Turnbulls ready to shell out

Cartoon: Peter Nicholson

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has got into trouble in his post-budget sales job for advising wealthy parents to “shell out” to help their kids enter the hot property market.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten said the comments showed our millionaire PM (net worth: approaching $200 million) was “out of touch”.

That’s rubbish. The PM knew exactly what he was talking about.

In fact we can reveal that a few years ago he and wife Lucy shelled out for their daughter Daisy, who is a secondary school teacher (not that you would guess it from her property portfolio).

In September 2007 Lucy bought a handsome sandstone cottage on a double block in Paddington, a stone’s throw from the fashionable end of Oxford Street and the refined antique shops and galleries on Queen Street.

The PM’s businesswoman wife paid $3.05 million for the home (a bargain compared to its $3.15m list price).

The pile boasts four bedrooms, a pool, a sunny courtyard and double parking — essential in high density Paddo.

In December 2013, just after the Federal election and as her husband was settling in as PM Tony Abbott’s Communications Minister, property records show Lucy gave half-ownership of the inner city pad to schoolteacher Daisy “partly for monetary consideration and partly by way of gift”.

As Daisy’s Dad was telling ABC’s cranky Melbourne radio host Jon Faine the other day, it’s called “intergenerational ­equity”.

And while we’re here, an update on the first couple’s expanding clan. When we gushed earlier this week over the news that Daisy and husband James Brown were having a baby girl, we overlooked the Turnbull’s granddaughter, Isla, who was born in May last year to Singapore-based son Alex and his PR practitioner partner Yvonne Wang.

So in addition to Daisy’s two-year-old son Jack and in utero grandchild No 3, it looks like the PM needs to shell out for another three investment properties for the little ones.

Negatively geared, of course.

Rudd’s a dud in Russia

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s stealth campaign to become the UN’s numero uno has hit turbulence in Moscow.

Diplomatic sources are chattering that Rudd’s unique charms are struggling to warm Russian hearts. It seems his ambitious quest to replace secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is running aground somewhere near Red Square.

The Ruskies reckon he’s too close to the Yanks.

Rudd’s strategy is to “come through the middle” as a compromise candidate as other contenders are vetoed by the all important “big five” — the UN Security Council permanent members China, France, Russia, Britain and the US.

The latest intel on diplomatic cables is that Rudd may be outflanked by Argentina’s Foreign Minister Susanna Malcorra.

Although you have to wonder how the Brits would react to her.

Sure, relations have improved since Argentinian president Cristina Kirchner’s departure last year. But for many Brits the Falklands still loom large in the rear view mirror.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is said to be watching Rudd’s international manoeuvrings with interest. Although the general view around the cabinet table is there will be no need to consider officially nominating Rudd until after the election.

On this issue the caretaker period couldn’t come fast enough.

No doubt Rudd will home in on his Russia problem with the same smooth-talking diplomatic skills he employed to win over those sceptical NSW Right cement heads back in 2006.

Never say never — even if Agent Kevvie is more Austin Powers than 007.

At Aussies

Business was booming at the parliamentary coffee shop Aussies on Thursday, the final sitting day before the 44th federal parliament is dissolved.

Tony Abbott’s one-time cycling buddy — now Finance secretary — Jane Halton was up the back, preparing diligently for her Senate estimates appearance.

A few tables along, Jamie Briggs and Scott Ryan were catching up with David Gazzard, or at least what remains of the Costello staffer turned corporate adviser who recently had a bloody encounter with a wood saw. Grisly.

In the cafe’s courtyard was the ABC’s new managing director Michelle Guthrie, who was preparing with the ABC’s director of communications Michael Millet for her Senate estimates debut. That was after a morning appearance with Communications Minister Mitch Fifield at the National Museum of Australia to celebrate 50 years of Play School. There’s never a dull moment as chief Aunty.

And over at the parliamentary trough, the outgoing member for Fairfax Clive Palmer was explaining his idiosyncratic worldview to his PUP candidates before they were trotted out for the cameras — never to be spoken of again.

Dr Twiggy’s diagnosis

Palmer got away with using the title “professor” for years — even though he is no such thing.

And now fellow magnate Andrew Forrest has begun calling himself “doctor”, in recognition of the honorary degree the University of Western Australia gave him in 2014 to thank Twiggy and wife Nicola for their $65 million scholarship donation.

We can reveal that in the inaugural annual report of the Forrest Research Foundation, Andrew and Nicola are each referred to as “Dr Forrest” — a title that understandably irks some of the UWA academics who slogged away for years to earn their real PhDs.

On the lush grounds of UWA, the Forrests are leaving nobody in any doubt about who is generously flinging so much money at the university.

The couple’s Forrest Foundation is funding what they call the Forrest Research Foundation Scholarships.

And next to UWA, on the banks of the Swan River, work is soon to begin on the grand Forrest Hall — a four-storey building to house students and designed by architectural star Kerry Hill.

How long till we see an iron statue (fashioned from Fortescue’s finest) of Twiggy — sorry, Dr Forrest — at his alma mater?

Missing in action

Here’s hoping it doesn’t rain the morning after TV’s night of nights. We’re told Kerry Stokes’ Seven is set to be locked out of James Packer’s Crown for its post-Logies breakfast broadcast on Monday.

While Nine’s Today team will be warm and dry in the gambling den’s foyer, Seven’s talent will be forced to do their thing outside by the picturesque Yarra River.

There’s apparently no room inside the sprawling entertainment complex to accommodate the likes of talent Edwina Batholomew and Sam Mac in their crosses back to Sydney’s Martin Place brekkie central to debrief on the event.

As the countdown to Sunday continues, it’s starting to be a case of who won’t be there rather than who will.

We know under-investigation 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown will be missing, but it turns out so will be her on-air colleagues from the show: Ali Langdon, Michael Usher, Charles Wooley and Liz Hayes, who are apparently all tied up with work.

Head of sport Tom Malone, who was running 60 Minutes until early this year and is part of the probe into the show’s botched Beirut kidnap saga, will be there. Maybe he can collect any gongs for 60 Minutes or Brown should they win on the night.

Sunrise host and Port Adelaide footy club chair David Koch isn’t going, in favour of heading to Adelaide Oval to watch his team play Brisbane at 4.10pm. Ryan Stokes and his Brissie shoe retailer girlfriend Claire Campbell aren’t heading south either. That leaves Kerry Stokes’s legal mind Bruce McWilliam once again to help keep an eye on the talent during the six-hour broadcast.

Cheat street

It’s a chilling sight for any philandering executive, banker, pollie or public figure.

Scrawled across a virtually brand new $150,000 Range Rover parked overnight Wednesday in London’s Knightsbridge near Mohamed Al Fayed’s former shop Harrods were the words: “CHEATER. It’s over. I hope she was worth it.”

The prestige car, registered only in March, was sprayed in red paint by the spurned lover.

It’s driver, sporting sunnies and a white T-shirt, was later seen jumping into the SUV, which by then had also been given a ticket by a parking inspector. The driver had nothing to say.