Tony Abbott goes back to court in June

So judges seem quick to spot and to quash abuses of process for political ends.

Had Justice Applegarth done the same, Ettridge would have been free to appeal, as Ashby is now doing in the Slipper matter. But Ettridge does not have to appeal. He has the green light to proceed, as soon as technicalities are attended to.

Ettridge has agreed to consult a lawyer, fix the paperwork and file again by June 6.

Is Mr Abbott worried? If he wasn't before Thursday, he will be now. He was represented in court by prominent silk Robert Bain QC, who it now appears may have some actual silking to do.

But there is one aspect of all this where Abbott can relax. The invisibility cloak the mainstream media has thrown over the matter is truly impressive.

Where are the in-depth historical perspectives, the probing questions, earnest sermons and breathless predictions? What did Abbott actually do in 1998? What were his nefarious motives? With whom was he in league? Where did the money come from? Who will lead the party now Abbott is distracted by court action? Why hasn't he stood aside pending the outcome – as he urged the Prime Minister to do in far less threatening circumstances? And – of vital interest to tabloid readers – how will Abbott cope in prison?

Contrast this with the extraordinary coverage over several years now of the empty allegations relating to Julia Gillard and a boyfriend back in the early 1990s, long before she was even in Parliament. Just count the articles raking over old relationships, speculating about possible jail time, and generally trashing the PM's character. Yet with not one single item of plausible evidence, let alone a judge's decision on a further court appearance.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the judge's decision to adjourn the matter pending Ettridge's homework in a bare 215 words attributed to AAP. Instead of leading with the obvious news element that the matter is set to proceed, it headed its report "One Nation co-founder's lawsuit stalls". The story focussed on Ettridge's problems, which it seems legal advice can rectify, rather than Abbott's, which now seem somewhat more substantial.

The ABC ran the same brief AAP story on its website but nothing on PM. The Australian ran a similar story to The SMH. Headline was "Get legal advice, judge tells David Ettridge" with the content focussing on Ettridge's failures so far.

No newspaper or other mainstream outlet has attempted anything but the most superficial coverage of the bare news elements. Just bizarre.

So we wait until 6 June. Or, as now seems likely, a negotiated settlement beforehand.