Media Performer of the Week

The timing of the Federal election in Australia, and the change of government before the first sitting of parliament creates a vacuum, which can be filled with other news, or politics can be firmly put on the agenda. Kudos then to new Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen, who has managed to inject himself into debates and even occasionally trump his boss, Wayne Swan.

The member for Prospect in Sydney's East, and member of the NSW Right faction, has excelled where his predecessor Peter Dutton always lived in the shadow of Peter Costello. Appropriately, Dutton has been given a shadow finance shadow position.
Let's take a look:

January 13 2008
The Age: Whale hunt on as Greenpeace finds Japan's killer ship
Restraint urged on both sides of the conflict.

January 12 2008
The Australian: Labor to hunt wealthiest tax cheats
Rich tax cheats to be targets.

The Age: Decline no reason to raise rates: Bowen
Reserve Bank independent, but US market troubles should not have banks raising rates.

Herald Sun: Costello to challenge Nelson?
Jumps on Costello for not making clear his leadership ambitions, and hedging with a Macquarie Bank position.

Sydney Morning Herald: Ad crackdown to 'add balance': govt
Airlines and Telcos would need to advertise more inclusive prices so as not to deceive customers

January 11 2008
Fin 24: Clampdown on price-fixers
Cartels face jail time for colluding.

January 10 2008
Money Management: Govt to undo tax changes
With regard to clearing up the treatment of scrip for scrip transactions

So for creating more news than the Treasurer, he wins the Media Performer of the Week, although politics tends to have few performers, so there is no guarantee this will be awarded every week. He can't be accused of being lazy. In the guise of a boxing title belt, consider Bowen to hold the title unless someone outdoes him.