The Sauce: Emma Husar hits DJ decks at Midwinter Ball
SHE might have been at the centre of one of the biggest political scandals this year but that didn’t stop Emma Husar from trying to relaunch her profile at the annual Midwinter Ball — by hitting the DJ decks, The Sauce reveals.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SHE might have been at the centre of one of the biggest political scandals this year but that didn’t stop Emma Husar from trying to relaunch her profile at the annual Midwinter Ball — by hitting the DJ decks, The Sauce reveals.
MIDWINTER MADNESS
SHE might have been at the centre of one of the biggest political scandals this year but that didn’t stop Emma Husar from wanting to be the belle of the Midwinter Ball.
The Labor MP made a bold attempt to relaunch her profile at Wednesday night’s event, jumping on stage to take control of the DJ decks.
Husar, who quit last month after claims she bullied staff in her Penrith office, made the most of her likely last appearance at Canberra’s night of nights.
Meanwhile, the undisputed ball queen Julie Bishop, who ditched the event this year, instead opted for a feed of dumplings at China Plate. And even though Bishop and Barnaby Joyce avoided the Midwinter Ball, they couldn’t avoid each other earlier in the week when the former cabinet ministers bumped into each other at a Canberra eatery.
MORE FROM THE SAUCE
CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER WHO WILL REPLACE EMMA HUSAR
ABBOTT’S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER DATING BRAD HAZZARD’S SON
The National MP and his former staffer turned partner Vikki Campion were having a night away from baby Sebastian when they ran into Bishop at Barton restaurant Chairman and Yip.
They exchanged pleasantries with Joyce even pulling up a pew at Bishop’s table later in the night while Campion waited outside.
SEATING PLAN HEADACHE
STILL on the Midwinter Ball and with so many enemies in the room, the seating fixer had an unenviable job.
Onlookers were particularly surprised to see Sunday Tele columnist and former Abbott staffer Peta Credlin sitting alongside Turnbull backer Christopher Pyne.
The SMS row between One Nation staffer James Ashby and Senator Brian Burston continued in person with the insult, “dog” being flung by Ashby to Burston within earshot of Labor leader Bill Shorten.
Maybe Ashby was sharing details about his boyfriend’s line of work given he is dating a zookeeper from Yeppoon.
WENTWORTH WOES
THEY emerged from the leadership bloodbath with Scott Morrison in the top job, but the cross-factional powerbroking team of Alex Hawke, Nick Campbell and Michael Photios were licking their wounds last week after losing a battle with former prime minister John Howard over the Liberal candidacy for the Wentworth by-election.
Howard’s pick was former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma.
The trio was backing former Business Council of Australia executive Andrew Bragg, until he withdrew his candidacy amid a smear campaign that began two weeks earlier.
The group, which also includes Photios’ former lobbying business partner David Begg and his wife Natalie Ward, turned to former O’Farrell government chief-of-staff Katherine O’Regan, amid party research which suggested a female stood a better chance of holding the seat at the October 20 by-election.
O’Regan, who was also Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s pick, woke up Thursday as the frontrunner — betting agencies had her at $1.90 — until about 3pm when Howard hit the phones.
Also backing Sharma was NSW minister and Left faction leader Matt Kean, with the 200 or so preselectors overwhelmingly switching support to Sharma by late afternoon. Sharma, who has been dubbed a future prime minister, gave a convincing performance on why he should be the candidate for the prized seat.
Party sources said O’Regan, who was knocked out in the third round, appeared to muddle her answer to a question posed by a preselector on President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
FAIRY TALES
POLITICAL smear campaigns usually entail parties digging up screengrabs of sexting exchanges or saucy photos from an ex, not pictures of one dressed up as a children’s book character.
With the Nationals quietly smug after their Coalition partner’s drubbing in Wagga Wagga last weekend, one Liberal was taking solace in the fact that at least their candidate Julia Ham had not been posting pictures of herself climbing trees in a red princess outfit.
The comment was made in reference to the 21-year-old National’s candidate for Orange, Yvette Quinn, who uploaded a picture of herself on Facebook during Book Week wearing pigtails and clutching a copy of Before We Go To Bed by Sue Mongredien.
Quinn noted that she had been a participant in a reading day being held at Parkes. The post, which has since been mysteriously deleted, was doing the rounds of Macquarie Street last week.
“And they wonder why we wouldn’t let them pick the candidate in Wagga,” one Liberal said.
The Nationals are counting on Quinn to reclaim the seat from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers after the party’s own by-election fail almost two years ago.
THE TRIFECTA
WITH rumours continuing to circulate that Craig Laundy will not stand again in his Sydney seat of Reid, a new contender has come to light. It’s understood Liberal member for Drummoyne John Sidoti has been sounded out to run and is seriously considering making the move from Macquarie Street to Canberra.
If successful, Sidoti would achieve the political trifecta — local government, state and now federal. So far his biggest policy win has been stopping the boats (abandoned boat trailers that is, which have plagued his waterside electorate for years).