The Sauce: Video circulating of Liberal candidate snorting cocaine
The Sauce: Dominic Perrottet has had a tough fortnight — topped off with news of a Liberal candidate being filmed snorting coke.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There is a video of a Liberal candidate snorting coke at a function.
Then there are rumours about an unsavoury incident involving two senior Liberals when they were in the Young Liberals.
And don’t forget a growing conga line of Liberals — including two of Premier Dominic Perrottet’s brothers — refusing to appear before a state parliamentary inquiry initiated after a Liberal MP made allegations of corruption between developers and “agents” of The Hills Shire Council.
So it would be of no surprise to The Sauce if Perrottet just woke up one day to message his team: “Adios … Outta here … Hasta la vista, folks”.
Despite running a more aggressive state election campaign than Labor, the Coalition’s big announcements have to date been competing with weekly scandals.
The Nazi costume. Finance Minister Damien Tudehope in a shares oversight scandal. And, as revealed in The Sauce, revelations the now suspended Upper House politician Peter Poulos sent explicit photos to a party colleague of a woman taken from an old Penthouse magazine the day before her preselection — 14 images to be precise.
It is no wonder the normally reserved NSW Liberal state director Chris Stone and NSW Liberal Party president Maria Kovacic roused on the NSW state executive on Friday.
Regarding the “cocaine video”, a Liberal operative who has seen the footage said those who had it were now receiving threats.
So what the hell is going on? Half the rumours are based on incidents that allegedly happened years ago.
At least some of the turmoil stems from the party office’s decision in December last year to expel senior members it believed had been involved in branch-stacking.
Allies of some of those members were angry at the lack of support they received from other members, thereby initiating a tit-for-tat war.
The ejection of members on the Upper House ticket created another feud, while a separate power battle is under way between and within the various factions.
Some of the material is being rolled out to leverage outcomes. Others to settle scores. Whatever the reason, the disunity is not helping the Coalition’s bid to win a historic fourth term.
Labor has not been immune to scandal — video of star candidate Terry Campese at a sex-themed party saw the former NRL player become the fourth ALP scalp — but it has not triggered an all-out internal brawl.
While Perrottet is acutely aware of what is going on — he has made phone calls and held meetings with those he believes are behind some of the turmoil in a bid to quell the unrest — he is publicly soldiering on.
And for now, that’s all he can do.
BRIGHT SIDE
It was left up to Premier Dominic Perrottet to lift the mood of his downcast ministers when the NSW Liberals gathered at a fundraiser at the Four Seasons Hotels in the city last Tuesday.
Held just days after the resignation of Finance Minister Damien Tudehope in the wake of a shares scandal — followed by the dumping of Upper House MP Peter Poulos as Liberal candidate a few hours later after the nude photos email — it was no surprise the team was feeling a bit deflated.
But, with about 80 paying guests attending the cocktail party and another 50 or so staying on for dinner, Perrottet had no option but to try to lift the mood.
After thanking his retiring ministers for their work, Perrottet turned to former police minister David Elliott, who he credited for having kept law and order off the election radar.
“One less thing we have to worry about”, a guest claimed Perrottet said.
And, while noting how Elliott had declared he was retiring, Perrottet said he himself still wasn’t sure if this was the case. “We are not sure if David is actually going yet,” the source claimed Perrottet said.
While the speech got some laughs, one minister described the overall atmosphere as “a funeral”.
EASIER TO WORK WITH CHILDREN THAN FACTIONS
When Premier Dominic Perrottet brought his three-year-old daughter Beatrice to work for the day, his in-house photographer and ex-News Corp photojournalist Toby Zerna was there to capture the moment.
A photo essay reminiscent of the black and white images that appeared when JFK brought his own young children to The White House was the result.
The ever-smiling Beatrice is pictured leaving home with a backpack, another in the office elevator, and sitting on a leather couch clutching a teddy.
Are we really to believe a preschooler got through a working day without a tantrum or tears?
Upon inquiring, we learned the premier did what every other parent does when they want their kids to behave — bribe.
Beatrice was told if she got through the day, dad would shout her Maccas for lunch.
Worked a treat.
ON MESSAGE
Spotted walking in Treasurer Matt Kean’s electorate of Hornsby last week was a bloke wearing a T-shirt with the slogan: “Treat them mean, get rid of green Kean”.
We are not sure if the bloke is a member of any party, but he told our source that he had “printed 50 of them” should anyone want one.
MINISTER STUMPED
When Transport Minister David Elliott agreed to go on 2GB Drive with Chris O’Keefe, he thought he would be talking about ferries.
That was until 2GB reporter Clinton Maynard jumped in to reveal how the state government had sensationally shut down NSW Parliament from Monday, in a move that was initially seen as an attempt to halt the Greens/Labor-led parliamentary inquiry into Hills Shire Council.
Elliott — who was on hold at the time — had to gather his thoughts faster than a Friday beer as O’Keefe asked if he had known.
“Chris. No. Unfortunately you’ve stumped me,” Elliott answered with a gulp.
“While I was on hold I heard that information. I haven’t been briefed or received any advice as to the proroguing.”
Elliott went on to talk about how governments in the past had prorogued “at various times”, such as former Labor leader Kristina Keneally “to get some barnacles off her government”.
O’Keefe immediately asked: “Is that what’s going on here?
“Well, I just don’t know,” Elliott replied, before declaring: “It is a legitimate question”.
WAGGA WOES
Despite the Nationals having had a candidate in the independent seat of Wagga Wagga for months, the Liberals last week decided to proceed with a three-cornered contest.
Snowy Valleys councillor Julia Ham announced herself at a press conference as the party’s hope of reclaiming the seat once held by disgraced MP Daryl Maguire.
Ham was the Libs’ second pick, after its first option Richard Moffatt failed to progress to the final round.
Given Ham was unsuccessful in securing the seat in the 2018 by-election against independent Joe McGirr — and the Nationals running Andrianna Benjamin — she’ll have her work cut out.
Got some Sauce? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au
‘Hard to fathom’: Public speak up in hunt for Bowraville child killer
Homicide detectives are busy taking statements as they probe the suspected murder of three children from Bowraville in the 1990s, with a focus on finding the remains of 16-year-old Colleen Walker-Craig. Here’s the latest.
New Muslim candidate’s surprise response to October 7
Local pharmacist Ahmed Ouf has announced himself as an independent candidate for the historically safe federal Labor seat of Blaxland, held by Education Minister Jason Clare. Hear what he stands for.