It is costing $613,000 and does have a serious side, including establishing the demographics of owners, pet health data, costs associated with caring for pets and the wellbeing impacts of animal companionship.
Oddie just can’t get past the vision of owners asking their precious pets questions such as “who’s a good boy?” and “what do you prefer for dinner?”.
And while dogs, cats and all manner of pets will clearly need human assistance to complete the census, Oddie would like to see a telephone version for parrots and cockatoos, who could provide their own response to key questions such as “Polly want a cracker?”.
It’s twinkle time
There are rules about voting places with which volunteers handing out how-to-vote cards have to comply, but there’s one they would just love to break.
Apparently, this flagrant breach of electoral rules would have cross-party and independent support at the pre-poll taking place at the old Oke’s Toy Warehouse in Shepparton.
The volunteers are human, and they have needs, but when nature calls they are not allowed to take off their political T-shirts and badges and pop inside to use the toilets.
Instead, they have to get in the car and drive down the road to the nearest public convenience.
The community election
The Seven Network is promoting the ‘Screen of Dreams’ and the ‘Panic Station’ as part of its guaranteed “call the election first” election coverage, but if you want an alternative free from glitz and gimmicks then tune into community radio 98.5 One FM from 6pm on Saturday night.
Host Terri Cowley isn’t promising to call anything, other than a bunch of locals with some insight into how the Nicholls election race is going.
News correspondent Darren Linton and pundit Anthony Brophy are confirmed, and Broph might even spin a few vinyl classics between booth results.
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