The resignation of Greens Leader Christine Milne obviously didn’t affect this week’s numbers, but they undoubtedly will next week.

Still no real rise in coverage for Treasurer Joe Hockey, only a week out from his second budget, but plenty of coverage for the Social Services Minister Scott Morrison as he announced around $250 million for nannies to help shift workers, people in remote areas and others who can’t access mainstream child care services, the first salvo in the working family friendly budget to come.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was also significantly higher as he weighed in on the back of un petit scandal that saw some media claim that Australia’s Ambassador to France had offered to resign after Prime Minister Tony Abbott had supposedly snubbed his partner, but also for some actual policy issues, as he again compromised on the Renewable Energy Target to try and finalise a deal with the government and opposed calls for a binding ALP vote on same-sex marriage.

The controversy over  Queensland state MP Billy Gordon — expelled from the ALP and now sitting as an independent — and the use of his vote by the government to secure a majority, pushed him, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg well up the list. And finally Clive Palmer made an appearance in the top 20, but mainly because of legal issues relating to his business, as he had a victory in the courts against Chinese partner CITIC.

Crikey Political Index: April 30 – May 6

Anger over the execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran remained a strong theme across social media this week.

Social Media Top Five

Talkback had a broad range of issues this week, from the executions through pensions to childcare and a touch of the French affair.

Talkback Top Five

The birth of an English child of German heritage who will almost certainly never have any official connection to Australia (unless she is knighted) received almost as much television coverage as the Prime Minister a week out from the Budget, and more than twice as many social media mentions.

Comparison of media mentions

The birth of an English child of German heritage who will almost certainly never have any official connection to Australia (unless she is knighted) received almost as much television coverage as the Prime Minister a week out from the Budget, and more than twice as many social media mentions.