The Sauce: Warring MPs embroiled in bizarre case of missing possum skin

Mark Latham embroiled in missing possum skin mystery; a NSW MP reported to police for alleged abuse; and which long-lunching pollies almost missed a vote in parliament, in this week’s Sauce.

A missing possum skin exhibit from the foyer of Parliament House is at the centre of a bizarre mystery involving two warring MPs.

The skin was part of a display included in a futuristic exhibition put together by Australian artists and hosted by independent MP Alex Greenwich.

Some questioned whether One Nation MLC Mark Latham — who had been seen near the Museum of Futures exhibition — had removed the skin, with one suggesting he may have taken it into the chamber.

When The Sauce asked Latham, he denied removing the pelt, but confessed to having briefly “borrowed” two other exhibition items — “a kids book on enjoying farts” and “a display of solar panel sunglasses’”.

Latham said he took the items into the chamber to demonstrate to Nationals MLC Sam Farraway how “wacky” the exhibition was, before returning the exhibits.

“The art display is pure garbage,” Latham said.

As for the skin, Latham said someone clearly had got their facts wrong.

Mark Latham (left) and Alex Greenwich (right) are embroiled in the mystery of the missing possum pelt.

The Sauce was later contacted by a parliamentary source who claimed the skin had indeed been taken from its display area, with its disappearance reported to parliamentary staff by an exhibition organiser.

The source said the pelt was later “retrieved” from Latham’s office by a staffer.

When The Sauce put this to Latham, he appeared genuinely surprised, asking, “What is this: like Silence of the Lambs?”

As for Greenwich’s thoughts on the matter, the Sydney MP simply declared: “It’s an exhibition, not a library.”

ALLEGED ABUSE

Police are sitting on a statement about a NSW MP who has been accused of being abusive towards a woman he was in a relationship with.

The woman made a statement to her local police station, but has requested the matter not be taken further.

Sources familiar with the situation say the pair were in a consenting relationship before it turned “toxic”. The relationship subsequently ended, before the woman went to police.

The Sauce has been told it is the second incident of its kind involving this MP, with another woman having raised concerns to her boss.

As the woman in the latest incident has chosen not to progress the matter, we have chosen not to name the MP.

RUNNING MATES

The last grains of fried rice from a long lunch at Spice Temple in the CBD were just being polished off when the phones of former premier Dominic Perrottet and ex-treasurer Matt Kean began beeping.

It was an SMS from Opposition Whip Adam Crouch declaring the division bells had begun ringing and that MPs were needed urgently back in the chamber to vote on Thursday.

Running mates once more: Matt Kean and Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dean Sewell

Cue Vangelis’ Chariots of Fire main theme as Perrottet loosened his tie and Kean reversed his cap before the former Coalition leadership team prepared for an Olympic sprint from Bligh Street to Parliament House.

We hear cars tooted horns and pedestrians stepped sideways as the pair pounded the pavement towards the Macquarie Street, with one quick stop to talk to a punter.

According to Google maps, the distance by foot is estimated to take five minutes.

Kean declared the pair made it back in under four, “even with the uphill bit”.

LONG LUNCH

Also having a long lunch on Thursday was Senator Marise Payne, who was spotted with an “older gentleman” at Rockpool.

Our mole suggested the three-hour rendezvous may have been a job interview, because “the bloke looked like a banker”.

Is Senator Marise Payne about to pull the pin on politics? Picture: NCA Newswire/Andrew Taylor

Payne remains the subject of ongoing speculation that she will soon be pulling the pin on politics, with former Catholic Schools NSW chief executive officer Dallas McInerney among the names doing the rounds as a possible replacement.

Our source told us Payne arrived at the lunch around noon and was still there when our mole left at 3pm.

Upon making an inquiry, The Sauce learned Payne’s lunch companion was not a banker, but former ABC chairperson and Chancellor of Macquarie University Maurice Newman.

“It was a catch-up with an old mate,” her rep said.

BOARD BRIEFINGS

Former Liberal minister David Elliott withdrew from the race, but a source close to the recruitment process for a new ClubsNSW chief executive officer denied the organisation is struggling to find a candidate.

In fact, we’re told the process of vetting candidates on a shortlist put together by recruitment firm Korn Ferry meeting with members of the Clubs NSW board is “beginning”.

Speaking of Korn Ferry, the firm has also been charged with finding a replacement for long-serving NSW Liberal Party state director Chris Stone, who is taking a break to reacquaint himself with his family before he looks for a new gig.

MEOW BAN

NSW Speaker Greg Piper has had enough of “puerile” behaviour after cat “meows” were made as Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis stood up to speak during Question Time on Thursday.

Describing the meows as “some of the most puerile and offensive interjections” that he had heard in his “16-plus years” in parliament, Piper declared he was putting his foot down.

“If members wish to do those types of things and it comes to my attention — something I’ve never been able to do in the past from the backbench — I will take action from this seat,” he said.

“It is totally inappropriate and it demeans the parliament of NSW.”

Independent MP Alex Greenwich — who was in the chamber at the time — said the meowing came from the Opposition benches with more than one MP involved.