CHASER fever has extended to the Senate estimates committee, where Liberal senator Russell Trood was quizzing the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the lads' blimp-over-the-Vatican prank. In what likely came as a relief to Trood's former colleague, the entertaining Adelaide Advertiser columnist Alexander Downer, it was revealed that Craig Reucassel and his fellow airship artists did not seek consular assistance. The following exchange then took place:

DFAT official Greg Moriarty: "Australian men are obliviously entitled to standard consular services that we provide Australians."

Trood: "And women I think."

Labor senator John Faulkner: "Don't worry, Senator Trood, when you fly into the Vatican in a hot air balloon, we'll help you too."

Trood: "I'm very assured by that, minister, and I'm grateful for it. It's something I'm very likely to be doing."

Source: The Australian: "Strewth" 4 June 2009