‘Drinking rivalries’: Former McMahon staffer tells of alleged booze culture in Senator’s Canberra office
Details of a culture of drinking have emerged from within Senator Sam McMahon’s office, including drinking ‘rivalries’ and a domestic fridge full of beer.
Northern Territory
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DETAILS of a culture of drinking have emerged from within Senator Sam McMahon’s office, including drinking “rivalries” and a domestic fridge full of beer.
The claims from a former staffer come after the Northern Territory senator was reportedly offered to leave the Senate on Tuesday night, with at least 10 senators claiming she was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
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The NT News has also obtained pictures of Senator McMahon’s suite in Canberra stocked with spirits and a fridge full of beer.
Senator McMahon has strongly denied the allegations from Tuesday night, saying she was ill and they were a push to derail her looming preselection battle for the top spot on the CLP’s Senate ticket.
Brad Gaddes, who worked in Senator McMahon’s office between August 2019 and July 2020, has told the NT News people who passed her office were sometimes offered a can of XXXX Gold.
Mr Gaddes has also described a domestic fridge being delivered to her Canberra office, which was full of alcohol.
“Numerous times when we would go out to dinner, there was basically some sort of rivalry between (a staffer) and Sam to see how many drinks they could order,” he said.
Mr Gaddes said Senator McMahon and others would order multiple drinks at a time in Canberra venues, describing it as “on another level” to other politicians’ offices.
“I didn’t see that in other offices around the place,” he said.
“It’s one thing to go to lunch and have a beer or two at lunch.
“The fact was that in our office, it was a bit of a joke to start with that a full-size domestic fridge was delivered to Parliament House.”
Mr Gaddes said he had to rearrange beers in the fridge to fit his lunch inside.
Senator McMahon’s office was contacted for comment.
It comes as CLP president Jamie de Brenni revealed on Thursday morning that Senator McMahon was receiving the advice of medical professionals after reporting symptoms of dizziness for the past several days.
“Talking to the senator herself, she had said to me she had been feeling unwell for numerous days,” Mr de Brenni said.
“She was in the doctor’s surgery, waiting for a consultation when I spoke to her this morning. I just hope it is all good.”
Mr Gaddes’ allegations come the day after multiple news organisations reported senators from across the political spectrum had suspected Senator McMahon was “maggoted” during a late-night session, which her spokesman said was because of illness.
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