Mixed messages. Liberal candidate for the NSW state seat of Penrith Tricia Hitchen has told the Penrith City Star that law and order is one of the most important issues in her electorate. So we hope she’s only using a figure of speech when she says to get her campaign office set up she had to “beg, borrow and steal everything”.

The real battleground of the history wars. Now we come to the big issues! Canberra students should learn “that the world’s first hovercraft race was held on a part-filled Lake Burley Griffin in 1964,” according to ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries.

Fighter fall back? Is the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet being mooted as a fall back option if the wings come off the Joint Strike Fighter project? The aircraft doesn’t have stealth and does not meet the specifics of a Fifth Generation Fighter.

Left out? Is NSW Senator George Campbell losing factional support?

The Queensland campaign stupor. Glib politicians, campaign feeding frenzies and financially illiterate journalists are bad news for accountability. The Oz went for Queensland Liberal leader Bruce Flegg over his financial interests last week. Premier Peter Beattie put on his aw shucks grin and said, “I invest in managed funds such as Colonial First State or MLC, because at the end of the day I don’t know what shares they have and I don’t manage those on a day-to-day basis.” Colonial is one of the biggest fund managers in Australia. They have to disclose substantials by law. Beattie should have a pretty good idea of what he owns. All he – and any journos who want to have a look – need to do is jump online.