Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane bails on dinner in his honour
He may not have a portfolio, but suspended Labor MLC Shaoquett Moselmane pulls a crowd with his events. But one set up in his honour on Saturday night was cancelled — but not until almost the last minute, The Sauce can reveal.
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State MLC Shaoquett Moselmane had been looking forward to a reception in his honour on Saturday night at the Meryatah Charitable Association in Auburn but the small matter of an international espionage investigation kept him away.
Moselmane definitely has a sense for suspense: organisers were still hoping he’d show until late Saturday afternoon when he formally apologised.
SOCIAL MENACE
After Friday’s raids, pollies were trawling social media to ensure they hadn’t posted happy snaps with Moselmane, who has been a ubiquitous fundraiser for the party, particularly on China-related matters.
In 2017, he hosted a forum on “China Relations In The Shadows of the Trump Presidency” with guests including ex-premier Bob Carr and Associate Professor Hong Chen. A year later, the same pair joined Moselmane at a forum on “China’s Rise From Poverty to Economic Power: Impact on International Relations”.
NOBODY’S GIRL V SHOPPIES
Labor was always going to face a tussle in the Senate after Malcolm Turnbull’s double dissolution election led to Deborah O’Neill being elected for a coveted six-year term instead of the three years many of her Senate colleagues got.
The fight has begun, with O’Neill battling it out with fellow right-wing Senator Kristina Keneally for the top winnable spot.
While there are likely to be two winnable spots, the second position is reserved for a leftie.
O’Neill has the support of the powerful shoppies union, but KK — a former NSW Premier who famously described herself as “nobody’s girl” after she was installed by factional warlords, is leader Anthony Albanese’s favourite. She got into the Senate when ex-war lord Sam Dastyari self-destructed and wants to hang around.
GOOD JOB
Health Minister Greg Hunt uploaded a social post encouraging people to download the COVIDSafe app this week. The short clip shows someone — possibly Hunt — watching a clip of himself reminding people to get the app. Why do we think it’s Hunt? Because a message
briefly appears on the screen during the video, designed to look like a herogram from the PM.
“$550,000 to support children and young people who have a parent or guardian with a mental illness. Great work Greg!”
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Originally published as Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane bails on dinner in his honour