CANBERRA: The National Party will reconvene a meeting of its federal MPs to reconsider yesterday’s party room decision against renewing the long-standing coalition with the Liberal Party.

A National Party source said questions had been raised since the meeting about the legitimacy of the vote taken to break with the Liberals.

“A couple of our MPs lodged requests with the leader David Littleproud’s office for a fresh party room meeting because of two alleged discrepancies in Tuesday’s vote,” a senior National Party identity said.

“For starters there is doubt that Barnaby Joyce’s vote was counted because of the usual position he assumes in the party room. (main picture)

“It’s claimed his hand was hard to see when he raised it when the coalition split question was put, so it’s not clear which way he voted.

“Second, there has been a complaint that Queensland Senator Matt Canavan (below) was barred from entering the party room yesterday so he couldn’t vote.

“It’s been alleged that our party’s chief whip Mark Coulton barred Matt from entering the room.

“Apparently Mark mistook Matt for NT Senator Jacinta (unintelligible) Price who has, as you know, defected to sit with the Libs right after the election.

“We hope that the second meeting will be held as soon as possible. Certainly before 10am as Barnaby has requested,” the source said.

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WASHINGTON DC: The US Government agency responsible for setting and measuring time has announced a major overhaul that will affect clocks across the nation.

A spokesperson for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) said its Time Measurement and Analysis Service had been tasked with re-evaluating the currently accepted standard of a 24-hour day.

“NIST has received an executive order from the White House signed by President Trump to undertake this new project,” a NIST spokesperson said.

“This work is necessary because of the President’s previously stated intention to settle the Ukraine-Russia war on his first day in office.

“We hope that the length of a new US standard day will be known very soon. At this stage it looks like being at least 2,904 of what we now know as hours, but even that figure is likely to blow out considerably,” the spokesperson said.

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ROME: The Vatican says Pope Leo XIV has enjoyed immensely the past few days marking his official inauguration as global head of the Catholic Church.

“His Holiness really enjoyed almost all aspects of the celebrations,” a papal spokesperson said.

“The only jarring notes were comments made to the Holy Father by US Vice-President JD Vance who criticised him for not wearing a suit when they met.

“But he did enjoy meeting most other world leaders, apart from that chap from Austria, or was it Australia, who overstayed his welcome by rabbiting on about his Italian name and his mum.” (below)

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