NSW Parliament House hit with toilet paper shortage
They are disappearing from supermarket shelves and open houses but now it seems Parliament House has been targeted in the hunt for toilet paper, as coronavirus has people panic-buying the product.
NSW
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There were whispers in the corridors of power last week suggesting our state parliamentarians — like the rest of us — had fallen victim to the great toilet paper pandemic sweeping across Australia.
Not only have coronavirus-preparing shoppers cleaned out supermarkets of bog rolls, sources within Parliament House say the Macquarie St rest rooms also ran out last week.
Granted, it was a “sitting week”, but could it be that our MPs and/or their staff were also
quietly stockpiling?
Luckily, an order of loo rolls was made with rest rooms re-stocked.
Such is the bizarre demand for the loo paper that a NSW MP told The Sauce yesterday how a real estate agent had mentioned how rolls were being pinched from open houses.
Another senior state government source told how a shopper at the local grocery store in Blayney revealed he was buying rolls to take back to his family in Sydney.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Brad Hazzard last week had a sign on his door declaring the premises free of “cash or toilet paper”.
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It’s understood the sign was put up by staff as a bit of lighthearted humour to break up the almost 24-hour working days his office are enduring as they grapple to keep the public informed of the latest coronavirus developments.
GAG ORDER
Labor MPs have been told to wind back their Question Time attacks on female members of Scott Morrison’s frontbench over fears they will be accused of sexism.
The gag order was issued by Anthony Albanese after members of his backbench gave the nickname “Coral bleaching” to Science Minister Karen Andrews.
The Sauce has heard a number of excuses for the unsporting moniker, from the cool-tone of her blonde hair to her interest in stopping bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef.
DEVELOPING DILEMMA
It was the barney to end all barneys, but senior players within the Liberal Party are not giving up in their bid to force the party to regulate to ban developers and their industry mates from sitting on councils.
As first revealed here, the moderate and right-wing arms of the party have joined together in their push for the party to use its special powers to block developers from running.
The move is designed to address a potential conflict of interest given the decision-making role of councils over proposed developments.
The proposal was deferred at the time by Centre Right powerbroker Alex Hawke (who wanted legal advice) at a rowdy meeting of the State Executive, with the advice later confirming such a move would be unconstitutional.
Now the NSW Liberal local government committee is to move a new motion, changing the party’s constitution.
The recommendation will have to be ratified at a state council, and with the clock ticking before candidates must start being selected for the September local government elections, there is a sense of urgency among those pushing for a ban.
In a separate move, the State Executive will also be asked vote on a motion at its next meeting, requiring the party to provide a regular update on the progress of each branch dispute.
The motion follows the party taking almost two years to resolve a dispute at a Baulkham Hills branch amid allegations minutes of a meeting held at a funeral house were changed.
“What’s the point of having a disputes committee when no disputes are resolved?” one asked.
Those accused have all pleaded their innocence.
EMAIL FAIL
Lobbyists are secretive types, so few were amused when the usually discreet bureaucrats within the Attorney-General’s Department slipped up by sending out a group email recently, exposing the personal email addresses of some of the nation’s top consultants.
“Whoa! Anybody else think a BCC might have been more appropriate from a government department?? Asking for a friend …” one replied.
Another was less amused: “Good afternoon Lobbyist Registrar, I think you might have made an unforgivable mistake. I now have the names and emails of every registered lobbyist in the country. And I did not authorise for my information to be made public in this way.”
One high-profile Liberal lobbyist, who is known for his lavish gatherings, saw the bright side: “It’s a good list for a party.”
The party idea was embraced by another seasoned lobbyist: “This same list was accidentally sent out in late January, then recalled by the sender. Old Parliament House would be the ideal spot for the Party, if it happens. “See you there.”
Networking at its best.
CRACKER OF A JOB
It was a controversial six-month appointment with Transport for NSW, but The Sauce can reveal Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s former director of strategy, Brad Burden, has completed his $256,000 contract.
The lucrative appointment triggered a review by Transport for NSW of its “procurement processes” and how it engages highly paid contractors after it was revealed the job had not been advertised.
That’s not to say Burden, dubbed “Cracker” by members of the NSW Press Gallery for his enthusiastic story pitches when he worked for former premier Barry O’Farrell, would not have gotten the gig anyway.
The ex-spin doctor has racked up an impressive CV from the general manager of media and communications for the NRL and media relations manager for Woolworths.
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