Off The Record: Adelaide gossip, rumours and scuttlebutt

WHICH SA Senator is hoping for a multimillion-dollar windfall? Is Town Hall pulling the wool over our eyes? All this and more in this week’s collection of Adelaide gossip — all Off The Record.

SA Senator wants HOW MUCH for his property?

EACH week, Off The Record will bring you the best gossip from Adelaide’s corridors of power.

SA SENATOR WANTS ORDER FOR THE HOUSE

FOR a former real estate agent and auctioneer, Senator Sean Edwards certainly has had some issues selling his lavish 105.14ha Armagh property, near Clare.

Unfortunately for Senator Edwards, the $3 million-plus price tag must have been a bit out of reach for many home and vineyard buyers. The estate-style grounds of the two-storey Ballingarry homestead, which Senator Edwards built in 1998, feature an in-ground swimming pool, spa and tennis court, and are surrounded by 51ha of vineyards.

Senator Edwards, who also owns homes in North Adelaide, the Riverland and Canberra, first put the property on the market in late 2013, when an expressions of interest process failed. After another attempt last year, the property was taken off the market before winter.

Senator Edwards told Off the Record he would have another go this spring and hope for an after-vintage sale.

Senator Sean Edwards at his home near Clare. Picture: Tait Schmaal

THIS SOUNDS LIKE SHEAR MADNESS

IS someone pulling the wool over our eyes? Adelaide City Council is shunning local wool growers and manufacturers to replace the aged carpet in its function centre and foyer.

The council’s woolly thinking means its new $140,000 carpet will instead be manufactured in the UK, using British and New Zealand wool.

At a meeting this week, councillors were told the wool required to make the carpet couldn’t be obtained from South Australia because growers didn’t produce a product coarse enough. Wool producers Australia president Richard Halliday denied that the product was an issue.

The Adelaide Town Hall’s existing carpet.

He also told Off the Record the ACC should lead by example and support the local manufacturing industry.

“It’s not very long ago that we had businesses like the city council and the State Government talking to us, as farmers, to buy Australian to help Australia,” he said.

The state’s only carpet maker, the Edwardstown-based EC Group, said it could have made a suitable product but was not asked to put in a tender, a company spokesman said.

He said the company would have used 100 per cent wool, rather than the blended wool/nylon product suggested to the city council.

“We do that because our wool is quality and we don’t need to put nylon into it.”

The carpet, in council colours of blue, gold and bronze, above, is to be laid before the end of the year, in time for the Town Hall’s 150th anniversary.

It will feature a geometric pattern inspired by architectural details of the building.

Councillors will meet to pick a final design by a September 17 deadline.

IS THERE A DOCTOR ON THE PLANE?

THE resolutely low-profile Liberal MP Andrew Southcott made a rare appearance on the front page of The Advertiser yesterday when he revealed he was stepping down as the member for Boothby, to renew his medical career. But he may be a little rusty.

A story reaches Off the Record that a few years ago on an Adelaide to Canberra flight the call went out: “is there a doctor on the plane?’’ Many eyes turned to Dr Southcott, who exclaimed: “I haven’t practised for a very long time, you might have to ask someone else.’’ Happily, another doctor stepped forward and all ended well.

Still, if the medical thing doesn’t work, Southcott can always rely on his parliamentary pension. Under federal rules, a politician reaches the maximum payout after 18 years. Southcott reached the milestone last year.

The price of democracy

IT was mostly about foresighting, collaborative economy pilots and other jargon but Premier Jay Weatherill’s Reforming Democracy manifesto also promised at least three more citizens’ juries.

These randomly selected juries have, thus far, reported on dog and cat management, cycling and Adelaide night-life. But the cost has raised eyebrows in some quarters. Off the Record can reveal the GST-exclusive cost of the three juries was: $152,200 for city safety; $89,456.82 for cycling; and $98,765.30 for cats and dogs.

It is understood the cycling jury was brought in-house because the Premier’s office was surprised at the cost of the first, which was run by private firm newDemocracy.

The third jury was run by SA-based start-up firm democracyCo, whose co-chief Emma Lawson is a one-time staffer to former treasurer Kevin Foley.

