The Sauce: How ‘free’ swimming lessons spat drew in federal, state and council pollies

A row is unfolding between a federal pollie, mayor, minister and MP over the cost of accessing a swimming pool.

A row is unfolding between a federal pollie, mayor, minister and MP over the cost of accessing a swimming pool.

The spat began when independent Fowler MP Dai Le wrote to NSW Education Minister Prue Car on behalf a family complaining about the cost of swimming pool admission.

Le wrote that she had been contacted by a mum who had raised concerns about the price of pool entrance at the local Prairewood Leisure Centre.

While the mum was grateful for the free swimming lessons being offered by the Minns government, it was “negated” by the cost of pool admission, Le wrote.

“The State Swim Program is a step in the right direction, but the lack of consideration of the cost of related fees may unintentionally exclude financially challenged people from this program,” she wrote.

Independent MP politician Dai Le. Picture: NewsWire/Max Mason-Hubers

NSW Education Minister Prue Car. Picture: Tom Parrish

Le’s letter was passed on to Car’s parliamentary secretary Greg Warren, who duly noted in his reply letter that the pool entrance fee was set by Fairfield City Council, not the Minns government.

And given Warren understood that Le was the “deputy mayor of the council”, her action to address the matter “would be welcomed”.

Asked about the response, Le maintained it was the Minns government’s responsibility given it was their swimming program.

“This is the NSW government swimming program and it’s expected they support the students and fund their own program,” she said.

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone took the matter further, declaring the Minns government’s “free” swimming program was actually not entirely “free”, stating that it only paid for the cost of the swimming instructors.

He noted how the council had missed out on a new pool that would have addressed capacity issues after being denied WestInvest funding.

ON THE MOVE

With the federal election done, several staff have decided there is no time like the present to try something new.

Among those on the move are Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek’s loyal chief of staff Dan Doran.

Doran has been with Plibersek almost 14 years, starting out as an adviser and ending up as chief of staff.

We haven’t been told where he’s off to — just “not Europe”, where many others advisers have fled to de-stress.

Also on the move is Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong’s chief of staff Tom Mooney.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Mooney declared after nine years with Wong, “five as her chief of staff”, it was time for “a new challenge”.

“I will be taking some leave before deciding what challenge I take on next,” he wrote.

The Sauce was told Women Minister Katy Gallagher’s chief of staff Georgia Goldsworthy is also on the move, with the campaign COS moving to be Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s deputy COS. At the same time, Albo is losing one of his policy advisers with Skye Laris.

Education Minister Jason Clare is losing his chief of staff Korena Flanagan while

Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth’s chief of staff Owen Torpy is also on the move.

Originally published as The Sauce: How ‘free’ swimming lessons spat drew in federal, state and council pollies