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David Leyonhjelm's election to the Senate courtesy NSW donkey voters is the true-life legend that inspires minor parties.
With nominations for the NSW state election closing on Thursday at noon, voters could see the biggest field of upper house hopefuls since 1999, when 264 candidates bamboozled the public with a six-tier ballot paper dubbed the "tablecloth".
That time around, Glenn Druery was credited with lining up a preference flow that resulted in the minor parties being elected.
They even called him the "preference whisperer" after the cowboy book and film about horse breaking and love. Druery's success prompted major players to change the rules to stop the minnows bothering them.
There are 19 parties and Druery predicted a minor party could be elected if the NSW Electoral Commission puts it in the coveted position on the left of the ballot paper.
Druery thought the No Land Tax Party could be a real chance if it won the sweet spot.
"They're standing in every lower house seat, they're obviously well-resourced and their recognition factor is way ahead of other minor parties," he said.
James Ruben, the No Land Tax Party's upper house ticket leader, said his party wanted to direct its preferences in lower house electorates to major parties that most supported its reform of state tax systems but would be quite happy with winning a spot in the upper house, too.
Baird's bus gets tagged
One person's graffiti artist may be another person's vandal.
And one or the other plastered Premier Mike Baird's campaign bus as it slumbered in a Katoomba street overnight, waiting to go out on the hustings.
The side of the bus was plastered with pictures, tags and messages, including the words "not welcome" scrawled over the top of the Coalition's campaign slogan, "keep NSW working".
Baird was in Katoomba to unveil $4 million in funding to bring yet-to-be-determined events to the Blue Mountains, as its economy returns to form after devastating bushfires.
"The natural beauty of the Blue Mountains would provide the perfect backdrop for an opera or theatrical performance," Baird said. "We will be funding a great event here, an annual event, in the near future."
The bus graffiti inspired a question about the money being used for an exhibition of local art.
"It is an art town," Baird chuckled. "We're very happy to see that some times but other times not so [happy]. But it's a campaign and in every campaign, people express themselves."
Long way to poll if you want a sausage roll
How far would you go to vote for a politician? One kilometre, two, three, four?
Pity poor voters of Whiporie in the northern NSW electorate of Clarence.
They will have to drive up to 45 kilometres to vote now that the NSW Electoral Commission has closed their polling booth.
The booth has been part of Whiporie's democratic life for as long as the locals can remember. Ninety-one people voted (three informals) at the Whiporie Hall in a 2011 by-election.
Although the commission offers its iVote system to electors who live more than 20 kilometres from the nearest booth, Greens candidate for Clarence and Whiporie local Janet Cavanaugh has called on the commission to reinstate the polling booth. "There are several other booths where the vote was lower," she said. Only 48 voted at Baryulgil.
Summer Hill follies
The Liberals' woman for Summer Hill, Julie Passas, is living proof of the perils of trying to serve two levels of government.
She is also an Ashfield councillor and on Tuesday night some council colleagues voted to formally censor her over an incident last November.
Not a good look in the middle of a state election - but then Passas has a stormy history in municipal politics involving expulsions, threats and AVOs.
Passas claims she does not know what happened in the council chambers because "I did not attend the meeting as my husband had a turn".
But seven Ashfield councillors supported the censure motion after her fellow Liberal councillors walked out.
The motion states she had breached the Model Code of Conduct for council officials and asked for the following public apology:
"In particular I acknowledge that my behaviour constituted intimidation, harassment and verbal abuse and was a failure by me to treat that Council staff member with respect. I also acknowledge that by approaching the Council staff member to discuss the road works and by doing so in an overbearing or threatening manner and by placing pressure on him in the performance of his work was a breach of the Model Code.
"I also hereby give my undertaking that I will not publicly make negative or derogatory comments regarding this complaint or the outcome or the Code of Conduct process including to the media."
Passas referred inquiries to Liberal HQ.
Thought bubbling
Tony Abbott effortlessly roared into the NSW election campaign with his comment that taxpayers should not be expected to fund the "lifestyle choices" of Australians living in remote communities.
Deputy Labor leader Linda Burney, speaking on the ABC's Sydney radio station 702 was quick to label his the Prime Minister's views as "outrageous".
Burney said remote communities were not "lifestyle choices but culture".
