Federal Cabinet met today and launched a raft of crazy new policies (no, literally, they’re crazy. It’s like they intend to call an election tomorrow or something).

• The most worrying proposal, and the one getting all the airtime, is the plan for a smartcard to replace every other Federal card service. I’m glad they didn’t go for the big goal of Australia Card 2.0, but will this card really be all that different? Sure it’ll help to make health services less inconvenient, but the data mining possibilities are enormous. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be concerned — after all, SmartRider still doesn’t work correctly
• Also widely discussed is the plan to sell Medibank Private. I have no take on this issue other than to say “what, you’re surprised?”
• Not so talked-about is Downer’s announcement of a new focus for Australian government aid in our region, right alongside his reprimand of China and Taiwan over ‘chequebook diplomacy’. It actually seems like a good plan, although I doubt it’ll have the far-reaching impact that it aims for.

Some of my other discoveries today:

• This post about the consultancy McKinsey struck me, since I’ve previously considered applying to work there, what with their campus recruiting being so very very slick. Two years in a row they’ve sent me shiny postcards saying “come work for us”!
• What’s up with Google and the Da Vinci Code cross-promotion? Have they gone and sold out to a film company?
• On the topic of Google: drinking out of coconuts! Maybe I should try to get a job there instead.
• And finally: I want one of these.