Off the Record: What does the future hold for ex-premier Jay Weatherill and his deputy John Rau?
WHAT does the future hold for Jay Weatherill and John Rau (and their pensions)? Which Adelaide mum just advertised for a personal assistant to her nine-year-old child? And Jeremy Clarkson weighs into an argument over SA speeding fines ... it’s all in Off The Record.
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WHAT does the future hold for Jay Weatherill and John Rau? Which Adelaide mother just advertised a personal assistant for her nine-year-old child — and why did TV star Jeremy Clarkson weigh into an argument over speeding fines in SA? Find out all this and more in this week’s Off The Record …
Super men ready to fly?
On the eve of the six-month anniversary of Labor losing office, chatter is abounding about the future of the former leadership duo of Jay Weatherill and John Rau.
This centres on speculation about their departures from State Parliament within the next year, particularly after a federal election that Labor is a raging favourite to win.
Weatherill served as premier for more than five years until Labor was deposed on March 17, while Rau was deputy premier for more than seven. So it would come as little surprise if they were both just a little bored on the backbench.
They are said to be a little restless, although Rau certainly looked relaxed while reading in Parliament last week.
There is speculation that neither wants to be the first to quit, thus triggering a by-election. But Rau holds Enfield with a 7.9 per cent margin and Weatherill’s margin in Cheltenham is 15.9 per cent.
If Labor does win power federally, Weatherill, in particular, might be considered likely to follow predecessors Mike Rann (Labor) and John Olsen (Liberal) into diplomatic ranks. He has an in with old friend Penny Wong who could be foreign affairs minister in any Labor government.
Given Weatherill has two young daughters, though, he might not want to uproot his family and might prefer an Adelaide-based gig.
Rau, formerly the attorney-general, likely would head back into the law. The 59-year-old was controversially appointed Senior Counsel in late 2016.
Weatherill might be waiting until he is entitled to a parliamentary pension after he turns 55 in April next year.
An experienced political insider has calculated Weatherill’s annual superannuation entitlement would then stand at $289,074. Or he could take a lump sum of $2.89 million.
Rau’s annual pension, our insider calculates, would be a little more than $216,000.
We invited both Weatherill and Rau to comment on their futures and sent them the payout figures to review. Neither responded to our messages.
The fast and the furious — SA fine goes global
He might be an Adelaide boy but Les Hinton was none too happy to receive a speeding ticket during his recent return to his old home town. Hinton was here to promote his highly readable autobiography The Bootle Boy: An untidy life in News, which charts his rise from copy boy at The News in Adelaide to running some of the world’s most prestigious newspapers including The Times in London and The Wall Street Journal.
Wife Kath Hinton was at the wheel of a Toyota SUV on Victor Harbor Rd at Tatachilla when they were clocked over the limit. But the couple wasn’t aware until the fine arrived at their Manhattan apartment, prompting Les to tweet.
“Took a rental car to #SouthAustralia and outside #Adelaide a speed camera caught me doing 8mph over the limit in a 62mph (100kph) zone, and I received a $A439 fine!! Harsh no?’’ The tweet attracted 56 replies, including one from that famed driver of fast cars Jeremy Clarkson who chimed in with: “Good job you weren’t smoking in it.’’
“That tweet went kind of viral after my old pal Jeremy Clarkson got involved — he has more than seven million followers,’’ Hinton told Off the Record . He also confirmed the fine has been paid.
Good job you weren’t smoking in it
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) September 9, 2018
Sally Zou’s job ad for a nanny is (Aus) gold
SUPERNANNY to the rescue!
“Personal Assistant to a 9-year-old Girl” is one of the more interesting job descriptions to have popped up on Seek over the past year in Adelaide, and, perhaps not that surprisingly, the advertiser was none other than enigmatic Chinese mining identity Sally Zou (or her company Aus Gold Mining group to be exact).
While the job title was somewhat fumbled, it’s clear Zou was after a full-time nanny for, presumably, her nine-year-old daughter. And what a nanny she was after. Necessary skills included:
English fluency but a preference for French and German as well.
