The Sauce: Police Minister David Elliott celebrates 10 years in parliament

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet stole the show at a celebration to mark David Elliott’s 10 years in parliament last week, skewering the Police Minister with his roast.

The who’s who of politics and business turned up to Doltone House on Friday night to celebrate Police Minister David “the mall cop of Castle Towers” Elliott’s decade in parliament.

Among the 200 VIPS at the $150-a-head event were Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Bank of Queensland executive Rahul Jethi, party elders Warren Mundine and Paul Nicolaou, businessman Tony Shepherd and Seven News director Jason Morrison.

Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott with (l to r) mother-in-law Laraine, wife Nicole and Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Supplied

But it was Treasurer Dominic Perrottet who stole the show with a roasting speech written on the back of a crumpled NAB envelope — “I put this together between phone calls” — that left guests in tears of laughter.

While Ms Berejiklian declared how you needed someone like Elliott on the team, Perrottet joked how he often felt “physically ill” when his Cabinet colleague stood up in Question Time.

“He’s like a Scud missile,” he said. “You never know if he’s going to take out Labor, us or himself.”

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet had the crowd in stitches. Picture: Supplied

As for Elliott’s relationship with the media, Perrottet noted how he had finally worked out how to get a front-page story.

“You go in to David Elliott’s office and say ‘I’ve got a secret to tell you. DON’T TELL ANYONE. Front page story in The Sunday Telegraph,” the Treasurer said.

“That was a lesson I learned very early on.”

The roasting was always going to include Mr Elliott’s incident with a machinegun, where he was pictured firing at a rifle range for prison officers, and “explaining road rules to a wayward teenager” — but both incidents simply reflected Mr Elliott’s desire to save taxpayer dollars by taking matters “into his own hands”, Mr Perrottet said.

“He later learned from this and was in London during the bushfires”.

After the roasting, Mr Perrottet presented Mr Elliott with “a police badge” for his future highway patrol endeavours.

Mr Elliott agreed the Premier had probably apologised for him “more times than my very own mother”.

But as one party attendee noted, in light of the current scandals plaguing the NSW Coalition government “David may well be the only cleanskin”.

THE POLL JITTERS

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is riding high in the opinion polls, but some Liberals are beginning to feel jittery about whether this will be enough to secure the seats needed to retain government at the next state election.

MPs who are subject to investigations for an alleged rape and by the ICAC cast a heavy shadow over Gladys Berejiklian‘s government. Picture: Terry Pontikos

Not only has the suspension of Nationals MP Michael Johnsen plunged the Coalition into a minority government following allegations he raped a sex worker, following NSW Liberal MP John Sidoti joining the crossbench after the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) declared it would be holding a public inquiry into his property dealings, the latest draft redistribution has left some sitting MPs a little worse for wear.

MPs who will have their work cut out include Tourism and Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres, with the proposed reshaping of boundaries taking a not-insignificant chunk of pro-Liberal voters from his seat of Penrith.

Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres has a battle on his hands following an electoral redistribution. Picture: Toby Zerna

But with the high-profile minister known for being a good campaigner, he is the least of the party’s worries.

On shakier ground than Penrith are Heathcote and Riverstone, with both seats now taking in more non-Coalition voters under the proposed boundary changes.

This leaves the Liberals with no option but to scout around for additional seats to target, a process The Sauce has confirmed is well under way.

As for the Nationals, Johnsen holds his seat of the Upper Hunter by a slither of a margin.

However, a Nationals source said the party was confident of retaining the seat despite the latest turmoil.

As for whether Johnsen will be the candidate, that remains to be seen.

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