Mark Dawson
I am starting to warm to Australia's controversial policy of deporting undesirables.
They have been sending dodgy characters packing - Kiwis among them - including some who have served prison terms.
But perhaps the real undesirables who should be sent packing are the politicians, who often rarely serve out their full terms.
This week, Malcolm Turnbull became the fourth prime minister in a decade to be ousted by colleagues.
I believe the expression is "stabbed in the front".
Some wag suggested "only three prime ministers till Christmas".
The political carnage has reportedly been so extreme these past few years that emergency workers have stopped asking patients who is prime minister, saying it is no longer a good indicator of their mental state.
But can there really be a dedicated Twitter account that documents who is in charge of the country on a half-hourly basis?
Including the new incumbent, Scott Morrison, of the past six PMs, only two have actually been chosen by the voters.
No wonder there's a certain amount of political apathy across the Tasman.
Australia is one of just 22 countries where it is mandatory to vote in elections, but I guess by now most Aussies would rather pay the A$20 fine that put a tick against one of the double-dealing clowns on offer. The detention centres of Manus Island and Nauru are too good for them.
At least Australia can say it provides us with a valuable - if shameful - lesson in the corrosive effects of power and greed.
We should take note and be grateful there is more moral fibre in the New Zealand Parliament.
And thank god we won the rugby.
Lament for lost cones
In Whanganui, we have seen the light ... unfortunately.
Yes, the traffic lights are all go (or rather red for stop) in the city centre and we must say a quiet lament for those wonderfully improvised four-cone roundabouts.
They boosted traffic flow - and, thus, economic activity - ensuring a neat and nippy navigation at intersections on our way to work.
Now we must sit and twiddle our thumbs and peruse empty lanes to our left and right.
No doubt there is a road safety argument for the traffic lights but - apart from the odd bus sending the cones skittling - there were no accidents at our makeshift roundabouts.
Once drivers got used to them, they were a boon. I shall miss them.
One new and three returning trustees have been elected for the Treaty settlement entity.