There’s a special smell in the air. It’s not the delicious promise of rain nor is it the sulfurous breath of the dragon that will be guarding over us during the next 12 months.

No, the scent wafting over the country has an unmistakable staleness to it, decadence even. It’s not exactly a stench of fin de règne, but it undeniably carries strong notes of desperation. What on Gaia’s green Earth can it be? Sniff, sniff, oh yes, that’s it: the strange whiff comes from the cabinet’s kitchen and, in particular, from rumours that a shuffle is imminent. Indeed, if these whispers are anything to go by, our ministers could be in for a game of musical chairs, the second in less than two years. Who will be caught out when the music stops? Considering how threadbare cabinet is already in terms of competence and vision, does it really matter?

All the recent talk about electoral reform has provided government with a welcome diversion from some of the more earthly problems afflicting its ranks. It’s also given the leaders of the main political parties a wonderful excuse to get together behind closed doors and gauge the compatibility of their agendas. The fun can’t last forever though there’s only so much mileage they’re going to get from dangling the prospect of injecting “a dose of proportional representation” into the electoral system and doing away with the arcane Best Loser System. Let’s not forget that the likelihood of either of these changes happening is very scant indeed.

The truth of the matter is that the current system suits their interests just fine the way it is, a fact that seems to have been drowned out by the thousands of expert voices on electoral reform.

The prime minister is perfectly aware that he’ll have his hands full once the debate surrounding Carcassonne’s stillborn reform dies down. He knows for instance that the scandals that rocked the country last year have not magically disappeared.

Worse, it’s becoming glaringly apparent that Medpoint might be the least of his worries. Because even if the sale of the clinic succeeded in capturing the public’s imagination, it is dwarfed - at least in monetary terms - by some of the State Trade Corporation’s (STC) more dubious dealings. At best, these bear the stains of incompetence and conflict of interest at worst, large amounts of taxpayers’ money are unaccounted for. These affairs have the potential to rouse the population’s anger beyond Medpoint levels. And that’s without taking into account the myriad domestic and international challenges 2012 doubtless has in store for the nation.

Hence the rumours of a shuffle. Whatever their origin, these are useful in and of themselves as they serve to deflect attention away from more pressing issues. They can also be construed as a sign that the prime minister is getting ready to distance himself from certain toxic elements in his ranks. Ultimately, though, you can shuffle the cards you have as much as you like, it won’t change your hand. Unless of course you have an ace up your sleeve…

Nicholas RAINER