By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
Policy ahoy! The beleaguered Victorian Liberal opposition have come out strongly against the government’s Airbnb tax. Yes, it wants to axe the tax and plans to repeal the tax on short-term rentals immediately after the 2026 state election (presuming they are elected). Dare to dream, kids.
To be honest, the opposition had already voted against the tax’s introduction, so perhaps this is not a shock.
Inside Brad Rowswell’s Airbnb property.Credit:
The Short Stay Levy Bill, or as the Libs call it, “Labor’s Holiday and Tourism Tax”, has passed the lower house and is heading for the upper house where it will likely pass.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto has never liked it and was on radio as recently as Wednesday vowing it would be gone.
One of the opposition’s most strident critics of the tax is Brad Rowswell, shadow treasurer and – you can see where this is heading – part-time Airbnb landlord.
“I’m opposed to Labor’s latest tax for no other reason than it’s going to make taking a holiday more expensive and Victorians can’t afford that,” the MP for Sandringham in Melbourne’s bayside told CBD.
Shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell.
Landlords don’t pay the tax, it’s paid by guests and the money goes to the government not to owners, so there’s every chance Rowswell’s position is pure policy, even if the optics aren’t great.
The Rowswell second home, which is used as a holiday home as well as rented out, is not a secret around parliament, apparently.
A trawl through the parliament register of interests over the past couple of years reveals the creation of the K and B Rowswell Family Trust, which provides income from land used as a residence. And the register also declares the purchase of a regional property used as a secondary residence.
Rowswell’s wife Kate is an Airbnb super host of seven years’ standing. Their property looks great, a three-bedroom family property with room for five guests and cathedral ceilings, a spa bath and even a 4K TV with Netflix.
So if like us you weren’t aware of the Rowswell holiday rental side hustle, consider yourself up to date.
FAST TIMES ON CITY LOOP
Victorians had been under the impression that an act of vandalism had caused flooding which shut down two stations last week until Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson fronted a media conference to reveal the cause of the shutdown was in fact an “amorous couple”.
The minister took a short period to work himself up to the revelation, explaining how a “flood event” had “impacted both Melbourne Central and Flagstaff” and “initial reports” indicated an “act of vandalism”, the minister told members of the press corps outside state parliament on Wednesday.
But there was much more to the story, as the minister struggled to find the form of words.
The couple in question.
“I’ve been advised that Metro [Trains] have reviewed the CCTV footage, and it would appear that an amorous couple in a stairwell dislodged the sprinkler ...” The minister trailed off and appeared at a loss as a burst of laughter erupted from the press corp.
The City Loop was thrown into chaos last Thursday as patrons departed the concert by pop star Olivia Rodrigo. Investigators said the lovebirds had damaged a water pipe and fire sprinkler at Melbourne Central Station about 10.40pm.
Pearson attempted to delicately discuss a matter no minister had been called upon to address before – an apparent attempted fornication on the City Loop.
“Metro will be investigating these matters further, and police are investigating,” he said. “Perhaps a stairwell might not be an appropriate place to find yourself in at the end of a dinner.”
Police released photos and edited CCTV footage showing a young man dressed in a black pullover walking behind a staircase, closely followed by a woman in a tartan jacket carrying a bottle of soft drink.
A further clip showed the man leaping away from a pillar next to the staircase as a torrent of water gushes forth.
CBD cannot confirm that they were a couple, but that they were definitely coupling. The minister hastily moved on to the Suburban Rail Loop, which suddenly seemed surer ground.
“Transit Divisional Response Unit officers are appealing for assistance,” a police statement said. We bet they are.
CHANGING TIMES
Given how salacious the allegations in a Federal Court bankruptcy case of WiseTech founder Richard White’s alleged sex-for-investment arrangement with his former wellness entrepreneur situationship Linda Rogan have become, we thought it unwise for the billionaire to speak at Liberal senator Andrew Bragg’s upcoming Shepherd Oration talkfest.
Wellness entrepreneur Linda Rogan and tech billionaire Richard White.Credit: Nick Moir / Oscar Colman
Bragg, it seems, has come around, scrapping next week’s planned event. But White, who despite his fabulous wealth was hardly a headline-grabber before details of the soured affair and $13.1 million Vaucluse love nest were aired out in the Federal Court, is otherwise living his best life. Rogan is asking the court to throw out a bankruptcy notice that White filed in pursuit of a business debt.
WiseTech’s strong recent performance has made him Australia’s 11th richest person. And White and his former lawyer girlfriend Zena Nasser married earlier this year and welcomed a baby, born via surrogate in July. The White-ling appears to be holed up at the billionaire’s $27.5 million Palm Beach, Sydney, mansion.
Over a recent long weekend, the packaging for a baby change table was spotted stuffed into one of the garbage bins outside. The trophy home also played host to a recent glitzy baby shower, where no doubt, nobody mentioned the court case.
WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
SPOTTED: Defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou and her friend (and former client), ex-commando Heston Russell muzzing out to Rufus du Sol in the VIP section of the electronic troupe’s Sydney Harbour pop-up last week.
Chrysanthou, who represented Russell when he successfully sued the ABC last year over reports suggesting he was involved in killing the Afghan prisoner, looked more into the tunes than anyone else in the entourage, which included Sue’s frequent partner-in-crime Rebekah Giles.
Given she was set to grace the cover of Good Weekend two days later, Chrysanthou had every right to let loose. Make of that what you will.
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