Barnaby vs Katter Smackdown

I honestly thought Bob Katter was going to crawl through the TV screen during tonight's Lateline debate with Man of the Moment Barnaby Joyce, giving him a right royal dressing down and making him look like an outspoken kid being sent to the principal's office during the first week of school (which, let's not forget, he is).

Joyce is undoubtedly giving out some mixed signals, at one moment favourably comparing his ability to jimmy money out of the government to Brian Harradine's, but then dismissing the idea of being an independent on the basis of its fundamental lack of power; ruing the privatisation of Qantas and the Commonwealth Bank but then implying that he's willing to take the $3bn for Telstra and run if the Qld Nats give it the thumbs up, regardless of the fact that 70% of Queenslanders still oppose the idea.

Katter is absolutely right when he says that what Joyce must realise and use is that he is untouchable, and has a real chance to make himself a hero to his constituents - and just as much of a chance to blow his chance with them by falling at the first hurdle. Why is he throwing away this golden opportunity to have the Howard Government over a barrel? Perhaps Bill Heffernan threatened to do more than just bad mouth him.

Poor old Barnaby looked like he'd rather be anywhere else tonight, and who can blame him. And hey, Barnaby - if you're responsible for selling Telstra, after I stuck my neck out and put in a good word for an actual cork-on-the-hats, Joh-worshipping Nat, I'll come up to Bananaland and I'll .... phhshhhppph hppphssshpppphsssshhhhhh h.....psphsspppph ....... (BROADBAND ACCESS LOST)