While most of the nation has reverted to paying little attention to federal politics, the town where I live (Canberra) has been soaking in it. Last week we witnessed three leadership contests (Greens, Nationals and Liberals) and one nasty stoush over the dumping of Cabinet ministers Ed Husic and Mark Dreyfus.

The reason I mention the ALP brawl is because it was so disappointing to see a reversion to type in the nasty factional muscle-flexing. Some good journalism from Nikki Savva brought the details to light. She spoke directly to high-level sources and found out what had happened. With a record number of at least 93 seats won by the ALP, and 39 Cabinet-level ministries, there was always going to be a scramble, but, writing in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Savva described a nasty scene. She said, after months of discipline it all fell apart when Deputy Prime Minster Richard Marles, who is head of the right faction in Victoria, defied cool-headed colleagues and cut Dreyfus and Husic off the list to go into Cabinet. (Under ALP rules, Caucus, underpinned by the factions, chooses the pool of Cabinet candidates: the PM hands out the portfolios). In classic Savva style, she said if Cabinet posts were decided on merit, Marles should be the first to go. It was particularly unnecessary and unpleasant for two reasons: Dreyfus had offered to step away before the election and had been urged to stay, and Husic, the only Muslim in Cabinet, had been a standout in the ALP in speaking out on Palestine, defying the party hierarchy.

And all this just when many of us thought we had seen a ray of light on orderly government, and thought we had voted for decency in government.

Over the campaign we talked often about the change in the nature of modern campaigning and the rise of social media as a force, appealing directly to a younger generations of voters that now outnumber Baby Boomers. The architect of the winning campaign, National Secretary of the ALP Paul Erickson, will speak at the National Press Club this week. I will be there on your behalf to ask about social media and truth in advertising, and will bring readers the highlights.

Many of you have reacted to the story late last week on the tide finally turning in some Western media outlets on Palestine. Today we run a piece documenting a shift in scholarly attitudes also. We take as much news direct from the region as we can, with a few particularly brave correspondents, like Refaat Ibrahim, writing for us from the epicentre of the war itself.

Don’t forget one of the new features of the website is the Al Jazeera news feed; scroll right to the bottom of the home page to find it.

Postscript: readers will be saddened and shocked to hear of the news that Ali Kazak died on Sunday on the way to Palestine. An extraordinary man, he was the central figure in Australia defending Palestine and the rights of Palestinians ever since he immigrated here in 1970. Today we re-run the tribute his close friend Stuart Rees wrote for us last year. More will follow in coming days.

Until next week.