Enough to drive you to drink

Oh yes, Australians and alcohol. Don't ever mention that they can't hold their liquor or you'll have a True Blue Bonzer fatwa on your head. But you gotta love 'em when they're pissed, at least they're mostly good for a laugh. Like Peter Black, NSW Labor MP. Entering the chamber of the Lower House totally trollied late Wednesday night, Black then lunged at a female MP in his best Frankenstein's Monster impersonation, arms outstretched. Thus, in passing, demontrating neatly how Australian men try to woo Australian women - WOMAN!! MUST HAVE WOMAN!!! Maybe one of these days they'll stop dragging their knuckles.

But the best thing is: after an opposition MP brought a motion to have Black expelled from Parliament for being, ahem, tired and emotional, Black then voted with Labor against that motion - not too hammered to save his own hide, old Peter.

And now, while the media is doing their aftermaths, it turns out that some (all? most? a fair number of?) Australian MPs are so regularly drunk on the job, legislation might have to be passed to outlaw drinking and voting on policies. One would have thought that bleedin' obvious - if you're playing with people's lives, rorting politician pond scum that you are, at least screw us over soberly.

But not in Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi. Nope, here they regularly get bladdered at lunch already before, say, cutting the welfare, education and hospital budget again. Australian politics makes a lot more sense all of a sudden. It's enough to drive you to drink.