The New South Wales Government, nominally led by Nathan Rees, is arrogant, incompetent, out of touch and willing to totally disregard the wishes of the electorate. Nothing matters so much as retaining a AAA-credit rating, even when there is little or no credit to take.

The caucus, little more than a shop-front for the Sussex Street office of the ALP state branch, took its contempt for democracy to a new level today, when former Unions NSW boss John Robertson was chosen to join the cabinet.

Australia Day on Monday: the 221st anniversary of the arrival of a British naval fleet to dump its nation's surplus prisoners in a distant misunderstood continent. There's way too much going on in Sydney on any given January 26 to take in within the scope of one day, but I make a point of spending at least some time each year joining the indigenous community's Survival Day carnival.

There is no sport and no sporting competition in the world where a team can suddenly and unaccountably include a world record holder in their lineup for a Grand Final, when that player has not been part of the squad for any part of the tournament leading up to that final. No sport, that is, apart from the under-regulated, money-hungry sub-sport of Twenty20(TM) Cricket.

Here, belatedly, are my BoG votes for the final three days of that magnificent Third Test between Australia and South Africa at the SCG (for which I was present for the first five hours of Day Three):

Day Three:
3 pts - Mark Boucher;
2 pts - Peter Siddle;
1 pt - Morne Morkel.

Day Four:
3 pts - Ricky Ponting;
2 pts - Simon Katich;
1 pt - Mike Hussey.

Day Five:
3 pts - Peter Siddle;
2 pts - Hashim Amla;
1 pt - Graeme Smith.