"I'm not running against Old Mate. The Send a Ballantyne to Canberra corflutes will have his name right there above mine, just like on the ballot paper."
"And you can't have your own How To Vote cards," Federal Secretary pointed out.
"Don't believe in 'em," Ballantyne replied. "Anyway, I want to work on the principle that anyone who puts a 1 in the box beside my name has arrived planning to do that. That means the two will tell you where they came from. Two beside Old Mate will tell you a Labor voter thought I was the better candidate. And a two anywhere else tells you who that voter would've voted for otherwise. Should be interesting."
That point seemed to have sunk in nicely.
"And I'll fund the campaign myself. Or at least the Ballantyne Family Trust will. Dad agrees it needs a bit of trimming. Been doing too well recently. I'm in the process of registering a swag of internet domain names..."
"Haven't been endorsed yet," Moran growled.
"Which can also be used if I run as an Independent," Ballantyne responded. "And I'll have complete control of what appears there as well."
"Asking a bit much," Northern Development suggested.
"Not at all," Ballantyne responded. "I solve what could have been a nasty little problem for you blokes, and do it at no cost to the Party coffers. Not that I'd have been getting much anyway. But the ball's in your court. And now you might have something to talk about on the way home over the odd chilled article."