LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Here is John Clarke and Bryan Dawe.

BRYAN DAWE: And your name is Edward, yeah?

JOHN CLARKE: Edward or Ed, yes.

BRYAN DAWE: Right. Ed, you prefer Ed?

JOHN CLARKE: Either. I don't mind. Either.

BRYAN DAWE: And what do you do, Ed?

JOHN CLARKE: I'm a numbers man for Malcolm Turnbull.

BRYAN DAWE: Oh, terrific. Yeah, that's great. What does that involve?

JOHN CLARKE: Oh, various duties. Firstly, research, mainly sefological research. Thirdly, liaison.

BRYAN DAWE: Hang on, Ed, haven't you missed one out?

JOHN CLARKE: No, one was research, we do that.

BRYAN DAWE: Two?

JOHN CLARKE: To Malcolm Turnbull. To - Mr Turnbull's my boss.

BRYAN DAWE: Oh, OK, I see what you're saying. And he supports the current leader of the party, doesn't he, Mr Turnbull?

JOHN CLARKE: Oh, indeed. Yes, he's rock solid behind, um ...

BRYAN DAWE: The incumbent.

JOHN CLARKE: Well they're all a bit incumbent in there. I mean, I've never seen anything like ...

BRYAN DAWE: No, no, no: incumbent, incumbent.

JOHN CLARKE: Oh, incumbent. Yes, he's very loyal and he's behind the current leader.

BRYAN DAWE: And Ed, do you have a surname?

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, Hightackle.

BRYAN DAWE: Ed Hightackle?

JOHN CLARKE: That's right, yes.

BRYAN DAWE: Terrific. OK, Ed. Your special subject tonight is Australian politics in the year 2011.

JOHN CLARKE: That's right, yes.

BRYAN DAWE: Your time starts now. Good luck.

JOHN CLARKE: Thankyou.

BRYAN DAWE: If Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan left the country, who would be the Acting Prime Minister?

JOHN CLARKE: Wayne Bennett?

BRYAN DAWE: No, I'm afraid I can't accept that.

JOHN CLARKE: He'd be good.

BRYAN DAWE: He would be good and it wouldn't be a bad idea, but it's not what I've got written down here.

JOHN CLARKE: Is it Liz Hurley?

BRYAN DAWE: You're guessing, Ed.

JOHN CLARKE: Yeah, but I'm quite enjoying guessing. Is it Cadel?

BRYAN DAWE: No, no, you're still guessing. No, the answer I was looking for there, Ed, was the leader of the Government in the Senate, Chris Evans.

JOHN CLARKE: He'd be in charge if they were out of the country?

BRYAN DAWE: Apparently, yes.

JOHN CLARKE: God, they'd be lucky to get back in.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Now, Tony Abbott got himself into a logically impossible position this week with regards to mining rights on farmland. How did he do that?

JOHN CLARKE: He spoke.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And then what did he do next?

JOHN CLARKE: He clarified his position.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How did he do that?

JOHN CLARKE: He reversed it.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. What is this sound, Ed? What is this sound?(Sound of people cheering in the background).

JOHN CLARKE: Ah, people supporting a carbon tax?

BRYAN DAWE: No, that's the - it's a State of Origin crowd. What is this sound, Ed? (Silence).

JOHN CLARKE: Have they played it? I can't hear anything.

BRYAN DAWE: Yeah, they have. We'll need an answer, Ed.

JOHN CLARKE: People supporting a carbon tax.

BRYAN DAWE: Excellent work, Ed. That was terrific. Not a lotta people woulda got that.

JOHN CLARKE: Maybe they didn't want it.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. What is the name of Paul Howes' electorate?

JOHN CLARKE: Sorry, can you repeat the question?

BRYAN DAWE: What is the name of Paul Howes' electorate?

JOHN CLARKE: Is it the magic faraway tree?

BRYAN DAWE: No, he doesn't have one, Ed. And after that round, you've won a national broadband network. Congratulations!

JOHN CLARKE: Fantastic! A national broadband network!

BRYAN DAWE: Terrific!

JOHN CLARKE: What's that?

BRYAN DAWE: Nobody knows, Ed, but you've won one.

JOHN CLARKE: It's alright; I'll Google it. What do you mean, "no signal"?