Galaxy comes calling on plain packs. I received a call from Galaxy last night asking me to answer three (only) questions:

  • Would I support the plain packaging laws if it meant tobacco companies having to be paid millions or even billions in compensation?
  • Would I support taxpayers’ funds being used to pay billions of dollars to tobacco companies?
  • Do I agree that the marriage laws will eventually be changed to all same-s-x marriage?

Presumably the last one is to categorise me or my broader views. I told the interviewer that the first two questions were unfairly framed to manipulate the results and seemed likely to be misused. Of course she was just phoning people asking them to answer questions. Get ready for some further rubbish claims from Big Tobacco …

Which bank is trying to improve morale? The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has a few issues. Eyebrows were raised by Ralph Norris questioning markets portion of Institutional Banking and why they are underperforming. Meanwhile, apparently the client risk solutions desk have tried to “improve morale” by making two of the better operators redundant (there is a disturbing annexe to this story that the market players know). It’s the same two that happened to disagree with the strategy that has seen the desk lose 25% market share. Others are working to unseat managers.

Journo has a view on carbon tax. The co-author of the Sunday Telegraph‘s “Carbon” Cate Blanchett beat-up, Brenden Hills, is fondly remembered by Labor advisers for an amusing performance during the NSW state election campaign. Spies say Hills ventured down to Pitt Street’s Civic Hotel one night and started haranguing staffers over the carbon tax, banging on about how Julia Gillard was costing NSW Labor support (as if it needed any help) by slugging western Sydney battlers with hundreds of dollars in new taxes.