Just eat the rich

ALEX Coram, professor of political economy at the University of Western Australia, will speak on why the poor do not simply use the ballot box to get rid of the rich.

Senator lobbied for NSW powerbroker in factional feud

THE outspoken South Australian Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has angered some of his colleagues by playing an active role in saving the preselection of the NSW powerbroker David Clarke.

Neal comes out swinging in seat fight

BELINDA NEAL faces a preselection fight for her Central Coast seat of Robertson.

Bishop accused of dodging Turnbull

LIBERAL deputy Julie Bishop has been accused of ducking an invitation to flank Malcolm Turnbull at a crucial press conference as he fought for his political life.

Storm of protest as connections left out to dry

GAI WATERHOUSE labelled the decimation of yesterday's The Coach and Horses Hotel Handicap at Randwick a "travesty." Fellow trainer Bill Prain described the decision by Racing NSW stewards to ballot six horses from the juveniles' race "ridiculous".

Eels Battle Gets Uglier

PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald has warned voting members that a divided board would spell disaster as the battle for control of the Eels threatens to spill from the ballot box into the courtroom.

Takeover Of Ahm Gets Green Light

MEDIBANK Private's takeover of Wollongong-based health insurer ahm is almost complete after the majority of members voted to approve the merger in a postal ballot that closed on Friday.

Here's A Vote That Will Affect Your Life

OVER the next week, ballot papers will be sent out for local government elections, and you'll have the chance to cast a vote to determine who will represent your neighbourhood over the next four years.

Buccellati - Noonan's Foreign Jewel

A NORTHERN hemisphere experiment is proving successful for Tony Noonan (right) and long-time client Peter McMahon with Buccellati, a horse they purchased with a view to running in next year's Melbourne Cup, passing the first ballot clause for the race over the weekend.

Difficult To Deny A Ballot-free Pass

It's a bit much to expect a good local Cup challenger when overseas horses are being given a free ride.

Rees Calls Time In Late-night Booze Blitz

NATHAN REES is known to enjoy a drink, but the Premier says even he could not believe what he saw on Sydney's streets when he headed home late on Saturday night after his Labor Government's thumping at the ballot box.

Zagreb Boost For Hayes

FOR the second week in a row, premier trainer David Hayes gained a ballot-free runner for next month's Caulfield Cup when Zabeel four-year-old Zagreb came from last in an astonishing effort to win the listed Naturalism Stakes.

Calm Leaders For A Financial Crisis

Only a couple of hours before calling a leadership ballot on Monday, Brendan Nelson's chief of staff, Peter Hendy, and Nelson's chief supporter, Nick Minchin, sat in a meeting of the Liberal Party's policy review committee.

Livni Ahead In Polls On Party Leadership

ISRAEL'S Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, was on track to win today's ballot for the leadership of the ruling Kadima Party, which would put her in line to become Israel's second woman prime minister.

Climate May Change But Policies Won't For Now

A RESURGENT Malcolm Turnbull says he has learnt the lesson of his first defeat at a leadership ballot and is not about to embark on any radical changes in policy without consultation.

Livni Poised To Win Party Ballot And Lead Israeli Coalition

ISRAELI Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is on track to win today's ballot for the leadership of the governing Kadima party that would put her in line to become Israel's second woman prime minister.

Dithering Liberals Get Their Deserts

Two weeks ago, when Federal Parliament last met, Junee's incendiary farmer senator, "Wild Bill" Heffernan, told four Liberal Party colleagues he intended moving a "spill" motion in the Liberals' party room next day to force a new leadership ballot. The date was Monday, September 1. The first day of spring. "Of course I was going to pull it on," Heffernan said yesterday. "I'm f---ing sick of all the speculation."

Record Field Faces Voters

HUNTER voters face a tough choice when they go to the polls this Saturday, with a record field of more than 350 candidates vying for seats on the regions local councils. The surge in candidates has been attributed to State Government electoral reforms, which place political groupings to the left-hand side of the ballot paper, and independents on the right.

Prankster And A Phantom In Senate Vote

TWO words scrawled on a pale blue ballot paper sent whispers shooting around Parliament House yesterday in an upper house whodunit. The job of Senate president went to Labor's John Hogg. He won the job of overseeing the chamber from the big red chair at its head by an overwhelming majority.

92 Vie For Council In The Long Run

IT'S not quite as big as the infamous tablecloth ballot paper that faced NSW voters in 1999 but the more than 60-centimetre-long list of candidates in Campbelltown for next month's local government election would make a nice table runner.