The Sauce: Perrottet media director Mike Duffy’s confusion with prisons PR namesake
Two top NSW Government PR heavyweights — one of whom is working in the Premier’s office — are inadvertently causing a communication breakdown due to their shared name.
NSW
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When former Seven journalist Mike Duffy took on the job of director of media for Premier Dominic Perrottet, his namesake over at Corrective Services NSW was probably thinking, “here we go again”.
Prisons’ Mike Duffy – who is the department’s media and communications director – is also a former journalist, causing regular confusion within the Sydney establishment.
Among the stories The Sauce has been told was how “Prison Duffy” was once wrongly called to court over a case involving a shooting at a gym.
His namesake – then a reporter for Seven – hadn’t done anything wrong but had spoken with a witness while pulling together a story.
As a result, he became involved in the case itself.
But when he was to have been called up to give evidence, the court accidentally called up the other Mike Duffy.
Prison Duffy, who must have been wondering what the hell was going on, is understood to have waited in court the entire day before a defence barrister turned to him, asking: “Is there another journalist called Mike Duffy?”
He was immediately released.
As for “Premier Duffy’, The Sauce heard he once ended up being the recipient of emails that were clearly supposed to be going to “Prison Duffy”.
When a travel request came through, Duffy – who was tired of receiving the largely inane emails – decided it was time to ‘fess up, cheekily replying “Approved”.
He was quickly removed from the mailing list.
The confusion still continues, with Prison Duffy noting how he’d received several messages of congratulations after his namesake was announced in his new job.
Premier Duffy has also battled to sort out a tax issue as the pair also happen to share the same accountant, who pulled up the wrong file.
LIBS’ FACTION FRICTION BLOCKS SEAT SELECTION
Senior Liberal factional bosses are desperately working the phones this weekend to break an impasse that has blocked the selection of candidates in critical NSW seats.
With the federal election campaign just weeks away and Prime Minister Scott Morrison needing to win at least five NSW seats to cover potential losses in other states, party officials are sweating on the factions to sort out the mess.
The impasse comes despite Morrison orchestrating a forced group hug among the warring left, right and centre-right factions to proceed in choosing candidates.
But the party has been wavering in sending out a fax ballot to the 27 NSW Liberal State Executive members to lock in the deal amid concerns it would not obtain the required 90 per cent approval.
The ballot was the “white elephant” in the room at a Zoom meeting of executive members on Friday night, with the party instead focusing on greenlighting candidates for seats that were not part of the deal.
These included Paul Fletcher for Bradfield, the PM for Cook, Fiona Martin for Reid, Angus Taylor for Hume, along with candidates – subject to the usual party vetting processes – for Whitlam and Werriwa.
It also voted to open up nominations for the Senate on Monday.
Key seats that are still without an endorsed candidate include Warringah, Hughes, Bennelong, Parramatta, Dobell and Eden-Monaro.
A frustrated moderate Liberal source said the ballot – which would have greenlighted candidates such as Alex Dore in Hughes while allowing for a preselection to be held in Bennelong – was critical in order for the party to move forward.
The source blamed the “fringe right” for holding up the deal, with the “Perrottet right” in support of the ballot.
“The senior leadership of the party factions are all behind ensuring the PM is given everything he needs to win this election,” the source said. “Unfortunately, there are a few vested interests standing in the way.
“This is the first time the left, right and centre-right have all come together, only for egos in the fringe right to jeopardise this deal. But we will be working the phones this weekend to secure support for the PM.”
However, The Sauce is aware of one left-wing executive member also not in support of the ballot.
Should the ballot proceed, the party still needs to find a candidate for Eden-Monaro, with infectious disease specialist Dr Nick Coatsworth formally ruling himself out.
As The Sauce recently revealed, Coatsworth was one of the “celebrity” names doing the rounds among party members as a possible option for the seat, along with television sports presenter Erin Molan.
Molan ruled herself out while Coatsworth told us last year that he was busy slashing grass on his Yass property.
After checking in with him again this week, the high-profile doctor said while he had finished slashing grass – “I bought a tractor and got it done” – entering politics was still not on the radar.
“Focusing on a PhD and the private sector – that’s the direction for the next three years,” he said.
Another well-connected Liberal said there were possible contenders being considered for the seat, but “none are celebrities”.
“They are all local,” the insider said.
Stay tuned.
LIGHTS OUT
It was the last thing frazzled NSW Liberal Party officials needed – a two-day power outage in the middle of preparations for four state by-elections and ongoing dramas in sorting federal candidates.
The outage occurred just after officials had relocated into new a new HQ at 131 Macquarie St.
All communications were affected, with one source saying the NSW Liberal state director Chris Stone telling people not to bother calling the office because the phones weren’t working.
“Clearly one of (Sydney City Lord Mayor) Clover Moore’s wind turbines fell over,” joked one Liberal insider.
It appears the power was accidentally cut by a council worker with other buildings in the street also affected.
SLOANE RANGER
She missed out on becoming the Liberal candidate for Willoughby to right-winger Tim James, but it appears it is not yet the end of the road for former Today star Kellie Sloane. The Sauce has been told her supporters are now pushing for her to replace Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton.
The only problem is that Upton – who is the parliamentary secretary to the Premier – has made no indication that she plans to stand down at the end of this term.
SECRET VAPER
Which high-profile NSW pollie has been accused of having become a “serial vaper”.
His colleagues say he tries to keep the habit on the down-low, but his obvious love of the e-cigarette has resulted in him being caught having a quiet puff between meetings.
Our Macquarie Street insider scoffed when asked if the vaper was doing it as part of a plan to quit smoking.
“He’s not only vaping, he’s also smoking,” the source said. “Basically, anything he can get his hands on.”
Work stress perhaps?
GOT SOME SAUCE? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au
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