Spreading wild rumours isn’t responsible. It is, however, one of the simpler pleasures of life.

In that spirit — and following Joe Kelly of The Australian’s exclusive this afternoon that Senate President Stephen Parry, an undertaker in a former life who appears to have played some embalming tricks on a political career that may have been ruled dead otherwise last Friday, is potentially a British citizen — it’s only fair to share the gos that’s set the corridors of Parliament House alight.

It says as many as five Liberals — three in the Reps — may still be staying schtum over similar difficulties.

Professor Van Onselen (for a professor he is) took great delight in reminding us plebs last week that the Turnbull Government minus Barnaby Joyce still equals a majority in the Reps because while their number goes down by one so does the size of the House while there is no member for New England.

Seventy-five — 76 if Barnaby’s back on December 2 — minus three, however, is a very different equation.

Malcolm Turnbull, of course, is currently in Israel.

He may care to ponder emulating the prophets of yore, of wandering into the desert to live on locusts and wild honey.

It may be better than what awaits him at home.

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