Monday With the euphoria of World Youth Day at last dying down, Australians refreshed by the week-long shower of spirituality get back to business: arguing about emissions trading and wondering what in heck has got into the Raiders.
On the interest-rate front the latest in the endless series of reports on where interest rates could go next offers no clue for householders. The Reserve Bank's next move on rates could just as likely be to send them higher as it might be to cut them, it says. People with mortgages go back to the recipe books looking for tasty things to do with bread and dripping.
The Government's list of petrol-guzzling cars turns out to match very closely the kinds of cars favoured by government departments, employees on salary packages and MPs.
Word leaks out of an incident at at O'Connor bar the previous night. "I just need to go and do a Carney," is about to enter the lexicon.
Tuesday
Zed Seselja's dairy: "My cunning plan has worked - our announcement on smaller class sizes. Sure it will take four years to make it happen, by which time most kids will be in private schools anyway, but the upside is that we may need small classes in just one small school the rest of the school sites can become direct factory outlets."
Tim Fischer turns down Amanda Vanstone's offer for him to stay on the Armani sofa bed.
Wednesday
The inscrutable Brendan Nelson offers Peter Costello a shadow cabinet position "with a bullet", thereby giving the Canberra press gallery something to do for the rest of the week while it tries to figure out what that actually means. Costello wonders whether to go out and buy a new suit for shadow ministry meetings or a bullet-proof vest.
Singapore cancels the traditional ASEAN end of conference skit night. "Without Alexander Downer doing his howling at the moon impersonation, it wouldn't be the same," a spokesman says. Stephen Smith sighs with relief.
Jayant Patel gets bail and asks to be left alone, echoing the alleged pleas made by his patients in Queensland some years earlier.
Thursday
Zed Seselja's diary: ``At last, clear air for our big announcement about duplicating the Gungahlin Drive Extension. Nobody knows it's coming. You beauty.''
Later on: ``Drat that Stanhope. Just looked at the newspaper he's stolen my dual carriageway! I'd like to make him a piece of public art work, on Easter Island.''
Jon Stanhope on his GDE announcement: "This is responsible planning and management. In fact it's so good I don't know why I didn't think of it before."
John Hargreaves just rolls his eyes.
Friday
Support staff at Parliament House warn they may strike over stalled pay negotiations when MPs return for the spring session.
This will lead to Federal Government paralysis.
Keen observers contemplate what difference that will make.
News that Canberra home rental prices are surging comes as little surprise to residents of the latest housing development.
"Welcome to the Shoe Box and truth in advertising," the display home brochure says.
"At the Shoe Box, all your dreams come true. We have combined the latest mod cons with a compact setting that remains affordable."
Investors flock in and buy up, especially appreciating the built-in triple-bunk beds.