Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi says his persistence has paid off as election results confirm he will be one of the party leaders sharing power in the country’s new right-wing government.

Mr Berlusconi, who has been relaxing at an Italian beachside resort (main picture) since the election, said he was pleased to be finally returning to government after previously leading four governments between 1994 and 2011.

His Bunga Bunga Party will share power with two other right-wing parties in a government to be led by Italy’s likely new prime minister and the first woman to hold the job, Giorgia Meloni.

“I am looking forward to grappling with Giogia, I mean working with Giorgia in grappling with the problems that face Italy,” he said.

Mr Berlusconi said he had been a strong and hard-working member of parliament which had helped return his party to government.

“Nobody knows a stronger and harder member than mine…., I mean than me,” he said.

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News Crap Australia commentator James Morrow has been reinstated after what insiders say was “a misunderstanding” about comments he made recently on his Sky News “after dark” program.

Mr Morrow (below) was taken off air following comments he made on air during a 25 September Outsiders political commentary program on Sky News.

Sources within Sky News told The Bug the action was evidence of a “hyper-sensitive” approach being taken by the Murdoch-controlled News Crap Australia in the wake of Lachlan  Murdoch’s decision to launch a defamation action against Australian news website Crikey.

“Everyone is walking on eggshells at the moment,” the source said. “So when James was on air and described someone as an ‘increasingly senescent two-bit Nero’ all hell broke loose.

“Sky News management immediately took him off the air and stood him down, fearful of the repercussions of allowing anyone to describe Rupert Murdoch in such derogatory, disrespectful, and indeed defamatory terms.

“James stood his ground and was quick to explain that he was actually talking about US President Joe Biden.

“Once the confusion was cleared up he was back on air in no time,” the source said.

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Sources close to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have confirmed claims made in last night’s ABC TV’s Four Corners program that he could take credit for the delivery of same-sex marriage in Australia.

“It was a piece of sheer political brilliance on my,… I mean Peter’s part,” said Peta Du Tonn, (below) a neighbour and confidant of Mr Dutton’s from the near Brisbane township of Dayboro.

“To pull it off I, …. he needed to put people off the scent, so to speak.

“It was his persistence in speaking against same-sex marriage whenever he could as well as voting against the amending legislation whenever he had the chance that really helped to cover his tracks when he was delivering this major social reform,” she said.