Off the Record July 14, 2018: News and scuttlebutt from South Australia’s corridors of power
IN this week’s Off the Record, we score a victory for the public’s right to know what some of the state’s worst criminals look like. Plus we reveal the Adelaide property industry figure with “links” to Donald Trump and unveil inspiring artwork of a famed tycoon.
IN this week’s Off the Record, we strike a blow over bureaucratic bungling, scoring a victory for the public’s right to know what some of the state’s worst criminals look like.
Plus we reveal what happened when Australia’s political “fixer” met UK Prime Minister Theresa May, the Adelaide property industry figure with “links” to Donald Trump and unveil inspiring artwork of a famed tycoon.
Victory for right to know
EVERY so often, we at Off the Record like to strike a blow for the public’s right to know.
So, it is with some relief we can reveal a victory over bureaucratic bungling that threatened to clamp down on the freedom of the media to report fully on crime and criminals.
Some recently erected signs, which looked set to diminish public scrutiny of the police and judicial system, have been removed after our inquiries. Let us explain.
For more than a decade, The Advertiser, plus TV news crews, have captured images of accused criminals as they have been taken from a prison van to the holding cells of the Adelaide Magistrates Court.
To do so, photographers and camera operators have to peer over a high wall, which abuts an access road off Carrington St in the city.
In recent weeks, ‘Restricted Area, No Trespassing’ signs have sprung up at the top of the access road. If enforced, it would not have been a small thing for public’s right to know what is happening in the court system.
This is the spot that has allowed South Australians to see what some of its worst criminals look like.
From this spot, images of notorious offenders such as bodies in the barrels murderers John Bunting (above) and Robert Wagner (below) have been captured. Not to mention other murderers such as Bevan Spencer Von Einem, Jean Eric Gassy and Salt Creek rapist Roman Heinze.
If an alleged offender is remanded in custody there may be no other opportunity to show South Australians what the person looks like.
Off the Record approached the Courts Administration Authority to ask about this seemingly heavy-handed tactic but a spokesman said: “The signs are the property of SAPOL. Any concerns would need to be raised by writing to the Commissioner of Police.’’
So Off the Record contacted police and was told, in a welcome one-sentence statement: “The signs are being removed; it was an administrative error.”
A sensible move.
Man of Steel provides artistic inspiration
UP in the sky, look: It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Sanjeev Gupta!
Well it might be, considering the businessman we dubbed the “Man of Steel” jets in and out of the steel city of Whyalla on a pretty regular basis.
Artist Leith O’Malley, who has exhibited across Australia and internationally, and who now calls Whyalla home, said the various coverage of how Gupta was revitalising the city inspired him.
“The image simply came from reading and hearing how the city had been ‘saved’ by this man who the papers quipped ‘the man of steel’,’’ O’Malley says.
“Having done editorial cartoons for the local paper in the past, my mind just jumped to the Superman idea which I changed to ‘Superbman’ to avoid any copyright hassle.’’
In the week in which The Advertiser celebrates its 160 year anniversary, Off The Record particularly enjoyed the nod to the original Man of Steel’s alter ego as newspaper reporter Clark Kent, although we’re not sure even Gupta’s wide web of business interests stretches to newspaper publishing.
More of O’Malley’s work can be seen at leithomalley.com
Pom in a fix needs our fixer
THE self-described “fixer” of Australian politics, our very own Christopher Pyne, has mixed with an MP in need of his magic touch during a United Kingdom visit this week.
In the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, Pyne met United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May at Westminster Abbey’s Royal Air Force centenary service on Tuesday — the day after Boris Johnson intensified a political crisis enveloping her government by quitting as foreign secretary.
Asked what the pair (above) discussed, Pyne told Off the Record: “It was important to reaffirm with Theresa May the significance of the relationship we will have because of the largest military contract awarded this year through the ($35 billion Adelaide-based) Hunter Class Frigates project.”
Pyne also joined meetings in London with UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Premier Steven Marshall, another UK capital visitor.
Jay’s chief spinner takes key role with Beach Energy
BEACH Energy has employed the former head of Jay Weatherill’s media unit as corporate affairs manager.
Chris Burford, who took up the role this month, headed the media unit for the former Labor Government.
Previously, he was the chief media adviser to the former premier and, before that, worked as an adviser to the government and as a senior communications officer for the Attorney-General’s Department.
Beach Energy was awarded an $11 million State Government grant in February, although there is no suggestion Burford was in any way involved with the funding.
Beach Energy said Burford (above) was employed because of his strong government relations and communications background and he had no involvement in the grant, which was awarded to the company as an inducement not to move its headquarters from the state. “Mr Burford is being employed in a communications role and was in no way involved in Beach being awarded the grant from the State Government,’’ the company said.
“Mr Burford was appointed following a process and a thorough assessment of his experience and suitability for the position was completed. In the role, which was not advertised, he will be working alongside Robert Malinauskas (above), brother of Labor Leader Peter Malinauskas.
Robert Malinauskas, Beach’s group manager corporate affairs, also was a media adviser in the premier’s office and was chief of staff to Labor minister Tom Koutsantonis from 2010-2014.
Before joining Beach in August last year, Malinauskas was at Santos from 2014, where he rose to head of public affairs. — Cameron England
Playing at Trump links
AS US President Donald Trump heads to Scotland to play golf at his Turnberry resort, one of our own property industry people has been checking out its Irish counterpart.
Property Council state executive director Daniel Gannon has popped into the Trump International Golf Links at Doonbeg.
Gannon posted a picture on Facebook of the scorecard’s elegant cover — but, perhaps judiciously, not his own score.
World game kindles international romance
The Stott Despoja-Smith household was split this week when Croatia took on England in a World Cup semi-final. Former pollie and Our Watch chair Natasha Stott Despoja has Croatian heritage, while husband and lobbyist Ian Smith is very definitely English.
Stott Despoja watched the Croatian win at home, while Smith was with friends at Henley Beach’s Acacia.
Stott Despoja said football played a role in their courtship: “On one of our first dates, we watched a video of the 1966 World Cup game England v Germany.’’
A long run for office
ONE Playford councillor certainly cannot be accused of lacking ambition or planning for the future.
Carol Muzyk has announced her intention to run for the Playford mayoralty after resigning as councillor.
But this bid for the top job comes with a twist, because she intends to run in 2022, not this year.
Muzyk says she felt she needed to develop her skills and experience.
She wants to “fill in the gaps I currently have so I can run the role of mayor” and will continue as a private environment planning consultant.