The Sauce: ‘Bristling’ John Barilaro to give evidence at inquiry amid scrutiny of partner’s departure
Pull out the popcorn – after pleading for weeks to give evidence, former deputy premier John Barilaro will finally have his say at the inquiry into his trade appointment.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Outspoken Transport Minister David Elliott says he will withdraw from the deputy Liberal leadership contest if rival contender Treasurer Matt Kean steps aside for a female candidate.
The senior Perrottet government ministers have been at loggerheads over the job since last week’s overdue dumping of Trade Minister Stuart Ayres, who had held the post.
Ayres was forced to resign for not having been at arm’s length from the selection process that ended up landing former deputy premier John Barilaro a New York trade post gig.
It is understood Premier Dominic Perrottet and Ayres came to that decision after receiving three pages of the yet-to-be released report into the controversial appointment by former public service commissioner Graeme Head.
Elliott, who has taken over one of Ayres’ portfolios as Western Sydney Minister, took out his frustration at Kean last week over who was responsible for compensation for taxi plate owners, accusing the office of his factional rival of pedalling “complete bullsh.t” over the matter.
The hold on compensation for the 5000 taxi plate owners, some of whom had been waiting seven years, was the reason he was running for the deputy Liberal leadership, Elliott said.
However, he told The Sauce he would withdraw from the race if Kean also stepped aside for a female candidate.
“I would be prepared to withdraw from the deputy leadership if Matt Kean lives up to his own standards and nominates a woman — someone like Leslie Williams or Wendy Tuckerman,” Elliott said.
“By not using this vacancy to recruit and mentor a woman, the moderates are missing a unique opportunity to practise what they preach, and the Treasurer exposes himself for criticisms of hypocrisy.”
Bring on the ballot.
STAR WITNESS
Pull out the popcorn.
After pleading for weeks to be called to give evidence, former deputy premier John Barilaro will finally have his say when he appears before the NSW Upper House inquiry examining his appointment on Monday.
The inquiry has set aside three-and-a-half hours for questioning and may even call the former Nationals leader back again on Friday, if needed.
Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown will also reappear for the third time on Monday, and is expected to face questions on the damning evidence given by NSW Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo on Friday who told the inquiry how she would have never signed off on Bara’s appointment as New York trade commissioner had she known of the level of ministerial involvement.
Barilaro has been laying low since calling up 2GB recently following a confrontation with a cameraman in Manly, declaring he was being “intruded on and harassed”.
He will have been bristling on Friday after Labor MP Penny Sharpe began asking his former chief-of-staff Siobhan Hamblin questions about her ex-boss and his media adviser-turned-partner Jennifer Lugsdin.
Lugsdin worked for Bara before quitting in August last year to take up a job at Investment NSW, the agency at the centre of the appointment scandal. Sharpe asked an uncomfortable-looking Hamblin, who at one point asked if she could speak in-camera, about the circumstances of Lugsdin’s departure.
“I’m just asking about the circumstances with which she left the role in your office and became a senior adviser in Investment NSW,” Sharpe said. “Did you ever speak to Investment NSW about finding a job for this staff member given that you knew that she was looking to leave?”
“No,” Hamblin replied, before revealing a recruiter interviewed her about Lugsdin’s application for the job.
“I welcomed the opportunity for my staff to move on to other things and provide, where appropriate, the right references for them.”
TEAL TEASE
Teal appears to be the new blue, with suspended Liberal minister Gareth Ward provocatively adopting the now-famous colour for his latest brochures.
Ward, who was suspended from parliament at the end of May when he refused to resign after being charged with sexual assault offences – which he strenuously denies – is pushing ahead with recontesting his seat of Kiama as an independent.
And if local sentiment on social media is any guide, the moderate powerbroker and former lawyer will have no problem reclaiming the seat he has represented for well over a decade.
Last week, Ward issued a teal-coloured survey to his community as he prepares to fine-tune his state election campaign.
The survey asked voters to name the five most important issues to them, whether they be cost of living, greater investment in education and schools, or climate change and protection of the local environment.
Labor is preselecting a candidate for the south coast seat, but there is no word yet from the Liberal camp.
BONDI BOYS
After pointing out the lack of women nominating for the Sydney Cricket Ground advisory committee recently, The Sauce was contacted by North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) members who noted a similar situation with its board.
Not only are the nine board members blokes, no women had nominated for the club president position in the upcoming club elections, raising questions about the culture at the club.
When The Sauce asked club president Andrew Christopher what was going on, he listed a number of initiatives the club was taking to encourage female participation in leadership roles
“We’ve this year run a women’s mentoring program led by a female life member and ex-board member and our former female club captain and board member,” he said.
“We have had, and continue to have, women in leadership roles, including in board roles over at least the last decade. It’s not productive to answer your specific questions in a single snap bite without full context and broader discussion.”
A Surf Life Saving NSW spokesman said while it was correct no women had nominated to become president, the club board had had female representation “six years out of the last 10”.
“North Bondi SLSC is not different to some other surf clubs and indeed many other community organisations regarding gender diversity in management positions,” the spokesman said.
Surf Life Saving NSW was actively promoting and encouraging gender diversity among all its clubs, with 44 per cent of its entire membership of 76,000 people being female, he said.
As for a breakdown of board membership?
“Surf Life Saving NSW does not have current statistics concerning male to female board representation across all of its 129 clubs,” the spokesman said.
Given the major themes at the biannual State Club Conference held last month were “diversity and inclusion”, hopefully change is afoot.
Got some Sauce? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au
Motorcyclist dies after hitting tree
A young motorcyclist has died in the Hunter Valley after colliding with a tree. Here’s the latest.
‘Prolonged and repeated’: Mother’s $4k social media scam
A woman who was caught red-handed swindling 10 people on Facebook Marketplace in dodgy phone deals has been told her methods were ‘calculated’ and ‘repeated’.