The Sauce: Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten’s trip to Tel Aviv
IT IS Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten as you’ve probably never seen them before. The Sauce today reveals the political rivals pictured side-by-side in much happier times. SEE THE PICTURES.
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THE Sauce is a new weekly column covering the top end of town — all levels of politics, business and the law.
The Sunday Telegraph senior reporters Linda Silmalis, Miranda Wood and Annika Smethurst go behind the headlines.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
BAD haircuts, Mambo T-shirts and awkward grins — everyone has those “holiday” pics they would rather forget. In the case of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition leader Bill Shorten, it is no doubt this trip to Tel Aviv some 15 years ago when both were still figuring out their personal styles.
Posted on social media last week, the pictures — which quickly did the rounds — depict both future leaders standing among a group, which included former NSW Labor minister Joe Tripodi — then a promising backbencher — and a Mambo-clad Guy Spigelman, a relative of former NSW chief justice Jim Spigelman who ran as a Labor candidate for the Israeli parliament.
Also in the frame is Peter Crone, the new chief economist in the office of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Rock on guys and never flashback in anger.
PROTECTING OUR POLLIES
AS politicians start landing at Canberra Airport today for another fortnight of Parliament, they can breathe a protected sigh of relief. Instead of running the media gauntlet — a favourite sport for journalists seeking answers and attention-seeking pollies — the airport has updated guidelines which threaten to ban news organisations who step out of line.
No surprises the ‘August 2018 Media Protocol’ document was sent out post-Liberal leadership spill, with one senior media exec saying, “it seems like a protection racket for politicians”.
Canberra Airport is now demanding camera crews, photographers and reporters give one-hour notice before they “access airport facilities” and on arrival, they must check in at the customer service office. Failure to notify the airport will result in “you being asked to leave immediately and possible limited future access”.
It adds: “We will not tolerate any belligerent, harassing or menacing behaviour towards employees, travellers or public figures at any location on airport property”. If only those public figures — politicians — weren’t so belligerent and menacing to their own kind, our Prime Ministers might last a term.
JUNGLE QUEEN
JACQUI Lambie could be swapping the political jungle of Canberra for real snakes in Africa.
The former outspoken Senator has been approached to star on the next series of reality TV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
Ms Lambie, who hopes to re-enter the Senate at the next election after her dual citizenship forced her to quit last year, was a divisive member of the Parliament — a personality trait likely to set the number of celebrities wanting to ‘get out’ of there, soaring.
GLADYS WHO?
IT’S been a year and half since Premier Gladys Berejiklian took on the top job, and while voters have found her “likeable” and “trustworthy”, it appears they don’t really “know” her in the same way they knew church-going Mike Baird — anyone up for a surf?
While focus group research has found her to possess all the qualities of a successful leader, voters are left wanting to know more about her backstory.
With the state election less than six months away, voters may finally get to know a more personal side to who their premier really is. We advise you to stay tuned.
PUB READING
HE’S a close ally and friend of Malcolm Turnbull but former acting Liberal party director Andrew Bragg is not taking any chances in his bid to succeed the Wentworth MP at the upcoming by-election. Bragg was last week seen at the local Lord Dudley Hotel clutching a copy of Robert Menzies’ The Forgotten People — the updated version by PM Scott Morrison’s speechwriter Paul Ritchie. The Michael Photios-backed Liberal lefty is the favourite to take-out the seat.
NOT EASY BEING GREEN
Federal Greens MP Adam Bandt is in trouble for calling his wife, wait for it … “hot”.
Apparently, in Greens land, finding your partner attractive is a major faux pas. Mentioning it in public is akin to treason.
Outraged lefties slammed the lower house MP after he posted a photo on social media this week with the caption; “With hot wife at Bangarra’s opening night of Dark Emu” sealed with a kiss emoji.
One loveless keyboard warrior said the deputy leader of the Greens showed “poor judgement” and was “alienating” his progressive support base with his romantic comment. “Does your wife have a name?
Is she only defined by her relationship to you by her perceived attractiveness,” one incensed poster said.
Adam’s wife, Claudia Perkins, tried to cool the situation posting that she was “fine” with the post and that the couple was still “hot” for each other after 11 years together.
God forbid the crackers of social media discover Claudia, was once employed as a Labor staffer.
CROSSED OFF
IT IS billed as the property conference of the year — the annual Property Congress where attendees spend big bucks to listen to A-list speakers deliver speeches to inspire and motivate.
The early promotional material for the three-day Property Council of Australia event published back in June featured Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith alongside former New Zealand prime minister John Key and others.
However, the former Australian Army soldier is notably absent in the most recent speaker lists. Whispers around the event suggested Roberts-Smith was pulled amid concerns from one of the event’s major sponsors following the publication of serious allegations of bullying, intimidation and domestic violence last month.
While Roberts-Smith has denied the claims, branding them “a catalogue of lies, fabrications and misrepresentations”, it appears his presence on the guest is too hot for some.
A Council spokesman said programming for events such as the Congress was dynamic “and can change in the lead-up to event delivery”.
“The Congress program has been adjusted and Mr Roberts-Smith is no longer scheduled to appear,” he said.
“Decisions on the program are made by the Property Council.”
ROCK TRIBUTE
DIE-HARD indie rock fan Anthony Albanese — The Sauce often spots him lurking at gigs such as The Sunnyboys — may have failed in his campaign to convince the ABC into buying the rights to screen a doco on 70s punk rock band Radio Birdman, but the Labor frontbencher’s efforts were not entirely in vain.
The avid fan of the seminal rock group was chuffed to received a private note from the band’s lead singer Deniz Tek.
“He wrote me a personal note to say thanks,” an excited Albo told The Sauce.
Screened at cinemas, the documentary was deemed too niche for the ABC to take up.