Warren Truss - Nationals Leader and now rural firefighter

I don't for one minute imagine that Nationals Leader Warren Truss thought that part of his job description during this federal election campaign included a sugar bag and a bucket of sand to put out Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's rural and regional spot fires before the wind fanned them into electoral blazes.

However it is rumoured that is how he is spending at least part of his time.

Unfortunately he was a little slow off the mark when it came to Abbott's intention to fully implement the former Howard Government's Murray-Darling Basin water plan, which in 2006-07 appeared to include possibly damming and diverting the Clarence River on the NSW North Coast.

It seems Warren was reduced to running behind the flames as they sped across the Northern Rivers by word of mouth, beamed out over the airwaves and lobbed on front lawns in print form. Apparently more than a few locals are literally incandescent with rage over the thought that they may have to again fight to 'Keep the Clarence Mighty' and he doesn't want anymore media attention on the subject ahead of polling day.

Fireman found at www.canario.co.uk