The Sauce: NSW politicans declare deodorant, diamonds, bongs and alien heads in their gift registers

A Liberal MP has revealed she won a $5000 diamond necklace in a raffle at a gala dinner. See the latest gift declarations made by state politicians.

Our state’s politicians are always getting freebies – whether it is concert tickets, branded trinkets or books.

But some gifts declared by Upper House members in the most recent disclosure log really caught our eye.

Like the “Dark Green alien head medicinal cannabis bong” declared by Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham, worth $100, donated by Agung Trading Australia.

Buckingham noted on his forms that the device in question was “unused,” but tells The Sauce it is sitting “packed and ready to go” in the studio where he films his free-flowing Into The Weeds podcast.

A ‘Dark Green alien head medicinal cannabis bong,’ worth $100, declared on Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham's gift register. Picture: Supplied

Liberal MP Susan Carter also declared that she won a $5000 diamond necklace in a raffle at the Armenian National Committee Gala Dinner.

The ticket, she says, was “purchased with own funds”.

Meanwhile, Animal Justice MP Emma Hurst declared a rather expensive deodorant (worth $50), and an “eye pillow,” gifted by the AJP’s Queensland arm.

The value of the eye pillow? “Unknown.”

‘Ghost of Bradfield’ shooting down Boele votes

Late last week a rumour started online that a mysterious but relentless scrutineer dubbed the “Ghost of Bradfield” was shooting down votes in favour of Nicolette Boele in the rollercoaster contest for the North Shore seat.

Boele was ahead by 48 votes when an error was picked up and wiped out most of her margin.

Sauce decided to investigate and was told the final votes were meticulously shot down by a team of scrutineers at an Asquith polling booth who then found further errors that saw Gisele Kapterian secure a lead of eight votes.

The race for Bradfield is headed to a recount.

The Sauce tracked down and spoke to the Ghost of Bradfield but the humble scrutineer asked us not to reveal their identity because it was a “team effort”.

It’s believed one table of Liberal scrutineers – including the Ghost – turned around 22 votes alone by looking at those cast incorrectly into the informal pile.

The remaining votes that flipped the race were split between the other tables of Liberal hawks.

With a recount underway, there is still plenty of time for the Ghost to strike some more.

Parli after dark

Being political nerds ourselves, we can understand the excitement local mental health organisation Head Above Water felt when they were given a private tour of NSW Parliament by Wakehurst independent MP Michael Regan.

Michael Regan, the state independent MP for Wakehurst. Picture: Facebook

The thrilled group posted a video on Instagram capturing the night’s shenanigans which included catching up in a parliamentary dining room and a visit to the chambers, including pretending to be the speaker and posing as government frontbenchers.

But one eagle-eyed opposition staffer noticed the group brought in some cheeky champagne into the chamber – something which is a no-no, at least during public tours.

“Food and drink are not allowed in the chambers,” the Parliamentary website says on its public tours guide, although we are sure an exception could be made for a good cause.

The folks over at Head Above Water work to reduce suicide and mental illness around the country so could surely be forgiven the faux pas.

Regan tells Sauce that he sought permission from the Speaker’s office for the charity event, the attendees paid for their own booze, and assumes everything was above board – because he hasn’t been told otherwise.
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Originally published as The Sauce: NSW politicans declare deodorant, diamonds, bongs and alien heads in their gift registers