The ability to provide live-in supervision seven days a week during private primary school semesters.
A “combination of live-in carer, mentor and teacher”.
On some weekends “you need to accompany the girl to fly to Sydney and spend weekends in Sydney home and attend language learning lessons and other activities as required”.
Teachers and those with a sports background would be considered favourably.
“Kind-hearted, well-spoken, responsible, caring & fun loving live-in personal assistant required for an energetic and sweet and 9 year old girl based in Adelaide, SA,’’ the advertisement, now removed, says.
“Much of the time you will have sole responsibility for the child as the mother travels frequently.’’
For this not inconsiderable list of attributes the right candidate would get their own room, a car, and a “competitive and lavish salary’’.
Unfortunately for those salivating at the idea of such a plum gig, the position has apparently already been filled.
Zou certainly dotes on her children. Back in 2015 she threw a lavish party on a yacht in Sydney’s Pittwater for eldest daughter Gloria, replete with TV celebs.
Bon appetit
IT turns out Kristian Livolsi DID actually graduate from the local affiliate of famed hospitality school Le Cordon Bleu — just not in Paris as his CV could suggest.
Livolsi has posted to his LinkedIn profile a scan of his diploma from the International College of Hotel Management, TAFE SA, which states he “successfully completed the Cordon Bleu’s program given by ICHM and obtained the Diploma de Hotelier Le Cordon Bleu’’ back in 1999.
He also changed his profile to reflect that’s he’s on the executive committee of the St Peter’s Collegians’ Association, not the executive committee of the school itself, which is in fact overseen by a council of governors. Livolsi recently stepped down from roles at Adelaide Uni after we exposed a whopper about him captaining the Junior Wallabies.
Red Faces
IT’S a popular mantra in court rooms: “never ask a question you don’t know the answer to”.
Industry body Wine Australia might be of the same mind after a recent marketing survey in the US. The survey wanted to gauge how well-known our wine regions were. Respondents were given a list of regions and asked which they recognised. Then another group had to name regions unprompted.
Intriguingly, those with the list rated Eden Valley highest with 22 per cent recognition, with Tasmania second on 18 per cent and Barossa Valley third on 17 per cent. However, here’s the shock: unprompted, the Yanks named bargain bin brand Yellow Tail the most recognisable Australian wine region with 6 per cent recall rate.
Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills rated equal-second on 5 per cent along with well-known wine region “Sydney”.
Defamation law heavyweight sets clock ticking
MUCH interest at the potentially spicy legal stoush embroiling two female MPs.
Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson is threatening to sue Jayne Stinson over controversial public statements made by the new Labor MP.
Stinson, the opposition’s child protection spokeswoman, has 28 days to respond.
The Liberal MP for Adelaide’s lawyer, Tony Rossi, is considered a defamation law heavyweight. The Law Society’s immediate past president acted for Premier Steven Marshall last year after aspiring kingmaker Nick Xenophon threatened legal action over pre-election Labor deal claims. In 1997, former deputy premier Graham Ingerson paid Rossi’s firm a $30,000 settlement over statements loss-of-sex-life WorkCover claims were a rort.
While having no Lib links, he has known Ministers David Pisoni and Vickie Chapman for 30 years. Last year he criticised ex-AG-now-SC John Rau for his “lack of respect” to the profession.
Back in July, 1996, The Advertiser reported the defamation action against Ingerson was settled on advice from the Crown Solicitor.
``The settlement has been made for pragmatic reasons to avoid any further expense, even though the defences to the claim were available,'' Ingerson said at the time, adding there had been no trial, no judgment and no apology made or agreed to.
Back in 1996, Ingerson said he was insured against the payout by a Government indemnity provider established under the previous Labor government.
Battle to save animals on the brink at Outback reserve
Conservationists are battling to save animals at an Outback reserve from the effects of the worst drought in recent memory, and have received a funding boost to redouble their efforts.
Country tradie to face court over incomplete work
A country tradesman will face the Elizabeth Magistrates Court over allegations he was not licenced and refused to refund money to clients.