By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
For Labor voters in Sydney’s inner west, there’s a new Grinch in town. It isn’t those bloodless boffins at the Reserve Bank of Australia or a surging Peter Dutton, but none other than Marrickville’s favourite son, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose annual Grayndler Christmas party won’t be going ahead this year.
For many years, Albanese and NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen, who holds the corresponding state seat of Summer Hill, co-hosted a barbecue for ALP members at the back of the prime minister’s Marrickville electorate office, with respective staffers getting on the tools.
But this year, there’s been radio silence about the annual event. Neither Albanese nor Haylen’s offices could enlighten us further.
Perhaps after a bumbling few months riddled with enough unforced errors to give Dutton a real shot at The Lodge, Team Albo isn’t feeling too festive. Haylen, meanwhile, has had her hands full, trying to keep Sydney’s trains running with an ongoing pay dispute with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union leaving the city on the brink of commuter chaos.
We hear security was tight at last year’s event because of the threat of protesters of both the pro-Palestine and anti-coal varieties. Demonstrations have continued outside the prime minister’s electorate office this year, leaving it shuttered to the public at times.
Perhaps the PM simply did not want to take the risk of things taking a decidedly un-festive turn.
Press gallery play pollies
As they await the announcement of the federal election, our nation’s political journalists have been playing politics with elections of their own, for both the National Press Club, which hosts weekly addresses beamed to the nation, and the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery.
ABC 7.30 political editor Laura Tingle again cruised to the presidency of the National Press Club, elected unopposed.
Joining her on the board were ABC colleague Greg Jennett, nicknamed “the professor” by colleagues, and the Australian Industry Group’s Gemma Daley. Re-elected were Sky News presenter Tom Connell, The Australian Financial Review’s Andrew Tillett and ABC’s Jane Norman. They join Nine’s Andrew Probyn, SBS News’ Anna Henderson, AFR’s Julie Hare and Super Members Council chief executive Misha Schubert. The longest-serving director (do we call him Father of the House?) is SEC Newgate executive Steve Lewis.
Meanwhile, at Parliament House, Norman is once again president of the Press Gallery Committee. The West Australian’s Katina Curtis is vice president, AFR’s Tom McIlroy is secretary, while Nine cameraman Guy “Sunny” Southwell edged out Connell to be voted treasurer. Committee members are Pablo Vinales and Sara Tomevska of SBS, and AAP’s Dominic Giannini and Elise Scott (ABC).
Just space to note that, as we predicted, Linton Besser will host ABC’s Media Watch next year. We also predicted James Glenday would be the host next year of ABC News Breakfast. And on Monday morning, Michael Rowland passed the breakfast baton after 15 years to the ABC Canberra newsreader, who starts in January.
As for our other prediction about ex-Nine chief executive Hugh Marks getting the ABC managing director job, stay tuned. Well, it ain’t going to be Michael Rowland.
Baby on board
Congratulations to Wallabies captain turned independent senator for the ACT David Pocock and his wife, Emma, who recently welcomed a baby boy into the world right when the parliamentary year entered the pointy end.
Before Pocock entered politics, the couple made headlines for their refusal to formally tie the knot until Australia legalised same-sex marriage. David and Emma, who previously worked as a staffer for Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, wed in 2018.
If Pocock junior follows his dad’s relentless diet and fitness regimen – which nearly killed one of our former colleagues – he’s sure to turn out a strapping young lad. Perhaps even a future flanker.
Bailed out
John Collins, head chef at Balmain’s harbourside dining spot The Fenwick, was arrested on Sunday night on allegations he assaulted, stalked/intimidated and choked a woman at his Darlinghurst apartment. He was yet to indicate how he will respond to the charges.
The Downing Centre Local Court heard Collins needed to be released on bail in part because he was working through the Christmas and New Year’s period.
That probably includes the highly coveted New Year’s Eve dining service, for which tickets go for $850 a head.
Collins appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund, and a legal aid solicitor said he had no criminal history and would probably not spend a day in prison if convicted.
Collins, wearing a sports jacket and with rough bed hair, sighed and put his head in his hands as Freund concluded his alleged attacks appeared to be “fuelled by alcohol”.
She released him on bail, but he cannot contact the woman, who the court heard did not want to see Collins anymore.