Joseph Poprzeczny

The ranks of those Liberal MPs who are wondering if their leader, Matt Birney, will still be in his position on April 17, his wedding day, swelled markedly just before Christmas, when the Parliamentary Privileges Committee adjudicated on his secret insert

Last week’s in-camera parliamentary privileges committee hearings on Liberal leader Matt Birney’s financial interests statements raised a host of questions that will hopefully be addressed before Christmas.

Last week, State Scene surveyed the opening moves by key Liberal Party financial boffins to ensure their party will soon tap into what’s called state public funding of parties.

President George W Bush’s decision to militarily engage America’s sworn Middle Eastern enemies at the head of a ‘coalition of the willing’ has resulted in numerous unexpected outcomes, not all of which are welcomed by his dogmatic critics.

A view has begun to emerge around State Parliament and the major political parties that the Gallop government is approaching a fork in the road.

Last week’s bagging of junior minister Bob Kucera’s scalp wasn’t a day too soon for Liberal leader Matt Birney, since a consensus was emerging within party ranks that, while he’d made a fairly good start in February, little had happened since to cheer up

History, like life in general, can be most unkind to some people. Put otherwise, it can be kinder, much kinder, to some while not so to others.

Hardly a year passes without a new development that focuses on the loss of Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney, off Carnarvon, on November 19 1941.

With Labor leader Kim Beazley registering poor polling ratings it’s little wonder discomfort is showing across Labor ranks.