"KERRY O'BRIEN: Given the mood in this State you could do what the Liberal Government in Tasmania did in 1998 and what the German Government has done twice post war and have an early election.

You could circumvent the four year fixed term by organising a vote of no confidence in your own government and going to the Governor for dissolution; put yourselves out of your misery.

[pause]

NATHAN REES: Is that a serious suggestion?

KERRY O'BRIEN: Well, It is. It would be against your own self interest though, wouldn’t it?"

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.

Outrage, rightly, for the decision of the BBC and Sky News to not screen the following public service announcement from the Disasters Emergency Committee promoting its Gaza Crisis Appeal. Is it editorially biased to promote a charitable appeal for the victims of war?

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.

New South Wales beat Victoria in a last-ball thriller at the Sydney Olympic Stadium.

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.

The "access denied" problem that was coming up when users clicked on a "tag" link is now fixed. Please let me know if it still causes trouble.

Not content with perpetuating his phony image as a "cricket tragic" at the Test against South Africa this week, John Winston Howard was revealed as a recipient of one of not-soon-enough-ex President Bush's final batch of "Presidential Medals of Freedom". (Along with Tony Blair and Alvaro Uribe, no less.)

It hasn't been easy coming up with a full set of 3-2-1 BoG points for the first two days of the Sydney Test, but here we go:

Day One:
3 pts - Dale Steyn;
2 pts - Michael Clarke;
1 pt - Mark Boucher.

Day Two:
3 pts - Michael Clarke;
2 pts - Mitchell Johnson;
1 pt - Paul Harris.