The first performance is on Thursday at 7pm and serves as an excellent curtain-raiser for the festival of Australian democracy unfolding across the country.

In fact, when Gang-gang first saw the installation pictured here we couldn't help wondering if truth in advertising regulations had finally been enforced on political parties.

On the subject of clowns and politics, it is curious to see just how applicable Stephen Sondheim's lyrics from A Little Night Music are to the present political contest.

Take for example the words:

''Isn't it rich? Are we a pair?
''Me here at last on the ground
''And you in mid-air
''Send in the clowns.''

And:

''Isn't it bliss? Don't you approve?
''One who keeps tearing around
''And one who can't move
''But where are the clowns?
''Send in the clowns.''

These are wonderful descriptions of the differences between Mr Abbott and Mr Rudd, methinks.

And, on the subject of Kevin:

''Making my entrance again
''With my usual flair
''Sure of my lines, nobody's there.''

And the even more poignant:

''Isn't it rich? Isn't it queer?
''Losing my timing this late in my career
''But where are the clowns?
''Send in the clowns
''Well, maybe next year''.

Wonder if Kev will hum a few bars on Saturday night?

The swooping season is upon us once again and, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, we have The Canberra Times to thank for this wonderfully evocative term which will be included in the next edition of the Australian National Dictionary.

An OED forensic word expert has traced the term back to the following: ''The love/hate relationship between Canberra citizens and their magpies is of very long standing. The September-October swooping season has long been an accepted part of life here.'' (Canberra Times, November 30, 1984).

The OED notes that the magpie attacks are of abiding interest and have prompted a wide range of responses over the years.

Its experts cite a September 1998 Newcastle Herald report that stated: ''The National Parks and Wildlife Service says the best protection against magpie attacks (for cyclists) is to wear an ice cream container as a helmet or a hat (obviously before mandatory bike helmets).''

The more recent development, to use cable ties to create bird deterring entanglements on top of bike helmets, has spread far and wide.

It has even been reported in the Gympie Times.

Gang-gang first noticed that the 2013 ''swooping season'' seemed earlier than usual some weeks ago.

Murrumbateman's most psychotic magpie, pictured, is currently taking great delight in tormenting my two dogs; one of whom still carries severe emotional scarring from being belted up by a seagull in a battle over a potato chip when he was a pup.

We are currently trying to negotiate a dé´tente with the creature that will lead to a sustainable policy of peaceful co-existence.

In the event that this fails (and it's not going well) I am under ever-increasing pressure from the furry family to nuke the bastard.