In today’s Outsider column, it’s ‘wham, bam, pow’ between the Liberals and business, the Adelaide Club and fun, and just about everyone and organised religion.

Business SA versus the Liberal Party

Budget day wasn’t turning out to be much fun, despite the sensational spicy tandoori balls laid on for hungry journos in the ‘lock-up’ at the Convention Centre.

That was until Business SA and various prominent Liberals started slinging insults at each other on Twitter.

Business SA, already in the bad books with the Tories over its support for Martin Hamilton-Smith joining Labor’s cabinet, enraged the mild-mannered Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham with this Tweet: “State Budget – no new direct business taxes. Business SA pleased Treasurer recognises importance of business confidence”.

He unleashed: “you guys are an embarrassment to your constituency. Business pays ESL hikes, car park tax & cop loss of payroll tax concession”.

Business SA shot back: “business in this State has already got a difficult road. Business don’t need more cost shifting. C’mon see beyond your own agenda”.

And then Birmo pulled out the big guns: “Business in SA needs more than a mealy-mouthed representative body desperate to claim victory from a budget taxing them more.”

Back atcha, said Business SA: “no victory claims, just dealing with pragmatic reality for our battler members. They don’t have luxury of volleys from Senate safety.”

And Birmo came back for more: “good, now you’ve found passion to attack me how about using some of it to attack the budget elements that are bad for business?”

Business SA finally put the cue in the rack, after Steven Marshall’s media team also weighed in on Twitter, accusing Business SA of making inaccurate claims.

Now, if The Outsider was running the Business SA Twitter account, we might have politely inquired of Birmo about the indexation of the fuel excise imposed in the federal budget, which will affect everyone (apart from that dude who runs the bicycle-powered smoothie machine at WOMADelaide).

Alas, we only look after our own sad little Twitter account (@indailyoutsider), which currently has exactly nine followers.

I am Birmo, hear me roar.

Establishment versus Fun

The gentlemen of the ‘exclusive’ Adelaide Club have sorted out their problems with the proponents of a roof-top bar, which is planned to overlook their red brick-trimmed enclave on North Terrace.

The bar is to be on the top floor of the historic former Westpac building on the corner of North Terrace and King William Street – above Jamie’s Italian celebrity restaurant, which will open on the ground floor.

This week, the boys concluded their liquor licensing conciliation with the bar, to be called The Roof on 2KW, which has been proposed by successful hotelier Martin Palmer.

The bar, which the boys were worried would be too noisy and open for too long, has now been encumbered with multifarious conditions on its licence (nearly 30 – who knows what you’ll actually be able to do at the bar?).

Bottom line – the boys have rolled over, and now believe they can enjoy the faux English surrounds of their possie without being unduly bothered by the barbarians next door.

And the most piquant aspect of this fight? Palmer is a member of the Club. Then again, who isn’t?

We don’t have a picture inside the Adelaide Club. This will do. At a pinch. Sorry.

Everyone versus Religion

It’s been a red letter week for atheists, with the figure of Jesus being used by the plonkers at Sportsbet to promote their business, the AFL agreeing to Good Friday footy and the High Court knocking over Commonwealth funding of school chaplains.

Of course, the betting company made their giant inflatable Jesus billboard as offensive as possible in order to garner publicity.

Yes, they’re a classy mob at Sportsbet, as their Twitter feed shows.

During the Brazil versus Mexico World Cup match earlier this week, they offered this: “Some of these challenges are heftier than my first girlfriend.”

Lolz.

We bet they drink Carlton Mid – the beer for men who never want to have sex again.