THE night of the iguana in Gosford last week has highlighted a unique Labor contribution to federal-state relations: the inter-parliamentary political marriage. The federal MP Belinda Neal and her now suspended state minister husband, John Della Bosca, are far from unique - except perhaps in their approach to restaurant staff.

Anthony Albanese, the federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government is married to Carmel Tebbutt, the state member for Marrickville who used to be minister for education and training.

In Victoria there's Kelvin Thomson, the member for Wills and one-time shadow attorney-general; he is married to - although currently separated from - Marsha Thomson, the Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Trade and formerly a minister in the Bracks government.

The Queensland senator Jan McLucas, the Parliamentary Secretary to the federal Minister for Health and Ageing, was married to Steve Bredhauer, a former minister in the Beattie government.

Not all power couplings survive the hurly-burly of politics. The NSW senator Steve Hutchins is no longer married to the state MP Diane Beamer, a minister in the Carr government, and Senator John Faulkner has long since parted from his former wife Sandra Nori, also a former state minister.

No Liberals on the list; this seems to be an entirely Labor phenomenon.

Anne Summers