Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s family link to Labor president Mark Lennon
The Sauce has a family feel this week, uncovering the link between Liberal Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and NSW Labor President Mark Lennon; a Liberal pollie with a Greenie for a mum; and a baby boom about to hit federal parliament.
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When NSW Labor president Mark Lennon quit as a director of the troubled iCare board last week, some of the nicest words spoken about him came from someone on the other side of politics — Treasurer Dom Perrottet.
Now Mr Perrottet is a decent bloke, so those close to the man tipped to be the next NSW premier were hardly surprised that he would pay Mr Lennon such a nice tribute.
However, one Labor insider suggested there was more to it.
“Lennon has said in the past that he was related to Dom,” the insider claimed.
Wha?
The Sauce decided to call Mr Lennon, who at the time had not yet quit, but he was reluctant to answer.
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“Not directly,” he responded on Wednesday. “I’ve got no comment.”
However, Mr Perrottet, who we contacted Thursday, was far more forthcoming: “My wife’s
sister is married to Mark Lennon’s brother.”
Mr Lennon, who was a non-executive director and on the board since its inception, had made things rather awkward for Labor in its assault on the running of troubled organisation.
Mr Perrottet said Mr Lennon had been a “strong voice” for injured workers.
“Mark has made it clear to me … that this was a difficult decision for him,” Mr Perrottet told parliament.
FAMILY LINK #2
The Treasurer is not the only Liberal MP with awkward family links, Manly MP James
Griffin is famous for his mum being in the Greens.
And, just like all good mums, The Sauce understands former Manly councillor and ex-army officer Cathy Griffin occasionally stirs her son up on Facebook, too.
“Mum’s a very vocal Facebook friend,” Griffin told us.
“She’s definitely not backward in coming forward but she hasn’t tried to recruit me, thank God.”
IT’S A …?
We jumped the gun.
When The Sauce wrote last week about NSW Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts and his wife Alicia preparing to expand their brood, we declared they would be having a girl.
Now, while we pride ourselves on digging out political secrets, we’re not going to pretend to be able to predict the genders of pollie babies.
The couple have not yet revealed the sex of their baby.
With Alicia due in October, we’ll keep you posted!
LABOUR PAINS
Tantrums and dummy spits are common at Parliament House and that’s just among the politicians.
Now Canberra is about to experience a wave of new babies, with several Labor MPs due to welcome new bundles of joy in the coming months.
Labor’s Anika Wells will become the first woman to give birth to twins in office when she gives birth in November.
Victorian MP Kate Thwaites, who was forced to cancel her March wedding due to the coronavirus, is expecting her second baby in December.
Labor’s Patrick Gorman and wife Jess are expecting a baby brother or sister for son Leo later in the year, and Canberra MP Alicia Payne is due to give birth to her second child in September.
Got some Sauce? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au or annika.smethurst@news.com.au
Originally published as Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s family link to Labor president Mark Lennon