How politics works

OF course, politicians love to spend your cash in unique ways. Like a thing called the global allowance. Each city lower house MP gets $42,681.26 a year to carry out electoral office functions such as advertising, postage and printing those newsletters that you throw straight into the recycling. Country members get by on $45,467.23.

But many pollies get to play Santa Claus. Typically this means an MP in a safe seat will swing a few bucks to help out those precariously balanced in a marginal seat.

So, for example, Croydon MP Michael Atkinson, margin 18.9 per cent, believes his electorate was happy to donate $20,000 last financial year to help out Labor brothers Tom Kenyon and Tony Piccolo. Atkinson told Off the Record he could afford the donation because he saved money on postage by having volunteers deliver electorate material.

Among the Libs, deputy leader Vickie Chapman is the most generous, throwing $10,000 into the pot. Chapman said she donated the money to help MPs in neighbouring electorates with areas that used to be in Bragg.

One of those marginal seat MPs was Hartley’s Vincent Tarzia, who seems to have a few friends, collecting $15,000.

Behind the Green door

THE generally genial Greens leader Mark Parnell was unexpectedly abrupt yesterday when approached for comment on rumoured disciplinary action being taken against a staff member for leaking.

In no uncertain terms he said he “won’t be talking about that’’ and refused to answer any questions. Funny for a party always talking about the need for more transparency in politics.

When PR goes wrong

Leigh McClusky — pronounced as it sounds.

BUSINESSES occasionally change their name. Telecom became Telstra, Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC. It’s usually done because someone thinks it will improve the brand.

But it’s a good idea if people know how to pronounce the new handle. It must have been a little embarrassing then for PR veteran Leigh McCluskyto have to put out a little post on LinkedIn last month giving instructions on how to pronounce the company’s new funky moniker McCo Group, the updated name of McClusky & Co. The instruction was: “in case you were wondering, it’s pronounced MAC_CO’’.

Keating backs the Pies

THE genuineness of former prime minister Paul Keating’s supportfor Collingwood has been questioned more than once. But it seems the Art Gallery of SA, for whom Mr Keating will open an exhibition in October, knows where its bread is buttered.

The launch invitation to Tarnanthi, a festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, includes a painting of a Collingwood game against Adelaide. The scoreboard shows the Pies leading the Crows by 16 points in a well-attended game at Alice Springs.

War on Senator X

SENIOR Liberals have declared war on Senator Nick Xenophon, yesterday launching a barrage of statements targeting his lower house campaign.

Senator Sean Edwards fired first, accusing Senator Xenophon of falsely denying talks with Defence Teaming Centre Chris Burns about becoming a candidate for his party. He also accused Senator Xenophon of using the politics of shipbuilding to run candidates at the next election.

This was followed by a salvo from Senator Simon Birmingham, who listed 10 questions for Senator Xenophon and his political party. These included when he would allow South Australians to scrutinise his candidates. Mr Burns, who has campaigned for an Adelaide submarine fleet build, a fortnight ago told Off the Record he would not be a candidate for Senator Xenophon or any other party.

Up in the air

Biggles ... with Biggles.

POOR old Tourism Minister Leon Bignell has been under the cosh a bit in recent times for his travel expenses, but he hasn’t entirely lost his sense of humour. Flying this week to Port Augusta and then on to Minnipa on the Eyre Peninsula for the centenary of the ag centre there, he posted on Facebook a picture of himself holding the classic Biggles Flies to Work.

Biggles, the SA version, was also the victim of an awkwardly written tweet this week from the @sa_press_sec account which read: “Open invite for your business to have a taste of Tasting Minister Leon Bignell.’’ Surely, not a great way to improve tourist numbers to the state.

ON THE MOVE

ALL change at the top in the office of Deputy Premier John Rau. Chief of staff Kim Eldridge is leaving soon to take up a post with the Director of Public Prosecutions. She will be replaced, at least in the short term, by Rau’s former planning adviser Matthew Kandelaars, who will act in the role.

Kandelaars, son of Labor upper house MP Gerry Kandelaars, is returning after a stint working for Victorian Transport Minister Jacinta Allan. The attorney will also be looking to replace media adviser Kate Baldock by the end of the year as she is moving overseas for family reasons.