The Sauce: Parramatta councillor Michelle Garrard accuses ATC of ‘professional snobbery’

A local councillor claims she was not invited to the Golden Slipper after slamming Rosehill Gardens redevelopment plans. Plus: Which state pollies spend most on travel? It’s all in this week’s Sauce.

A Sydney councillor who declared Rosehill would become a “ghetto” if its racecourse was redeveloped for housing has accused the Australian Turf Club (ATC) of “snubbing” her after she failed to receive an invitation to the Golden Slipper.

Parramatta councillor Michelle Garrard, who is fighting to retain Rosehill Racecourse, told The Sauce that she believed she was a victim of what she described as “professional snobbery” after missing out on an invite to the Saturday meet “director’s room” function despite one going to her council colleagues and CEO.

Garrard, who says she has been a longtime support of the ATC, said it was clear the “snub” was in response to her having a “differing professional opinion”.

Garrard came under fire earlier this month after declaring at a council meeting that the council needed to “fight to retain Rosehill Racecourse and not allow Parramatta’s most vulnerable land to be developed into a ghetto”.

When asked later to elaborate on the word “ghetto”, Garrard reportedly said she meant the word to mean a place that was overdeveloped or had the potential to turn into “a slum”.

Parramatta councillor Michelle Garrard believes she has been snubbed by the ATC after speaking out against the Rosehill Racecourse redevelopment. Picture: John Appleyard

Garrard said she was disappointed at the ATC’s decision.

“It’s professional snobbery,” she said.

“One should be able to have a difference of opinion. I have been one of the ATC’s biggest supporters since I was elected. I’m disappointed they’ve taken that stance.”

The ATC declined to comment.

Among those spotted at the function were Attorney General Michael Daley, Upper House MLC Mark Latham and Parramatta MP Donna Davies.

While Latham has also expressed concerns about the racecourse sale, it is understood his invite was from a director rather than the ATC itself.

Blake Shinn riding Lady Of Camelot wins Race 8 during Golden Slipper Day on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Incidentally, Garrard’s father Paul — who is a Cumberland City Councillor — also has an interest in racing, having paid $50,000 in a racehorse syndicate back in 2013.

The share became the focus of a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal inquiry in 2022, which heard that the syndicate included a mate who had a DA before council — a fact Garrard had failed to declare.

The tribunal heard Garrard “initially did not perceive he had a conflict of interest in voting in favour of the development application for the Rosehill property”, but that later, on reflection, acknowledged that he did have a conflict.

The tribunal heard that Garrard had not agitated for any outcome concerning the site.

He was suspended for two months after being found guilty of misconduct.

After court, Garrard admitted he made a “silly mistake” after a “technical breach of the code’’.

POLLIE EXPENSES

With the media spotlight on just how much politicians are spending on travel, hire cars and running their offices, the Minns government has decided to get on the front foot.

Instead of waiting for freedom of information requests before releasing the information, it has decided to publish the details of domestic trips undertaken by its pollies every six months.

In a move that will hopefully make ministers more accountable for their expenditure, the data will include the details of airfares, hotels, hire cars and any other “incidentals”.

Premier Chris Minns always flies economy when taxpayers are footing his travel bill. Picture: Nikki Short

According to the first lot of itineraries, published on Friday, the ministerial travel bill for the six months to December last year was more than $442,000.

As expected, the office of Premier Chris Minns topped the list, with his bill coming in at just under $96,000.

A closer look at his expenses shows the Labor leader always flew cattle class, although there were some chartered flights, with the most expensive being a $3056 flight from Bankstown to Deniliquin on September 30, followed by a $2605 one to Broken Hill on December 12.

Other charters were to Lismore ($933), Nowra ($847) and Williamstown ($641).

As for hotels, the biggest bills were incurred by staff, with a five-day stay at the Pullman Sydney in Hyde Park costing $1325 and another five-day stay at the Comfort Inn Centrepoint in Lismore costing $1074.

Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty had the next biggest travel bill, coming in at just under $43,000, followed by Roads, Arts, Jobs, Tourism Minister John Graham ($38,000), Penny Sharpe ($32,000) and Ryan Park ($31,000).

The log showed most ministers flying to Perth flew business class, including a return one by Ms Moriarty costing just under $6000 and another by Health Minister Ryan Park totalling more than $4000.

A business class flight to the NT by Families and Communities Minister Kate Washington cost just over $3000.

BETTER DAYS

As friendship break-ups go, the falling out between journalists Steve Jackson and Taylor Auerbach will become the stuff of legend in Sydney media circles.

Initially playing out privately, the bitter feud between the former News Corp and Seven colleagues became public this week after it emerged Jackson was hired for the job of executive media director in the office of NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

Steve Jackson (left) and Taylor Auerbach in happier times. Picture: Social media

On Friday, it emerged that Auerbach had departed Sky News Australia.

He has hinted at having engaged lawyers.

Jackson, as of Saturday evening, was still looking forward to his first day on the job.

Such a far cry from the happier times depicted in social media posts.

“It was a bromance stretching many years,” a former colleague of the pair said.

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