You're Nicked

CONGRATULATIONS to Alan "Giant Killer" Stockdale, the federal president of the Liberal Party who defeated Peter "Waterside Warrior" Reith for the plum, presidency by one vote 57-56.

CONGRATULATIONS to Alan "Giant Killer" Stockdale, the federal president of the Liberal Party who defeated Peter "Waterside Warrior" Reith for the plum, presidency by one vote 57-56.

Vice-president Alexander Downer disregarded advice to say nothing if he couldn't find something nice to say about Stockdale, treasurer in the Jeff Kennett government: "My own personal view was that Peter Reith would bring a bit more dynamism to the job." Ouch. What happened to Reith, everyone is wondering. He had the support of Mal Brough, Amanda Vanstone and Barry O'Farrell but not, crucially, the backing of retiring Nick Minchin, "the antithesis of political correctness" according to Tom Switzer in the latest edition of The Spectator Australia. Paul Bongiorno on Meet the Press yesterday said Tony Abbott won the program's "Gotcha of the Week" for showing Stockdale how he voted. The Reith camp feels dudded, Bongiorno reckons.

Job for Bob

QUEENSLAND politics rarely ceases to surprise, so it was with a barely audible sigh that we received the news that Steve Irwin's father, Bob Irwin, is toying with the idea of challenging flood hero and rising Liberal saviour Campbell Newman for the state seat of Ashgrove. Who better than the father of a crocodile hunter to inject a fly into the ointment? Irwin is thinking of standing for the Queensland Party, whose founder Aidan McLindon dislikes coal seam gas as much as Irwin does. If he stands, Irwin will be up against Labor's former environment minister Kate Jones and Newman. Last month Irwin was fined $300 for his part in a protest against the construction of a CSG pipeline in southern Queensland. Does this make him a greenie? Sort of: Greens spokeswoman Libby Connors welcomes the Irwin candidacy. "It's great he's campaigning on CSG as the more that do, the more people will talk about it and know about it. Bob's profile will help raise the issue." Connors says the Greens are keen for talks with Irwin on how they can campaign together.

Advanced learner

A 1988 edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary, (simplified characters), was sold at charity auction on Saturday night. The lucky winner was Strewth's colleague and The Weekend Australian Review editor Deborah Jones, who shelled out $150 for the tome once owned by Kevin Rudd a Mandarin speaker who probably no longer needs a dictionary of the "English language as spoken by educated British men and women". The occasion was a celebration of David Williamson's 40 years in the writing caper and also the 10th anniversary of Noosa's Longweekend festival. Jones is surprised at herself for bidding. "It's a bit tragic as I was the only bidder and I'm not 100 per cent certain that I can use it." But at least it's signed by Rudd so it may appreciate. Jones notes that the bookmark was in the Fs, between flash and flatulence, possibly the last words Rudd looked up.

Greens team

WE have discovered one good reason to be a federal Greens MP: everyone gets a portfolio. Leader Bob Brown has announced he will take responsibility for prime minister and cabinet, treasury, foreign affairs, defence and national security, schools, education, forests, whaling and Antarctica. That should keep him busy. They'll all be busy, judging by the range of responsibilities Christine Milne, Rachel Siewert and Sarah Hanson-Young (along with immigration and water, she will be looking after human rights, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender issues and Tibet) have been allocated. Lower house MP Adam Bandt will be responsible for House of Representatives reform, a thankless job for anyone at any time.

Full montecristo

HEALTH Minister Nicola Roxon's hardline plan to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes has run into unexpected problems from the Cuban embassy, which is worried about the effects on its cigar exports. We understand there has been frantic lobbying to ensure the Havana montecristos favoured by Bob Hawke are not sold in unbranded cases mixed with similar but cheaper tobacco products made in the Philippines.

Party plan

KEVIN Rudd may have dropped his plans to have a party to celebrate the anniversary of being dumped, but another politician is marking his loss of power. South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon loses his influence in a tight Senate vote on July 1 and will hold a drinks party.

On the level

Chief executive of the Committee for Melbourne Andrew MacLeod says railway level crossings are restricting rail usage. "If you put more trains on the network then the level crossings stay shut longer and the roads clog up."Adding the time it takes for level crossings to open and close, the Dandenong line would be shut for the entire morning and evening peak-hour period, MacLeod says.