Revealed: Which MP signed the Human Ken doll into federal parliament for the Budget?
A Victorian Liberal backbencher says he signed the so-called Human Ken doll into Parliament House for a Budget night party. Who, and what, was behind the move?
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It’s one of Canberra’s best kept secrets: Who invites the ‘Human Ken doll’ to the Liberal’s Budget Night party each year?
For the third year in a row, US TV star Justin Jedlica made an appearance at Parliament House to celebrate the federal Budget.
Senior frontbenchers including Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, Education Minister Dan Tehan and Health Minister Greg Hunt posed for photos with the Ken doll-inspired plastic surgery addict who has had more than $899,000 (AU) on procedures, giving him the title of the world’s most modified man.
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The plastic surgery advocate and Julie Bishop fan has had more than 340 cosmetic procedures and 190 operations including 2800 hair grafts to replicate his idol Elvis.
The Sunday Herald Sun can now reveal, backbench MP Jason Wood is behind Mr Jedlica’s Budget night trips from Beverly Hills to Canberra.
The US-star is in a polyamorous relationship with Melbourne dentist and Liberal party donor Jayson McNaughton and partner Stephen Walden, who own a dental surgery in Mr Wood’s electorate. “He brings some fun an glamour to Budget night,” Mr Wood said.
“I judge people by the way they treat other people and he is the nicest person to me.”
For years, Labor has tried to uncover which Liberal MP or senator was escorting the social media superstar through the halls of Parliament House.
The issue has twice been raised in Senate Estimates hearings with Labor’s Kimberley Kitching questioning whether protocols need to improve after Mr Jedlica was photographed in the highly secure Ministerial wing of parliament.
Mr Wood hit out at Mr Jedlica’s critics, claiming Coalition MPs are desperate to attend events with the Instagram and reality television star and his partners.
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Mr Wood said.
“They are absolutely over the top and happy and bring colour and life to an otherwise dull and boring place.”
In an exclusive interview with Mr Jedlica and Mr McNaughton, the pair said they chatted with Minister Hunt about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. “This is obviously fantastic news to make dentistry more affordable for our patients,” Mr McNaughton said.
‘Julie (Bishop) is our favourite of course, and in previous years we’ve had heaps of fun with her, along with Woody (Jason Wood).”
annika.smethurst@news.com.au BACKROOM BAZ
HIGH FLYERS
It is not yet winter in Melbourne, which is why Baz was surprised a number of state MPs were already on jaunts overseas.
Perhaps they needed a bit of R & R after a long and bruising state election campaign.
Former Liberal leader Matthew Guy was among the junketeers, taking his buddies Tim Smith and Bill Tilley over to Argentina to learn about Victoria’s Latin American strategy.
The trip included a meet and greet with Australian Ambassador to Chile and Ecuador Robert Fergusson who no doubt pressed home the importance of the strategy.
They weren’t the only gallivanting MPs, however. A gaggle of Labor MPs including Josh Bull, Ros Spence, Vicki Ward, Paul Edbrooke and Nick Staikos, headed to Japan.
Apparently this was a very entertaining jaunt, and Baz has his ear to the ground for any juicy goss.
No doubt there will be massive benefit for taxpayers from both trips — although strangely MPs weren’t in the mood to discuss this when contacted.
PASS THE TIM TAMS
It can be hard to get information out of the Senate’s powerful privileges committee.
Baz understands that any committee members caught leaking sensitive information could be found in contempt of parliament.
Yet Baz has heard his own whispers about what happens during committee deliberations. According to committee sources, Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz is provided with his own luxury biscuits, raising the ire of his committee colleagues who a forced to consume the bland bickies. If this leak is deemed serious, it could be a breach, meaning the committee would have to investigate its own leak.
VOTER VIEWS ‘COUNT FOR NOTHING’
Politicians like to tell voters they are all about listening to them — even if most prefer the sound of their own voice.
But a Yarra councillor threw out the rule book recently when the concerns of a local lobbed in his inbox.
The resident was worried about scaffolding in Richmond he believed posed a safety risk and had blocked access to a garage.
After a council officer dismissed the report within hours, the resident asked councillors to follow up the issue.
It prompted Daniel Nguyen — the former mayor, no less — to fire off an email that nearly knocked Baz off his barstool.
“I couldn’t care less on this mantra you seem to purport about the ‘taxpayer or voter’ being right,” he wrote.
“A taxpayer’s or voter’s view literally counts for nothing when safety is the consideration and only professional advice should be considered.”
The good folk of Yarra might bear that in mind when they go to the polls next year.
DANNY’S DRIVER
Premier Dan Andrews’s hardworking parliamentary secretary, Danny Pearson, recently missed out on a pay rise. Mind you, it was despite Dan’s best efforts, which included putting forward a bill that would have provided bigger salaries to a handful of MPs — including his “parl sec”.
Frugal crossbench MPs teamed up with the state opposition to kill that bill.
Still, there’s no doubt Dan’s man is being looked after wherever possible. This includes a taxpayer-funded driver dropping him at the occasional public engagement and led to tongues wagging that Danny might have a personal chauffeur. Apparently not, according to the premier’s office.
Danny will just have to wait patiently for a new state remuneration tribunal, likely to gift every MP with a pay rise when it’s set up this year.
SCENE STEALER
Budget week may have belonged to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg but Baz reckons his daughter Gemma stole the show.
The confident four-year-old was the best dressed guest in Canberra, donning a sequin-covered dress and matching metallic shoes.
Young Gemma, who Baz hears rarely leaves the house without a tiara, also wowed with a pink bow in her hair while watching dad on Tuesday night.
Baz reckons it’s a good thing Gemma’s dad knows how to balance the books because his daughter can pick a costly frock.
Baz understands Gemma took a liking to Julie Bishop’s $1300 blue hand-sequined Rachel Gilbert dress.
WHO SAID THAT:
“I do not have a log cabin story like so many people in this place — but I once did have to get my own lemon for a gin and tonic.” (Christopher Pyne)
Originally published as Revealed: Which MP signed the Human Ken doll into federal parliament for the Budget?
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