On the train this morning our driver told a story while we were delayed and waiting to find a berth at Flinders Street.

He said he had been told that the Australian navy is so broke that to raise money it is having to grow and sell oranges. He had thought this was nonsense until this morning but now he sees it’s true since he had just eaten a piece of fruit with a sticker that said “naval orange”.

Not great, although it did make me smile. But what really charmed me was that the incompetence of this Labor Government is now so universally understood – even by those who are going to vote for them – that this is the kind of joke that train drivers tell their passengers. It must be common knowledge which does give me hope. That Labor is utterly bereft of talent, ability and ideas this I knew but my worry was would anyone else notice and even if they did, would they vote to throw them out. My worry always is can the country be bought off. Can there be one more set of fairy tales that will get these people back over the line.

Anyway, Andrew Bolt has the latest poll results:

Essential Media poll yesterday: Labor 45, Coalition 55

Roy Morgan poll today: Labor 42, Coalition 58

I’m a pessimist from way back. That these people won in 2007 and won again in 2010 only reinforced my sense that competence doesn’t matter or at least not as much as it should, and with 80% of the media behind them that maybe they will make it back again or only lose by a small margin. But if train drivers know the ALP is ruining our national defence, they must know a lot more as well about the harm the ALP have done. And if they know it, I can only hope it will influence their vote.