Crikey readers are full of wit. It’s been a tough decision, but we’ve narrowed down the finalists (and winner!) of the ‘name Brendan Nelson’s banner’ competition.
Brendan Nelson 
Crikey Competition: Brendan’s banner: The Winners
Crikey Competition: Put your words on Brendan’s banner
In a cheesy display of self publicity, Brendan Nelson bid his supporters farewell by standing on the side of the road with a hand drawn “Thank You” banner. Time for a Crikey Competition: write your own Brendan Nelson banner!
Big tick for Beazley/Nelson
appointments
This week’s Essential Report comes in with a two-party preferred vote of 59-41 -– a 1-point gain to the ALP — and finds Aussies give a thumbs-up to Brendan Nelson and Kim Beazley’s ambassadorial appointments.
Shanahan: Can we cope til Copenhagen?
PM Kevin Rudd wants to be a world leader on climate change, not a pleb following the global pack. Malcolm Turnbull wants the exact opposite, writes Dennis Shanahan.
The next leader of the Liberal Party will be…
Who will be the next Liberal Prime Minister? Malcolm Turnbull is almost certain to lose the next election, yet Joe Hockey is too bumbling and Tony Abbott too Catholic, says Rob Chalmbers.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The wage gap
Crikey readers get worked up over the wage gap between men and women, new diplomat Brendan Nelson and double dissolution. Plus, Pfizer’s official response.
Bradfield, the land of true maverick conservatives
All 20 candidates in this Saturday’s Bradfield preselection must be pondering one major question: exactly what do local Liberal Party preselectors in a safe seat look for in a candidate?
Environment shouldn’t be a ball in political game
The latest Newspoll tells the real double dissolution story: the electorate wants an Emissions Trading Scheme but it doesn’t want an early election over it.
Crikey Says: A week in the life of Australia’s greatest living political hypocrite
Brendan Nelson learns the patriotic art of lying for one’s country.
Allo, Allo! Postcard from Luxembourg
Australia’s newest Ambassador to the EU, Brendan Nelson, drops Crikey a line from glittering Luxembourg City, Luxembourg — the “Albania of Western Europe”.
Bradfield preselection shows NSW Libs have changed
At this Saturday’s Bradfield preselection at the Hornsby RSL, one of the front runners will be a conservative who also happens to be openly gay, although Irfan Yusuf doubts that he’ll be wearing a skivvy.
Crabb: Is the Coalition a bunch of union bigwigs?
The Opposition is like a “crumbly old trade union”, writes Annabel Crabb. The evidence? Tony Abbott declared an industrial dispute on Question Time and threatened to strike.
Hartcher: Rudd plays nicely with the other team
Australian pollies aren’t known for their bipartisanship, although PM Kevin Rudd is changing that with his latest ambassadorial postings. Or, is Rudd just forward planning for his own career? asks Peter Hartcher.
Nelson taunts Turnbull with diplomatic posting
Is Brendan Nelson, Australia’s brand new ambassador to the European Union and NATO, one of our most cunning politicians? asks Paul Colgan.
Fair shares: Nelson gets the EU, Beazley gets US
In another deft display of bipartisanship, Kevin Rudd has immediately followed Brendan Nelson’s farewell to Parliament with a surprise announcement that the former Opposition Leader will be appointed EU and NATO Ambassador.
Crikey Says: Overseas postings: send your critics far, far away
The Prime Minister had big news this morning, announcing Kim Beazley and Brendan Nelson as new ambassadors. Is Mark Latham’s ambassadorial posting due any second now?
Nelson: high on rhetoric, low on policy
Brendan Nelson’s speech failed to explain his justification for the war on Iraq and highlights how the Opposition just wants to stand for something, writes Gary Sauer-Thompson.
Nelson’s final speech expresses no regrets
Brendan Nelson’s farewell speech, praising both the Howard and Rudd governments, restored some much needed decency to the chamber, writes Dennis Shanahan.
Crabb: Nelson’s piercing and emotional goodbye
Brendan Nelson is known for his tear jerking speeches and his final one to Parliament was no different, writes Annabel Crabb.
Full text of Nelson’s farewell speech: the earring saga explained
Brendan Nelson’s final speech to Parliament yesterday, discussing his earring, the misunderstood George W. Bush and giving a parting shot to the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Brendan Nelson’s parting shot: Don’t sign climate change deal
In his farewell speech Brendan Nelson has urged Libs not to be “intellectual lemmings” on emissions trading until other nations’ intentions are known; Malcolm Turnbull, lemming, wants to negotiate.
Political snippets: Turnbull or Nelson? It’s all the same to the polls
There’s one message we can take from the consistency of the opinion polls. Sacking Brendan Nelson to put in Malcolm Turnbull as head of the Liberal Party did not work.
Stimulus package ‘blow out’ worth it
PM Kevin Rudd needs to convince voters that the economic stimulus package did stave off recession, even with its issues of money wastage and poor service delivery, says Phillip Coorey.
