The Sauce: Why Chris Minns scrapped ‘gender’ pronouns on social media page

With gender a hot topic this week, it was only a matter of time before someone questioned why Premier Chris Minns had added “his” and “he” pronouns to his social media profile page.

With gender being a hot topic this week, it was only a matter of time before someone questioned why Premier Chris Minns had felt the need to add “his” and “he” pronouns to his social media profile page.

Surely it was obvious?

Or was Minns giving a nod to the gender diverse community, in which pronouns are added to avoid assumptions based on appearance.

The pronouns were raised during a discussion with Liberal MP Damien Tudehope on 2GB’s Mark Levy program, prompting Mr Minns’ office to reach out and explain.

The program was informed the pronouns had been added to the Instagram account without the Premier’s knowledge and had since been removed. “Pretty clear that he is a male,” it is understood Levy was told.

NSW Premier Chris Minns. Picture: Damian Shaw

As far as The Sauce can tell, there is no official NSW government style guide on the use of pronouns.

At the federal level, bureaucrats are encouraged to use “gender-neutral” language where appropriate. As for titles, the latest Australian Government Style Manual notes the increasing use of Mx by people who did not wish to be referred to by their gender.

“Take care in areas where language is changing,” it said.

“Follow the rule that people have the right to identify their sexual orientation and gender identity as they choose.

“The discussion is still evolving about words for other aspects of gender and sexual diversity.”

BUCK PASS

When Granville resident Kerrie Poyner felt she was not getting a fair hearing from Parramatta City Council over a development issue, she began firing off emails to pollies in desperation.

But her joy at seeing a reply from the office of her local Labor federal member – Dr Andrew Charlton – was short-lived.

“As you would be aware though, federal electorate boundary changes were announced in mid-October 2024,” the office wrote. “As a resident of Victoria St, Granville, NSW 2142, you will be moving into the electorate of Blaxland at the next federal election, with the current federal representative being the Hon. Jason Clare MP.”

Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton.

Blaxland MP Jason Clare. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Charlton’s office helpfully copied in Clare’s office on the email response, before wishing Poyner “all the very best”.

But as Poyner pointed out, the changes will not take effect until after the election and so – even though she had also bailed up Mr Clare at her local train station – she remained in Charlton’s electorate.

Poyner is battling plans for 25-storey tower next door that she believes will be closer to her home than it legally should. A spokeswoman for Charlton said the matter fell under the jurisdiction of local government, “not federal government”.

FRESH FACE

Former Liberal minister David Elliott is back to share his opinions on things on Sky and 2GB this year. The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (NSW and ACT) CEO will join Andrew Bolt on Sky at least once a week and will also be heard on 2GB at 4.30pm every Thursday on Clinton Maynard’s Straight Shooter’s segment.

If there is something different about Elliott’s appearance, he wants to clarify that he has “not had work done” ahead of his media gigs.

As he revealed on 2GB’s Ben Fordham show this week, the fresher face is the result of a gas home barbecue explosion last Easter, which cost him his eyebrows and a several layers of skin.

FLYING HIGH

While nowhere near the millions being spent by the Albanese government on air travel, The Sauce can reveal the Minns government has racked up more than $170,000 in chartered flights since it was elected.

The bulk of the cost has been accrued by Premier Chris Minns and his office, whose travel bill totalled around $112,000.

The biggest individual spends were on trips to Moree to deal with regional crime, to Orange for a community cabinet, and Broken Hill to deal with the Menindee fish kill incident and a community cabinet.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey spotted at Sydney Airport.

Speaking of travel, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey embarked on a nine-day trip this week to the US and UK as part of an effort to ensure NSW keeps borrowing rates low and to also explore investment opportunities for the state.

One of our moles spotted him in the Qantas lounge in Sydney Airport clasping a rose-coloured drink (non -alcoholic?) ahead of the trip.

LOST BOOK

A frantic search was under way last week for a historic book that went missing from the state parliamentary library.

The lost book was a compilation of Hansard from the 1879-1880 sessions of state parliament.

The library memo declared it had appeared to have been “misplaced”.

Hansard Volume 1 from the 1879-1880 sessions has been “misplaced” from the state parliamentary library.

“If anyone happens to come across it somewhere here in Parliament House, could you please let us know,” the library memo said.

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Originally published as The Sauce: Why Chris Minns scrapped ‘gender’ pronouns on social media page