AS easy as it can be to be distracted by the clapped-out vaudeville of question time, one should never forget the fun to be had in Senate estimates, where no subject is left untouched. Take this exchange between Defence Minister John Faulkner and Queensland senator Russell Trood on the topic of paying for the transfer of military pets:

Faulkner: "I think the difficulty is more that you might have someone with a very small number of, say, small domestic animals versus someone with herds of animals, literally. This is the sort of issue that arises."

Trood: "Do you have many herds in the Defence Force?"

Faulkner: "Well, some of our Defence personnel, like many others in our fair country, have substantial numbers of animals and the like. They might have literally stables full of horses, for example." As it turns out, encouragingly, there is an arkload of beasts in the Defence Force, with $2.6 million being shelled out (yes, an artillery pun) in 2007-08 to 3468 members to shift more than 11,000 pets. Some of them were listed, but Trood, who may have an ichthyological bent, was disappointed: "No aquariums?"

Faulkner assured him there were aquariums, adding, "But you will need to wait just a little longer to find out about them."

Trood: "I am on the edge of my seat, minister."

Faulkner: "Senator, please don't fall off."

strewth@theaustralian.com.au