Hillsong pastor Brian Houston gets larger room in Sydney quarantine hotel
It looks like Hillsong pastor Brian Houston was more than comfortable during his two-week hotel quarantine stay after returning from the US, scoring a much “larger room” than others.
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When Hillsong pastor Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie returned from a trip to the virus-stricken US, the couple were granted a “larger room” in the Sofitel Wentworth to quarantine – well, bigger than those offered to returning travellers.
The Sauce was told this was to allow Houston to be able to record sermons while holed up for the two-week quarantine period.
There were also discussions for Houston to have special technical equipment be brought into the hotel for the recording sessions.
And so it is understandable why there was little joy among officials handling quarantine requests when a critical opinion piece suddenly appeared in the press – one believed to have been penned while Houston was in his larger quarantine room – especially given Hillsong had not even sought an exemption.
Urging church leaders to “unit to take (a) stand”, Houston ripped in to the NSW government, claiming some coronavirus restrictions on religious gatherings bordered on “discrimination”.
The Sauce decided to send Houston a “please explain”.
In response, we received a detailed statement from Hillsong denying the “editorial” was “a criticism of the government”, but rather “a call for consistency and for restrictions on churches to be in line with other sections of the community”.
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It was also written to “highlight the importance of churches and pastoral support to people of faith within the wider context of mental health during this difficult year”, it said.
As for Houston’s spacious quarantine accommodation, “we can categorically state that no government assistance was provided”, the statement said.
“Pastor Brian stayed in allocated hotel quarantine like any other returning traveller and was not given a choice of hotel,” it said.
“In fact he had no idea what hotel he was staying in until the bus pulled up.”
Houston was offered a larger room, but that was because Hillsong Church had “a long-term relationship” with the hotel chain through its conferences, it said.
“He and his wife of course graciously accepted this offer as anyone who is about to spend 14 days in quarantine would do.
“However, this was a decision by the hotel and had absolutely no connection to any state government authority or representative.”
As for the recording equipment, there were talks about having a camera brought in – “this discussion was not unusual or improper” – but nothing eventuated, the statement said.
So what’s the big deal?
Upon further digging, The Sauce learned there were written representations to authorities for Houston to be looked after – but not from the Houston himself.
The request came from a what our source described as “someone lower down the Hillsong chain” with one request suggesting their pastor be given two rooms to be able to record his sermons.
Either way, Houston was given a larger room and officials are not amused.
ICAC SHAME
With every NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing, there are those who end up facing charges – but there are also those are publicly named, but no corrupt conduct is found.
It is those in the latter group that have joined forces to try and require the corruption to watchdog issue a public apology to those subjected to “improper reputational damage” from having been adversely named in an ICAC investigation.
As revealed in August, Nicholas di Girolamo – the man whose bottle of wine brought down Liberal premier Barry O’Farrell – is among the group after being cleared of wrongdoing.
The Sauce can reveal Di Girolamo Lawyers has now lodged a scathing submission to a state parliamentary inquiry examining the issue on behalf of two former NSW MPs — Bart Bassett and Chris Spence — and a third anonymous witness.
Bassett and Spence, who is now the chief-of-staff to Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts, were both “publicly humiliated and belittled”, their reputations “severely damaged” and both suffering “mentally, physically and financially”, it said.
In 2016 ICAC accused Spence and others attempting to circumvent donation funding laws.
The following year, the NSW Crown Solicitor dismissed ICAC’s accusations.
No finding of corrupt conduct was also made against Bassett.
Spence at the time spoke of the personal toll of being named, and called for a formal exoneration process.
“Officers of the ICAC and Counsel Assisting must operate in an environment where there are significant consequences to misbehaviour or abuse on their part,” the submission said.
“At the heart of this submission is ensuring that allegations of corruption are never again made with frivolity and recklessness and that the participants, namely officers of the ICAC and Counsel Assisting, responsible in the improper making of such allegations are held to account.”
The inquiry continues.
PORK BOARDS
Nothing screams “election” than a tender notice for whiteboards.
Canberra spies on the lookout for clues as to when we all might be heading to the polling booths were excited to find a recent tender notice for the supply of whiteboards – an essential tool when pork-barrelling.
And as Senator Michaelia Cash demonstrated two years ago, they can also come in handy as a shield against cameras – and what’s a campaign without the odd gaffe.
Stay tuned.
NO THING SLEEPY
When Labor MP Walt Secord wandered down Bondi Road wearing a “Native Americans for Joe Biden” T-shirt this weekend, he said he had to go back home to get changed.
Secord, whose late father was Mississauga-Mohawk First Nation, said he was “yelled at” by both pro and anti-Trump supporters.
“The response was so startling and confronting that I had to take it off,” he said.
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Originally published as Hillsong pastor Brian Houston gets larger room in Sydney quarantine hotel
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