The Sauce: Gladys Berejiklian Adviser Sean Berry to work for Matt Kean
He was Gladys Berejiklian’s loyal lieutenant until her office dissolved and Sauce hears ex-Seven News reporter Sean Berry is back on the political scene.
NSW
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He was Gladys Berejiklian’s loyal lieutenant until her office dissolved when she sensationally resigned amid the corruption scandal enveloping her ex-lover Daryl Maguire.
But Sauce hears former Seven News state political reporter Sean Berry is back.
A Macquarie Street operative says Berry has been successfully recruited by Treasurer Matt Kean as director of strategy, thereby joining his wife and ex-The Sauce columnist Miranda Wood on the Perrottet government payroll.
We know Kean was impressed by Berry’s media management during the former premier’s appearances before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), including the revelation of her affair, and had been trying to recruit the former journalist ever since he left.
The word around the traps is he starts Monday.
‘Entitled to a hobby’: minister defends ex top cop
Former police minister David Elliott has come out in support of ex-police commissioner Mick Fuller who has been accused of failing to declare to the state government his co-ownership of racehorses.
Mr Elliott, who is now the Transport Minister, said Mr Fuller did declare his racehorse interests – to him.
The conversation took place around May 2019, with Mr Elliott declaring that he was fine with Fuller “having a hobby”.
“I vividly remember having the conversation,” Mr Elliott said.
“And I said, ‘you’re entitled to have a hobby’.”
Elliott claimed he then informed Racing Minister Kevin Anderson of Fuller’s thoroughbred interests.
Fuller came under fire this week for allegedly failing to declare his racing interests to the government until last year when he was grilled by Greens MLC David Shoebridge at a Budget Estimates hearing.
At the time, Fuller declared he had owned “two per cent of a trotter and two per cent of two racehorses, I think”.
The renewed interest this week in the former top cop’s horseracing interests came after it was revealed he was a frontrunner to join the board of Racing NSW.
But after questions were raised over whether he had properly disclosed his horse shares, Anderson — presumably feeling the heat — promptly declared Fuller not be appointed to the board.
Fuller told the ABC that he owned 2.5 per cent shares in a horse in 2019 and 2020 while he was commissioner.
His interest in another horse was between 2015 to 2017, before he was promoted to the role.
It’s also not the first time Elliott has backed the ex-top cop — during the Budget Estimates hearing, Elliott famously interjected upon Shoebridge asking Fuller whether he had sought advice on “whether or not owning racehorses or being involved in the … gambling industry, may have a conflict of interest” in his job as police commissioner.
Before Shoebridge had finished, Elliott declared: “Excuse me, Mr Shoebridge, the Queen owns racehorses. Are you suggesting that she is not ethical?”
TUNNEL VISION
It was a pet project of former premier Gladys Berejiklian, but the swing in her old seat of Willoughby after the Saturday by-election has led to speculation the controversial Beaches Link might be “reprioritised”.
While the associated Western Harbour Tunnel delivers clear benefits — one government official familiar with the project dubbed it a “game-changer”, it seems the same can’t be said of the Beaches Link which locals argue will cause more pain than gain.
Premier Dominic Perrottet was not a fan of the link when he was treasurer — neither was then deputy premier John Barilaro, while former transport minister Andrew Constance was also understood to have had concerns.
Labor has already committed to scrapping the link should it win government at the March 2023 state election.
After the weekend by-election, Perrottet said it was a “loud and clear” signal that better consultation was needed with locals most impacted by the project.
With Willoughby independent Larissa Penn attributing the swing against the Liberals to the seat being taken for granted, the question is whether better consultation at this point will be enough.
STRAIGHT SHOOTER
Premier Dominic Perrottet has long known he may need some extra friends on the crossbench — and his “open door” strategy to appears to be working.
One Shooter MP told The Sauce last week how — unlike former premier Gladys Berejiklian — Perrottet himself responded to queries from the crossbench, no matter how late at night.
This was in contrast to Ms Berejiklian whose staff often handled the inquiries.
“I once sent him a text late at night and he responded immediately,” the MP said.
“We used to speak to Gladys occasionally, but it was mainly through her staff.”
ALBO CALLING
While the warring Liberals are doing their best to lose the federal election with still no candidates in must-win NSW seats, Labor has its own candidate woes.
With long-serving Parramatta Labor MP Julie Owens retiring, the Coalition has marked the seat as one of the five in NSW it wants to win to counter expected losses in other states.
Despite this, Labor has yet to nail down a candidate despite even Labor leader Anthony Albanese picking up the phone to woo potential contenders.
Part of the problem is that the hard left faction — of which Albo was once a member — do not want a rank and file preselection amid concerns the winning candidate would ultimately come from the rival soft left — also know as “The Family” or the “Ferguson left” after powerbroker Laurie Ferguson — which controls the local branches.
Among those who have knocked back approaches to run include Sydney barrister Cameron Murphy and former NSW government minister David Borger.
Other names that have done the rounds include Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union legal director Abha Devasia, NSW Labor MP Julia Finn and economist Andrew Charlton.
Until there is a clear choice of candidate, a “captain’s pick” cannot occur.
INSTA FAIL
Nationals leader Paul Toole clearly has his Instagram training-wheels still on.
In an attempt to send his wife Joanne a modern day Valentine’s message — that is, posting one on the ‘gram — Tooley accidentally tagged The Wrong Joanne.
Thankfully, a switched on staff member noticed the error with the other woman quickly untagged.
As for the identity of this other Joanne, we are told it was “a total random”.
We're sure ‘The Real Joanne’ was still appreciative of the gesture (and the flowers).
While Tooley was trying to post a love letter to his wife, State Opposition Water, Housing and Homelessness spokeswoman Rose Jackson was showing her superior ‘gramming skills, taking inspiration from the social media influencer world with an ‘inside my office’ tour reel.
The reel begins with footage of the Labor MP’s Parliament House door — “here we are, this is me, this is my door” – before panning to her waving masked staffer Oliver.
“For those of you who say the person who does my TikToks should get a raise, there he is,” Jackson explains as Oliver gives the thumbs up.
The reel then shows Jackson’s office, which she describes as “cosy”, before panning to her closet, make-up bag and a speaker: “This is where the bells come out … ding, ding, ding, ding, ding … which tell me it’s time to vote.”
Declaring how she is a “big screens gal”, Jackson pans over to her two computer screens and an iPad.
“Ignore the dead plant,” she says, before showing off a much healthier-looking potted fig leaf and the balcony view over The Domain.
Hey, whatever works.
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