Peter Debnam's Axis of Evil

Following the deposal of Police Minister Carl Scully, the Opposition has announced a strategy designed to depose a further three ministers - Joe Tripodi, Frank Sartor and Michael Costa.

And, I can reveal (perhaps exclusively), that telephone push-polling has been taking place in sensitive State seats, asking residents whether they would vote for a government who endorsed the above three Ministers.

You've got to love push-polling.

To look at it objectively, it's not a bad strategy. It is possible that Joe Tripodi may be felled by his latest imbroglio - but this would have nothing to do with the Opposition. Nevertheless, they'd hardly miss the opportunity of crowing over earning a `second scalp'. As to the others - it would be extremely unlikely. I admit to initially being extremely sceptical about the appointment of Costa as Treasurer, but I have to admit that he appears genuinely across the issues and to be doing a decent job. Meanwhile, Sartor has just been jostled back into his seat of Rockdale to avoid preselection. I'm certainly not implying that the above three Ministers are the most popular fellows in the government (when Coalition MP Andrew Fraser took a swing at Tripodi in the parliamentary chamber, it's said that a few on his own side couldn't help but quietly cheer him on - including former friend Carl Scully), but it's terribly ambitious to even suggest you might claim the head of the Treasurer.

Given the push polling, I would interpret the policy as exactly that - an attempt to highlight particular Ministers rather than make a serious attempt to bring them down.