Party fears. Paranoia aplenty in the ACT ALP over
the Fraser preselection. The member believed to be challenging Bob McMullan,
Jim Jones, is unaligned and could normally be expected to back the former
minister and national secretary. The muttering has begun. Is McMullan playing some sort of game?
What is his real agenda?

The
Epping form guide. Apres Tink, le deluge. Speculation surrounds seven successors
so far for NSW Liberal Andrew Tink in his seat of Epping. There’s Tony Chappell,
the former Young Liberal president who has been waiting forever for Philip
Ruddock to retire. Will he give up and try the state house? If Chappell doesn’t
run, another Young Lib president Ben Franklin may have a go, although the
religious Right won’t be happy. A third Young Lib, Tom Callachor, is probably a
bit too young. Paul Nicolaou’s name is drifting about, despite the Pittwater
palaver. Local branch president Steve Russell is seen as a sorta kinda maybe
wannabe. Serial contender Johnathon O’Dea has been stalking the seat of
Davidson, but try to fill the Epping vacancy. Then there’s MLC Greg Pearce, who
lives in fear of a David Clarke jihad. The lower house might be safer.

Rannslide
halted? It wasn’t just the Rice Bubbles popping at breakfast time in Adelaide this morning. An Advertiser poll
suggesting two seats seen as certs for the ALP
mightn’t be shoo-ins sent Labor apparatchiks’ blood pressure through the roof.
Don’t say Saturday’s election might actually be interesting?

Recipe of the Day. Something about the Opening Ceremony has us craving Buffalo chicken wings (could it be the flying trams?). Or how about trying Leunig’s Duck a l’Orange.

Send your snippets to christian@crikey.com.au