MP tells of under-fire actor Kevin Spacey’sunwelcome advance at dinner
Fans of double Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey were shocked when allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him — but one senior NSW parliamentarian told The Sauce of his own uncomfortable encounter with the star.
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Fans of double Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey were shocked as allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. Not so one senior NSW parliamentarian, who last week recounted to The Sauce an extraordinary tale of his own encounter with the star.
The MP, who requested anonymity, claimed he was seated at a table next to the Hollywood actor, who had been in town to play Richard III at the Lyric Theatre.
Also at the table were several high-profile political and restaurateur types.
The MP said he felt “a hand on my leg”. “It began moving up and down — it was a little awkward,” he told The Sauce.
“I was just sitting there thinking, is this happening?”
Spacey eventually removed his hand.
The MP, who has a girlfriend, later relayed the story to his dining companions after the actor had left.
LOVE CONQUERS POLITICS
An unlikely romance has blossomed between young political rivals.
Independent Wentworth MP Kerryn Phelps’ daughter, Gabi Stricker-Phelps, is smitten with Mosman Young Liberals president Lachlan Finch.
Gabi, who is spending her university holidays in Poland on a study trip sponsored by the Polish Union of Jewish Students, confirmed the love affair.
“I have been in a relationship with Lachlan for a few months,” Gabi said.
“We are very happy together.”
According to Sauce correspondent Jack Morphet, the pair met at a pub in August to talk about student politics and sparks flew.
Lachlan is on the board of the University of Sydney Union and Gabi wanted advice about running for a seat on the Student Representative Council.
The couple had only been dating a month when Gabi’s mum, Dr Phelps, announced she would take on the Liberals in Malcolm Turnbull’s old seat, which made for some awkward dinner conversation.
Lachlan will have to stay well away from Wentworth when Liberal candidate Dave Sharma tries to wrest back the prized swing seat from Dr Phelps at this year’s federal election.
“I’ve decided to campaign for the Liberal Party in electorates other than Wentworth,” Lachlan said.
LIB READY TO BATTLE FOR LINDSAY
She has her work cut out for her in the crucial marginal Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, but new Liberal contender Melissa McIntosh has taken notes from impressive mentors.
The mum-of-three told Sauce she worked for former prime minister John Howard as a “very, very junior press officer”.
And, before her short stint in Canberra at the age of 22, Ms McIntosh took up a job in the office of retired Lindsay MP Jackie Kelly, the original symbol of the ‘Howard Battler’. “Something I’ve learnt from Jackie Kelly is that she was a politician that listened to her community, and she was fantastic out and about speaking to people about their needs,” Ms McIntosh said.
Born and bred in Penrith, Ms McIntosh met her husband Stuart when he was competing in whitewater kayaking for Great Britain at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
“I was reported in the paper for not going home,” Mr McIntosh said. “I think I was one of maybe three or four of us that never went back.”
IT’S ON ALREADY
Residents in the key Western Sydney electorate of Lindsay were barely waking up to the new year when the pollsters began hitting the phones.
From the exhaustive list of questions asked in a poll conducted last Saturday, it is clear dumped Labor MP Emma Husar is still being viewed as a potential threat.
Husar declared in August she would not contest the next election after controversy surrounding bullying allegations, but has since toyed with the idea of heading over to the crossbench.
Respondents were asked to rate Ms Husar as “favourable or unfavourable”, as well as Labor candidate Diane Beamer, Liberal candidate Melissa McIntosh and Greens candidate Kingsley Liu.
Other questions, including whether Lindsay was “heading in the right or wrong direction”, sound very much like Labor; while “what issue could a newly elected member do or fix immediately who would make the best prime minister which party will protect our borders, lift taxes and manage climate change?” more like Liberals.
NSW Labor officials said the poll was being undertaken by the Liberals. The NSW Liberal office said it “did not comment on polls”.
Only five months to go.
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SHOOTING THROUGH
He worked for Labor MPs Eddie Obeid, Shaoquett Moselmane and Walt Secord, before taking on a job with the NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers.
But seasoned spinner — and nice guy — John Townsend has called it a day.
He will instead be pursuing his own dream of helping others as a critical care nurse. Townsend will begin his new career in a public hospital on March 11.
Got some SAUCE? Contact:
linda.silmalis@news.com.au
miranda.wood@news.com.au or
annika.smethurst@news.com.au
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