions

BRUMBY'S ministry of truth is a helpful outfit. Yesterday, George Svigos, head of the state government's media unit, sent the following text message to reporters. "Hi all - in case you don't know, Michael Kroger will launch Paul Howes's book 10.30 for 11 upstairs at Grossi Florentino. Pretty sure Kroger will have thoughts on Green preferences." After Howes and Kroger spoke at the Melbourne launch of Confessions of a Faceless Man, publisher Louise Adler opened the floor to questions and, sure enough, a reporter asked Kroger about his views on Liberal preferences going to the dreaded Greens. Unfortunately for Svigos, Kroger played a dead bat, saying preferences were a matter for the Liberal Party organisation. Meanwhile, Adler was doing her best to charm Kroger into joining her stable of political authors. "We stand ready to do the Kroger Diaries," she said, adding Graham Richardson - who launched the Howes book in Sydney on Monday - had, by the end of a long lunch at the Golden Century, agreed to write a sequel to Whatever It Takes. Again, Kroger wasn't biting, although he did appear to enjoy holding court in front of the Labor-leaning audience. Like Howes, he believes Kevin Rudd must have been the source for the leaks against Julia Gillard during the election campaign. He also alleged that Gillard, contrary to the public record, told an unnamed Melbourne businessman the week before the June leadership change that there would be a challenge.

Their finest hour

BRITISH World War II leader Winston Churchill has cracked the pop charts 45 years after his death and 70 years after he made his famous speech about the Few, the Battle of Britain pilots who spoiled Hitler's invasion plans. Churchill - backed by the Royal Air Force band - has lobbed at No 4 in the charts with Reach for the Skies, in which his speech is accompanied by stirring military music. The British thirst for war commemoration appears to be increasing as memories of Churchill's finest hour recede.

Poppy politics

IT is noticeable that no British politician can afford to be seen without a poppy on Remembrance Day. In China, they don't need a remembrance day because they never forget. When British Prime Minister David Cameron and four other ministers attended a banquet in Beijing on Tuesday night, they were all wearing their poppies. This triggered a diplomatic skirmish. A British official said "the Chinese said it was inappropriate for us to wear poppies because of the opium wars", wars the British won in 1839-42 and 1856-60. The British kept their poppies.