It feels like only yesterday that Jo Haylen, the former state transport minister with a penchant for private cars, was dumped from her role and from Chris Minns’ cabinet. But for those with ambition, there’s always a way back home.

Let’s recap: Haylen was sacked in February after she sent a taxpayer-funded driver on a 446-kilometre, 13-hour round-trip to ferry herself, Housing Minister Rose Jackson, their partners and another couple to a Hunter Valley winery for a boozy lunch.

And as the Herald later reported, there were more trips: at least 14 trips, in fact, between Sydney and her Caves Beach holiday house (plus another winery trip).

While all this was, remarkably, within the rules, punters weren’t impressed and the premier decided he couldn’t lose any more political capital. Haylen was gone, Jackson apologised and the rules were tightened.

But Haylen’s time in the political wilderness looks like it could be among the shortest on record: last month, the Summer Hill MP held a celebration to mark 10 years in parliament, with Minns in attendance. And what did he say about the MP’s future career? According to our spies in the room, Haylen’s “best days are ahead of her”, careers don’t always progress in a linear fashion, and she has a big future not just in Labor, but the state of NSW.

If you’re struggling to pick up the heavy subtext: Haylen will be back in cabinet, and soon enough.

Convenient colour change

If Minns is thinking about the future of his cabinet, it stands to reason he’s also thinking about the next election: it’s only 558 days away. NSW needs to be reminded that the folks in charge are the red party.

With that, the government has started on a small but unmissable branding change: hoardings going up on infrastructure projects across the state are no longer blue, but bright red.

At Central Station, for instance, metres of bright red walls (adorned with the phrase “Building a Better NSW”, the title of this year’s budget) have been erected in the past few weeks.

A government spokesperson said it was part of a “broader refresh of branding across agencies”. Weird, because the only “refreshes” we can see to a recently updated version of the government’s brand guidelines are some tiny text changes. So call us cynics …

Hughes’ hospital pass

National comedy institution Dave Hughes is slowly recovering from a horrific injury – five ribs broken and a punctured lung sustained during a controversial Legends game on Thursday night.

Hughes attended the post-match function at Marvel Stadium, but his wife, Holly, rushed him to hospital the following morning when Hughes was injured after on-field clashes with Dan Gorringe, Mitch Robinson and Andrew Embley.

From his hospital bed, Hughes did what any self-respecting celebrity who has proved canny enough to remain near the pinnacle of their profession for decades would do – generate as much content as possible.

In other words, he Nora Ephron-ed the heck out of the situation. (The US writer of When Harry Met Sally lived by the mantra “everything is copy”).

There was his video selfie from his hospital ICU bed at Melbourne’s Cabrini hospital announcing his injuries to his 295,000 followers on Instagram.

He also phoned FoxFM breakfast live on air – and posted a photo of himself laying prostrate in an ICU bed with the caption: “No hard feelings. What’s five broken ribs and a punctured lung between friends?”

From his hospital bed this weekend, Hughes told CBD a live cross was off the agenda.

“The hospital has had an intervention with me,” Hughes told us via text.

“And said no more live media crosses from ICU. They have no idea what really heals me.”

Katter rules

Bob Katter might’ve been a notable absence from Wednesday night’s Midwinter Ball, a disappointing outcome for any baby staffers hoping to get a selfie wearing the maverick North Queensland MP’s big hat (happens every year).

This was probably for the best, because by Thursday morning, Katter was well and truly “on one”. Responding to a question from Nine reporter Josh Bavas about his family’s Lebanese heritage at a press conference where Katter was throwing his support behind an upcoming anti-immigration rally on Sunday, the Member for Kennedy exploded in full “a thousand blossoms bloom” mode.

“Don’t say that, because that irritates me, and I’ve punched blokes in the mouth for saying that,” Katter thundered.

“I have, on many occasions, punched blokes in the mouth,” he reminded the bewildered press pack.

CBD had questions of our own for Katter. While every single MP and senator has filed a register of interests declaration, outlining their assets and gifts received since the return of parliament, Katter has not. Under parliamentary rules, a lower house MP must file their declaration within 28 days of being sworn in, a deadline which passed last week.

As our longest serving federal MP, earning the title “Father of the House,” Katter probably remembers the rules, even if he doesn’t always follow them strictly. Indeed, his standard declarations are typically rambling affairs, with vague references to interests in mining and cattle operations.

From the safety of Sydney, we called Katter to discuss, braced for a verbal punch in the mouth. Fortunately, he didn’t answer.

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