It is understood the local council has received several complaints that the office is bringing down the tone of the neighbourhood. Complainants include the brothel, a mob of drug-dealing money launderers, an international arms dealer, an arsonist, a gang of slave traders, the crew of a Somalian pirate ship and a merchant banker.

A council insider told The Sun-Herald: "We have to take all complaints seriously. Apart from the merchant banker's, obviously." The alleged electorate office was exposed by an undercover Sun-Herald reporter last week. The reporter called in on the brothel to ask directions to Rees's office. An attractive Asian lady wearing only a feather boa and a snorkel told him with a knowing smile that the office was downstairs. After watching men and women in raincoats call in to the Premier's office over a period of several hours, the reporter walked in and was greeted by a receptionist, who brazenly asked: "How can I help?"

The reporter left without any further interaction. He strenuously denies that he stayed and asked when the potholes in his road would be fixed.

A spokesman for the Premier's office pointed out that it was raining on the afternoon of the reporter's stakeout, which would explain the number of raincoats. However, he refused to comment on the idea that the office was blatantly offering to help people, despite the NSW Government keeping up a public front of being of absolutely no use to anyone. Mr X said: "A week or so after moving in, staff at my brothel received a call warning them that the business downstairs was not all that it appeared to be. They checked it out, discovered it was an electorate office and notified the local council immediately. The council arrived straight away and the tenants were issued with a cease-and-desist [order]."

A spokesman for the office said the Premier had complied with the order by immediately ceasing and desisting from spending any public money. Mr X said he had more things to worry about than political shenanigans. "On a nuisance factor of zero to 10, given the other issues that I deal with day-to-day, hour-to-hour, it's a factor of about 1," he said.

"OK, well maybe two. Or three. Four on a bad day. Absolutely no more than five. Well, except when it's 5 ..." At this point the reporter's tape ran out. As if having their reputation tarnished by close association with a leading politician wasn't bad enough, the week got worse for brothels on Tuesday when it was reported that their clients had been receiving health fund rebates for massages involving sexual services. These services, which cost $60, were billed as massages or acupuncture sessions and attracted health fund rebates of $40, The Australian reported.

An undercover investigation led to 80 Sydney massage services being deregistered by health funds. In order to keep qualifying for the rebates, massage parlour bosses said they were busy changing their signs to say "Optometrist". Short-sighted NSW residents who go to get new glasses, put them on, and notice that the optometrist is wearing only a feather boa and a snorkel have been asked to report the incident to the relevant authorities. Meanwhile, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said the revelation concerning the Seven Hills electorate office was "typical" and called for tougher laws to outlaw Labor governments in NSW.

Despite opinion polls showing Rees to be the most unpopular NSW premier since the last one, the Government responded by insisting it was well on target for success in the next election, expected to take place on March 2011. A campaign manager said: "We're sure there will be a happy ending." In other news...

Obamamania may have swept the globe since the United States president-elect's victory this month, but not everyone is convinced of his credentials. A preacher in Wichita, Kansas, is refusing to take down a message outside his church that says Barack Obama is a Muslim, the MyFox Kansas City website reported last week.

This is despite the fact that he is a Christian. The sign at the Spirit One Christian Centre reads: "America we have a Muslim president. This is a sin against the Lord!" The sign then points to a chapter in Exodus that clearly shows the Lord's position on US presidential candidates. Obama supporters got into a shouting match with parishioners outside the church last Sunday, the website reported. It was believed to have been along the lines of "Is too!", "Is not!" and went on for several hours.

So far no church signs have been spotted saying Nathan Rees is a Muslim, though Labor campaign managers refuse to rule out the idea if polls don't improve. swebster@fastmail.com.au