Mad to the max

WHEN we consider Angry Anderson's quest for Nationals power it's impossible not to hark back to his turn on the silver screen.

WHEN we consider Angry Anderson's quest for Nationals power, something we suspect we'll be doing rather a lot of during the coming months, it's impossible not to hark back to his turn on the silver screen alongside Mel Gibson (before he became better known for his non-thespian activities) and Tina Turner.

Mad Max III: Beyond Thunderdome's post-apocalyptic tone, give or take the presence of Frank Thring, is a neat yang to the apocalyptic yin of Anderson's blog (Strewth, yesterday). Spookily, were Anderson to lob in Canberra, his singer-actor-parliamentarian career arc would almost mirror that of another of his fellow Mad Max III veterans, Justine Clarke, who has gone from actor to singer to Play School presenter. On an even more exhilarating note, Anderson's character in Mad Max III was called Ironbar. After all these months we've spent nursing the gaping, Wilson "Ironbar" Tuckey-shaped hole in our hearts, it seems the natural replacement has stepped forward.

Bookie's prize

OUR esteemed colleague Stephen Romei's blog, A Pair of Ragged Claws, is not just the vibrant and engaging forum of ideas you would rightly expect from this paper's literary editor, it's also a handy port of call before doing your bit to thwart Andrew Wilkie by ducking off to the bookies. Signing off on Saturday from a brief entree to his pieces on the TV incarnation of The Slap, Romei chucked in his grand final tips as a bonus: "Geelong in the AFL, New Zealand in the NRL and Secret Admirer in the Epsom handicap at Randwick." For those of you not up on the hayburners, we gather Secret Admirer romped home at 10-1. OK, Romei got the league wrong (no one's going to blame a bloke for predicting ill for Manly) but, as we've said before, two out of three ain't bad. (We may keep using that line until, as seems likely following the AFL grand final entertainment on Saturday, quoting Meat Loaf becomes a punishable offence.)

Down undie

MYSTERY of the day, courtesy of this National Broadband Network announcement from the Prime Minister's office yesterday: "The Stage Three roll-out will extend to a further 90,000 homes and businesses in Burnie, Davenport, Launceston and Hobart, employing around 800 workers at its peak." We know Devonport, but where the hell is Davenport? Perhaps they are referring to the undergarment range, as modelled by pool-botherers Stephanie Rice (if you're reading this, Robert Drewe, settle!) and Eamon Sullivan. We're sure we're not the only ones left picturing an NBN rollout in one's underpants, which would at least give proper meaning to the expression, "Suffer in your jocks".

Photios's trunk call

CONGRATULATIONS to the Liberal Party's NSW vice-president Michael Photios -- not just for getting married to his partner Kristina Iantchev in Phuket on the weekend but for getting a baby elephant in on the wedding photo action, as posted on Facebook. It's just not often enough one gets to write "the bride wore white and the bridegroom wore a trunk around his neck". Very best wishes and may you have many happy years ahead (elephant included).

Independent means

REGARDING that proposed mighty pay rise for our federal pollies, we're starting to get a sense of some consistency among said pollies when journalists raise the topic. Here's Trade Minister Craig Emerson yesterday: "It's best that it be put in the hands of an independent umpire, to use our footy analogies, or a referee if you follow league or union, for them to do the work on it." Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor on Sunday: "The first thing to note I guess is that the Remuneration Tribunal is an independent body; the parliament legislated to make sure that there's no political interference. I can assure you that I didn't get into politics for the money . . . I'm very happy with what I get, if people want to change those arrangements then I guess it's up to that independent body." Finance Minster Penny Wong on Saturday: "I think it's much more sensible if these things are done independently rather than ending up in a sort of parliamentary debate." And Tony Abbott: "A great big new pay rise!" Actually, no, Abbott did not say that at all; we just made it up. But if it feels right . . .

Push comes to shove

AMONG the tourists in the hectic Queens Terrace Cafe in federal Parliament House during yesterday's public holiday was one dressed-down Arthur Sinodinos, accompanied by his family. He was busy wrestling with a pram when spotted, which probably counts as some sort of metaphorical training for when he replaces senator Helen Coonan in the swill chamber some time later this month.

Hot to trot

ARRESTINGLY candid language as used in a pharmacy window poster for menopause treatment Remifemin, starring comedian Jean Kittson: "Once you get over the wild mood swings, the hot flushes and the desperate fear of old age it's a doddle, especially if Remifemin works for you."