Carrie Bickmore look-a-like has voters turning heads in Lindsay
A Liberal candidate admits she’s being compared throughout the campaign to television star and The Project presenter Carrie Bickmore. And a number of voters on Saturday confirmed her “dead ringer” status.
NSW
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Liberal candidate for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh admits she’s being compared throughout the campaign to television star and The Project presenter Carrie Bickmore.
And a straw poll of voters in the hotly contested western Sydney seat on Saturday morning has confirmed her “dead ringer” status.
After showing some minor anxiety about going off script with the The Special Sauce, the former staffer for John Howard quickly flashed her pearly whites.
“She is a really lovely lady — a very recognisable face — and any reference to a really successful, beautiful career woman who is working hard and has kids is a really nice thing,” Ms McIntosh told Sauce correspondent Ben Pike.
We can report her Liberal Party discipline soon returned.
“I can tell you, it’s not the biggest issue people are talking to me about,” she said.
SHORT LIST
As the odds shortened for Bill Shorten to take the top job, the applications for jobs in the Prime Minister’s Office began arriving thick and fast.
Should Mr Shorten be voted in as prime minister, the number of paid staff positions is expected to expand from around 30 to 50.
Before the election Labor staffers were starting to ask for recommendations to join a Shorten PMO.
Win or lose, those staying on his office include Shorten’s loyal chief-of-staff Ryan Liddell, policy director Sam Trobe and speechwriter James Newton.
Amit Singh will also be coming back as the deputy chief-of-staff.
Shorten’s well-liked media man Gerard Richardson who has run the campaign media unit is also facing pressure to stick around.
CABINET RUMBLES
She is tipped to be put in charge of Family, Social Services and Disabilities in the post-election reshuffle, but some Labor MPs believe Kristina Keneally should be given an even bigger promotion with talk the former NSW premier be handed the senior portfolio of Home Affairs.
“There are no formal talks, it’s just chitchat, but there is a view that she deserves a senior portfolio given her performance over the course of the campaign,” a Labor source said. Victorians Clare O’Neil and Richard Marles are also tipped to take on the high-profile role.
BISHOP BOLTS
She is being eyed by Labor leader Bill Shorten as a the next ambassador to the United States, but former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop won’t be sitting around waiting for a formal offer.
The Special Sauce has been told Bishop has a “string of engagements” lined up as a speaker. “She is hot property and she knows it,” a Liberal source said.
“After today, you can expect to see her on the speaker’s circuit.”
And no doubt the red carpet.
LABOR PAINS
It will be straight back to work for the NSW ALP office on Sunday with nominations to open this week to fill the State leadership vacancy.
With Opposition treasury spokesman Ryan Park pulling out of the race, the contenders include Opposition water spokesman Chris Minns and either Opposition transport spokeswoman Jodi McKay or Opposition early childhood spokeswoman Kate Washington — the latter two only running if the other does not. Special Sauce hears Minns is planning to launch his campaign for the top job in the coming days.
STAFFING WOES
With the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) rolling out a record number of pre-poll booths to cope with the rising demand of people wanting to vote early, the parties were scrambling to find enough volunteers to hand out how-to-votes.
The situation continued on Saturday with am abandoned box of United Australia Party (UAP) how-to-votes spotted on the ground near a polling booth in the western Sydney seat of Lindsay.
At regional polling booths, “volunteers” for Derryn Hinch were overheard complaining about being offered cash to hand out material.
Got SOME SAUCE? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au, miranda.wood@news.com.au, or annika.smethurst@news.com.au
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