heavily influenced by the local climate. Flowering takes place in spring, approximately April to May, shortly before leaf development is complete. The large, brightly coloured inflorescences serve to attract pollinating insects and birds to the plant, and at the end of spring the fruit is produced. The fruit may be dispersed short distances by wind or longer distances by herbivorous mammals, and it remains dormant underground for the duration of summer (2). Those seeds that survived predation germinate at the onset of the rainy season (4). This, however, requires the fruit to be positioned in the ground with the basal part facing downwards, and those fruits not positioned in such a manner may not germinate and instead remain dormant, yet viable, in the ground for as long asLabor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon. Credit:Damian White A senior Labor source insisted Mr Fitzgibbon would not be left without a seat. "He's getting saved," said the source. The loss of Hunter will be a factional flashpoint between the Left and Right in the ALP. Mr Fitzgibbon and the Right are likely to push for him to move into the seat of Charlton, which will be renamed Hunter in order to retain the federation link. In that scenario, Labor backbencher Pat Conroy would be forced to move from Charlton into neighbouring Shortland. Jill Hall, the current Shortland MP, is yet to announce her intentions but she is expected to retire at the next election.

Liberal MP Bob Baldwin says he walked out of anti-muslim protest. Credit:Charles Elias Fairfax Media understands