There are several things lacking in the man who holds the balance of power in the Senate, Family First Senator Steve Fielding. The main problem is that Fielding has spent three years being a stuntmeister instead of honing his negotiating skills, focusing on policy and developing the strategic side of his brain.

For the first time in months, the Prime Minister spoke on budget measures without referring to a “cheat sheet” of budget facts and delivered telling political lines without bureaucratic jargon. Instead of “prosecuting a process of economic responsibility”, Rudd whacked the Coalition for backing “Porsche drivers” instead of working families.

Family First senator Steve Fielding sided with the Coalition this morning to vote down the increase in the luxury car tax at the second reading, 34 votes to 33. Senator Fielding had wanted to exempt farmers and those in the tourism industry who use cars, worth more than the tax threshold of $57,180, as tools of trade.

Kevin Rudd is determined to be different, to live up to his promise of being a fresh politician who not only has new ideas but also sticks to what he says. What’s more, he is not just making this comparison with John Howard and the previous government.

The former treasurer attended the traditional opening of the Senate with the Opposition Leader, putting on a show of unity as the pair laughed and joked during ceremony. Mr Costello is widely believed to be backing Dr Nelson’s leadership against any potential challenge by treasury spokesman Malcolm Turnbull.

While shadow cabinet has resolved to block the tax, the Opposition Leader’s office is refusing to release details until after tomorrow’s partyroom meeting. But senior Liberals said today that Woodside’s warning the tax may have to be passed on to consumers “strengthened the arm” of its critics.

This week was a week of number twos on a variety of fronts. In the US, Joe Biden became Barack Obama’s new sidekick, while in Australia, the minor parties in the Senate geared up to take on their new roles as second fiddles. Meanwhile, in the entertainment world, ‘Stargate Atlantis’ was cancelled and replaced by ‘Stargate Universe’.

f there was a large swing against Labor in Western Australia, let alone a loss, it would send a jolt right across a continent papered with wall-to-wall Labor governments. Inevitably, federal Labor would feel a touch nervous. This would affect the mood for the busy spring parliamentary session and Labor’s work on its extensive agenda.

Not only is Brendan Nelson advocating big budget cuts, he is proposing the spending of billions more on pensions. Every time, however, he attacks the Rudd Government for dudding pensioners, he is indirectly accusing the Howard government of intending to do the very same thing, simply because Labor pilfered John Howard’s $4 billion pensioner policy during the last election campaign, embellished it a little, and then implemented in it full in the budget.

The Opposition Leader said that the Coalition’s “natural disposition” was to support anything that would reduce the harm associated with drug and alcohol abuse. “But having examined the evidence which led to this particular budget initiative, we have made a decision that we will not be supporting the excise increase,” he said today.