Woollahra Council revokes Russian consulate parking spaces; Scott Morrison jets off to Bali

Woollahra Council has clashed with the Russian consulate after it revoked three parking spaces. Cartoon: Rod Clement

So much for diplomatic immunity. Woollahra Council in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has dive-bombed into the brackish waters of international relations, revoking the three designated parking spaces handed to the Russian consulate in a protest move over the war in Ukraine.

In a letter smouldering with stiff etiquette, Russia’s Consul General in Sydney, Igor Arzhaev, outlined his disappointment at the council’s hostile action against the Federation’s mission on Fullerton Street.

“The council is entering the delicate territory of diplomatic relations where the principle of reciprocity is applied,” Arzhaev warned Woollahra mayor Susan Wynne, sounding very much like a silky Bond villain in the letter of June 24.

Shaking his fist further, Arzhaev seemed to fly at the scoundrel Council, saying it was abrogating its duties under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Moreover, he said, the recommendation – passed on Monday night – was also discriminatory.

“A number of diplomatic missions are located in the same area and all of them are provided with a parking space,” said the letter obtained by Margin Call.

Mayor of Woollahra Susan Wynne has been warned by Russia’s Counsel General Igor Arzhaev Picture: John Appleyard

“We fully understand that Fullerton Street is a residential area and there is a lack of parking space. That is why we do our best not to create problems for the local residents and visitors with a need to park their cars in front of the mission premises.”

The move to revoke their parking follows an unsuccessful effort by the Council to put a second finger in the eye of the Russian Consulate by renaming Fullerton Street to Ukraine Street, a move that would have followed similar action taken by countries including Britain, Scotland, Denmark, Canada, Norway, Lithuania and others with Russian embassies.

Monday night’s council meeting resolved that all existing diplomatic car parking spaces outside the consulate be removed to “improve equitable access to on-street parking for local residents and visitors to the area”. That might be the official reason, but you can be sure there was an alternative motive at play.

The only designated parking space to be provided, for now, will be for the NSW Police Force and Australian Federal Police.

Plane speaking

The surprises keep coming up in the defamation action brought by mining savant Tolga Kumova against Twitter villain Alan Davison, who’s best known by the moniker Stock Swami on everyone’s beloved hellsite.

On Tuesday it emerged that Davison had allegedly failed to provide a set of documents during the discovery phase of the proceedings, prompting Justice Michael Lee to order the 67-year-old onto a plane to appear in person for an explanation.

This is precisely the scenario that Davison has been seeking to avoid. It was barely weeks ago that he fought bitterly to stay in New Zealand, where he resides, and provide his evidence via video-link, in an application that was struck out by the judge.

Davison argued that he feared catching Covid-19 along the journey to Australia, which didn’t wash with Lee, who told the court that he was of a similar age and risk profile.

Tolga Kumova is suing a Twitter troll Alan Francis Davison. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard.

Davison’s legal team then attempted to negate the need for travel altogether. His barrister Dauid Sibtain told the Federal Court earlier this week that his client would abandon a critical defence – qualified privilege – leaving only a defence of truth to be argued.

It would have ensured Davison had no need to be put on the witness stand over allegations that he defamed Kumova in a series of tweets.

But by Tuesday afternoon all of that work had been astoundingly undone, with Lee demanding that Davison appear in person over the discrepancy in discovered material. He even adjourned the court to ensure a flurry of calls could be placed so Davison could be put on a flight.

“He can come in a witness box and explain what has occurred concerning discovery, in person, on oath, because I’m concerned about what has happened concerning discovery in this case,” Lee said.

A critical discrepancy identified by Kumova’s barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, includes an email produced by another witness, Stephen Dobson, formerly a Merrill Lynch financier, who was told by Davison to delete his Twitter account, which they used to correspond.

The email was allegedly sent two months after Davison had already told Kumova’s legal team that he was unable to access Twitter messages between himself and Dobson, because the account had already been deleted – a fact which now appears to be in some doubt. Sibtain later told the court that it was possible to dispatch Davison from New Zealand by Wednesday. “He’s on a waitlist, I’m told, for a flight tomorrow but reserved for one late in the afternoon,” he said.

All things being equal, the elusive Stock Swami is expected on the witness stand by the end of the week.

He’s been to Bali too

We reported on Tuesday that Scott Morrison had barely left the Sutherland Shire since being deposed as prime minister, but perhaps we were a little hasty.

Having treated almost all of his former staff to a viewing of Top Gun: Maverick in Cronulla last week, it appears ScoMo has since jetted off for Indonesia and the island playground of Bali with Jenny and daughters Lily and Abbey. Margin Call understands they departed on Sunday and should be back in time for the opening of parliament on July 26.

These days it’s not just Bali but actually Hawaii that’s doing a roaring trade with the resurrected Australian tourism market. But, as we all know, ScoMo’s been there, and we imagine he’s truly done with Hawaii.

Scott Morrison has opted to holiday in Bali instead of Hawaii. Picture: Twitter.

Bilateral discussions

Two of Morrison’s loyal allies, Scott Briggs of DPG Advisory and Queensland Liberal MP Stuart Robert, were sighted in deep conversation at District Brasserie in Martin Place on Tuesday.

Incidentally, DPG is on a recruitment drive for Labor lobbyists since the change of government, with the firm recently picking up former Beazley-Crean-Evans staffer Chris Fry to join its band of blue-blood conservatives.

Another spectacularly left-field hire is purportedly in the works, and we’ll tell you more about that once the ink begins to dry.

But for now the only other point worth mentioning is that both Briggs and Robert eschewed the afternoon power lunch for a tasteful morning session. Of course, there can be no power lunch when your mates are no longer in power. We sought comment from Briggs and received a couple of blue ticks.