The Source: Van’s stripped-back office proves week a long time in politics

When David Van strode into parliament last Wednesday to preach about women’s safety, he had no idea he would soon prove true an old political adage.

David Van's Cheltenham electoral office has been stripped of all Liberal signage.

Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers.

A week is a long time in politics.

Last Wednesday, Senator David Van was delivering a speech about the importance of women’s safety in parliament.

By last weekend, he was out of the Liberal Party, and being urged to leave parliament altogether, after three women raised sexual harassment allegations against him.

Senator Van has strenuously denied the allegations, and plans to sit on the crossbench as an independent for the remainder of the term.

In the meantime, the Liberal signage outside of his electoral office in Cheltenham has been removed.

Did Molly Meldrum keep a secret wife under his hat?

Molly would like to keep some things under his hat.

But a social media post by a prominent Melbourne figure, with solid connections in showbiz, has lifted the lid on an apparent “civil ceremony wedding” between beloved music guru Ian “Molly” Meldrum and an Australian woman named Lynne.

Wisely, the insider didn’t divulge the surname of Molly’s lovely “bride” — she is still alive and well in England.

“Living in London in late 1970 was one Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum who was living with a really beautiful Australian girl, Lynne,” the insider posted.

“Molly decided he was going to get married to her. So a civil ceremony wedding was arranged and he asked me and a guy who was involved with the English band, Slade, to be his 2 witnesses.”

The Molly Whisperer added: “There were about 25 invited guests there, mostly Australian and English people in the music industry. I don’t know what happened to the wedding photos, or his marriage, but I signed his marriage certificate as a witness.

“Some people say he only got married to upset his good friend Elton John.”

Was this picture of Molly Meldrum just “a bunch of friends having fun in London,” or something more?

Weeks later, the insider went to Molly and Lynne’s apartment in Earl’s Court for dinner.

“I pulled up in a taxi … and heard yelling coming from their open window. The next moment, a baking tray of roast chicken and baked potatoes came flying out the window and landed on the pavement next to me.

“I looked up at the window and saw Molly and Lynne’s heads peering out. I yelled: ‘I guess we’ll be eating out tonight then.’

Celebrity marriages, hey?

A chuffed Lynne joined the comments thread on the insider’s post, and submitted a wedding picture from the happy day. “Thanks for the memories,” she said.

The Source reached out to Meldrum for a response. His management team had no comment on the claims.

However, an insider close to Meldrum described the incident as “a bunch of friends having fun in London,” adding: “It wasn’t a real or legal wedding, just Molly and his mates deciding to have a mock wedding as an excuse for a party”.

Fifty-something years later, Meldrum is happily betrothed to Yan Wongngam.

Melb barrister in hot water over parking fines

High profile barrister Damian Sheales went to court, as you would expect, this week.

Yet things got animated when the defence lawyer, who has acted for ex-bikie boss Toby Mitchell, acted for himself in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday amid allegations he was a repeat offender.

To parking fines, that is.

Mr Sheales pleaded guilty to six parking offences, where he racked up $552 in fines over four months, from October to February.

Sheales client list has included ex-bikie boss Toby Mitchell.

But that wasn’t the big issue.

The big issue was that he was brought to court at all, incurring a court fee of $131 and “wasting my time, wasting the court’s time and wasting everyone’s time”.

“I know it’s only $150 bucks, but it’s principle,” said the barrister, who claimed the prosecution of him by Melbourne City Council was “brought in bad faith”.

“I don’t say that lightly, we’ve got history … I’m getting chuckles down the end of the bar table.”

The alleged chuckler, Mr Prasad for Melbourne City Council, later expressed frustration that Mr Sheales was interrupting him as he tried to speak to Judicial Registrar Sivaratnam Kandasamy.

“It’s clear that my learned friend is trying to bully me today and not let me speak and I take offence to that,” Mr Prasad said.

He told the court there were “1800 parking spaces within the CBD”, which were in high demand, and “there needs to be some turnover”.

“Mr Sheales feels he is entitled to these parking spaces and he can just park as long as he wants whenever he wants and then he doesn’t feel he has to pay his fines,” Mr Prasad said.

“Had he paid his fines he wouldn’t be here today, but he didn’t pay his fines.”

Despite Mr Sheales’ guilty plea, the case is far from over.

A dispute over who will pay court costs rages on with an hour-long hearing listed in early July.

Mr Sheales told the court he now plans to hire his own counsel.

“I might end up as a witness, so everyone’s on notice about costs,” he said.

“It’s how it goes.”

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