Why are the Fairfax board members flying to their board meeting in New Zealand in a private jet owned by Richard Pratt, given the pasting the Fairfax press has just inflicted on the self-confessed cartel participant? Apparently Pratt agreed to let the Fairfax board use the Visy jet before coverage of his admission started, and the cardboard billionaire decided to let them use it anyway (all running costs paid by Fairfax, of course).

Jane Halton sent out a directive to all Department of Health & Ageing staff this morning… “I would like to remind all staff of the importance of ensuring that the spirit of the conventions is adhered to in all our activities throughout the caretaker period, in particular that, as professional public servants, we ensure that we are impartial and apolitical while still remaining responsive to the needs of government.” I’m wondering how that might relate to Tony Abbott’s behaviour during the 2004 election when he directed the Department to suppress Medicare statistics that were proving him wrong. This led to a senate inquiry where the Libs defended the Minister’s right to suppress information.

A colleague just rang Virgin Blue and couldn’t get through. The recorded message was “a number of factors are impacting on our phone service today”. Not sure an airline should use the word “impacting”, and not just because it’s bad writing.