Open thread

I am taking a few days off to talk to travel and to people with interests in biodiversity, water and land use management in the Murray-Darling Basin. My main interest is in thinking about water and land management policies with joint biodiversity and agricultural benefits. Eventually I will post on these issues.

Please take advantage of this open thread to raise anything that interests you about the world.

I will be interested to read the new electoral opinion polls on Monday. My tip is a small preference shift to the Coalition - one that will disappoint Coalition supporters but one that will give some comfort to Coalition supporters.

Taking of comfort one’s heart must go out to Mr. Rudd this morning for the unfortunate remarks of his foreign affairs spokesman, Robert McClelland. He argues publicly that we should not get too close to the US given the emerging power of China. Nor should we sign a defense treaty with Japan or enter into joint talks with allies such as India for the same reason. China might be offended by the notion we are trying to encircle it.

This is one of the clowns Labor wants the Australian people to trust with foreign affairs and the security of our nation.

Even the pro-Labor Age told him to shut-up on this one – in the world of diplomacy it is often best to say nothing.

But I suppose even McClelland’s stupidity must have caused Rudd less heartache than his strategist Rod Cameron telling him that he must indeed get tough with the unrepresentative union bosses.