Love your work

It was a delight to see so many ministers taking part in the Economic and Social Outlook conference.

GIVEN the troubling perception that this august organ is at war with the federal government, it was a delight to see so many ministers -- Jenny Macklin and Wayne Swan among them -- taking part in the Economic and Social Outlook conference hosted by The Australian and the Melbourne Institute.

Even the Greens reached out to the Hate Media and sent Christine Milne. These photos of them in action bring to mind nothing less than that celebrated Christmas ceasefire during World War I when our lot and the Germans wandered out into no man's land to link arms, get on the piss and sing Stille Nacht. Except, of course, we firmly imagine this event will be more productive than that Christmas ceasefire, which was followed by a whole lot more war.

Hello, here's my bus

YOU know that awkward moment when you've enjoyed just the right amount of hospitality and want to slip away before the magic fades, only to be collared by your host? Here's a quick lesson in how to handle it with aplomb, courtesy of Julia Gillard at the fag end of her joint press conference with Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson in Darwin yesterday:

Journalist: "Prime Minister, are you disappointed you're leaving before Territory Fireworks Night tomorrow night?"

Gillard: "Well, I am a bit disappointed."

Henderson: "There you go, you're more than welcome to stay. Wanguri is a pretty good place to watch the fireworks from, Prime Minister. You're more than welcome."

Gillard: "I like fireworks. I would have liked to have stayed, but I've spent a lot of time in the NT, loved every minute of it, fifth trip as Prime Minister, but it is time for me to get on and do some things in other parts of the country, but I hope everybody enjoys the fireworks and enjoys the centenary."

Slice of haven

FOR Pat Rafter it was Bermuda, and for Lleyton Hewitt it was the Bahamas, but could it be the Mark Philippoussis precedent Bernard Tomic is choosing to follow, along with his big cheque? Not by remaking the Poo's reality show, The Age of Love (there's some magic that can't be recreated), but by setting up camp in the tax haven of Monaco. This is how the exchange went in his presser after he was beaten by Novak Djokovic:

Tomic: "I'm flying to Monte Carlo. I'll be back on Friday. . ."

Q. "Why are you going to Monte Carlo?"

Tomic (with a smile): "I have a few things I have to do there."

Alas, Tomic's agent explained afterwards that Monaco was a sort of European training camp for him, so we should possibly settle down.

Return of the rodent

IT'S been a few years since "lying rodent" made its vigorously denied but enthusiastically celebrated entry into the political lexicon. So we're buoyed to see Labor MP Steve Gibbons doing his bit to resurrect the spirit this week on Twitter. Linking to a Peter Reith opinion piece on Tuesday, Gibbons tweeted, "It appears that as well as being a gutless wonder Abbott is also a gutless rat!" After letting this line of thinking simmer, Gibbons returned to it yesterday: "Abbott refers to the PM as 'untrustworthy' and 'tricky'? I wonder what Peter Reith thinks about that? #hypocriticalgutlessrat."

Jeffed again, by golly

LAST December, when a Melbourne toy shop marked Oprah Winfrey's visit to these shores by sending its golliwogs to the Coventry of its back room, Jeff Kennett declared "golliwogs are the most repressed toys in society today". Now the former premier turned Hawthorn Football Club president has revealed to Neil Mitchell he's been sent one in Hawthorn colours and he's named it Buddy. As the golliwog shares a name with Hawthorn's indigenous star forward Buddy Franklin, this prompted some harrumphing ("I know Jeff likes to push the envelope") on the talkback line afterwards.