By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
CBD favourite Jilly Gibson made a suitably dramatic exit from 25 years of service at her final meeting of North Sydney Council on Monday night, storming out after her fellow councillors refused to name a plaza after her.
The former mayor’s valedictory speech oscillated between conciliatory and an airing of grievances, including recriminations over the North Sydney Pool fiasco and personal vendettas that often played out in the public eye.
“What an ending”: Former North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson endured an unhappy farewell.Credit: Brook Mitchell
“Sometimes I think local government is preschool for bullies who wind their way into federal government and state government,” Gibson said.
She concluded by inviting everyone to the Firehouse Hotel for pizza and champagne. But we doubt the entire room attended.
Councillor James Spenceley had proposed renaming the new Burton Street Plaza in Kirribilli after Gibson, and installing a bust or plaque in her honour.
However, as Gibson collected her bags and flowers, her political enemy Mayor Zoë Baker called a division on that proposal. It was rejected by a majority of councillors, Baker included.
Gibson’s mood turned instantly. “What an ending,” she yelled. “Did you hear that? They just voted down Councillor Spenceley’s amendment to name a little plaza after me. They can’t find it in their hearts. No heart. No heart.”
The departing Gibson then set her sights on Baker. “You can warn me all you like, mayor – that was mean. This has been the meanest council ever. I am off. You are so mean, you are so mean, you are so mean.
“A plaza. Your mum was mayor for a year and got a building named after her,” Gibson said, a reference to the Carole Baker building in council chambers, named after North Sydney’s first female mayor.
And with that, Gibson and her entourage made for the exit. We will surely never see her like again.
LET THEM EAT CAKE
A journey to the Northern Rivers for official parliamentary business nearly turned into a very different sort of trip for some of our elected representatives.
Last week, a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the regulatory framework for cannabis held a public hearing in Lismore, attended by Liberals Natasha Maclaren-Jones and Jacqui Munro, Labor’s Cameron Murphy and Stephen Lawrence, the Greens’ Cate Faehrmann, and the inquiry’s chair, Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham.
Now, Premier Chris Minns ruled out cannabis decriminalisation on day one of the inquiry, a stance that drew a raised eyebrow from US vice-presidential aspirant Tim Walz when he visited as the humble governor of Minnesota last year.
But the inquiry continued last week, hearing from various pot advocates. As the committee took a break for refreshments, one of the local pro-cannabis activists from Nimbin whipped out a large, scrumptious homemade cake, placing it on the table alongside the sorry-looking government sponsored rations, and you can already see where this is going.
As the MPs circled, licking their chops, Buckingham had to step in and warn them that a few bites of the “ganja gateau” would probably make for a less than productive final few hours of hearings.
“A couple of the locals had some and went and lay on the lawn and enjoyed the afternoon sun. Nobody died,” Buckingham told CBD.
Legalise Cannabis MLC Jeremy Buckingham had a nibble on the “ganja gateau”.Credit: Brook Mitchell
Ever the adventurous sort, Buckingham admitted to having a little nibble himself, “but it was after hours”.
ART OF THE DEAL
The late, great Harold Mitchell, who died in February aged 81, knew how to land a deal.
So it’s a fair bet the businessman, philanthropist and media buyer would be less than impressed to find $1 million has been knocked off the asking price of his two-floor apartment in Melbourne’s CBD, where he regularly used to entertain everyone from the prime minister down while in the company of Lilly, his West Highland white terrier Pomeranian cross.
The four-bedroom apartment was a merger of five separate dwellings, and features “opulent French inspired interiors” with “emerald and sage green interiors, burgundy wainscoting”. It comes with a private lift between floors, marble entrance foyer and views over Parliament Gardens, St Patrick’s Cathedral and across to the Dandenong ranges.
The million dollar price drop – sorry, we mean “price correction based on market response”, to use correct real estate agent parlance – has come about since the property was listed in June with a guide price of $5.75 million to $6.25 million.
But now, the apartment, which has Kay and Burton’s Peter Kudelka as one of its agents, is listed with a guide price of $4.8 million to $5.2 million.
But wait, readers, there’s more. Two more, in fact. Mitchell also owned a further two apartments in the same building on the 10th floor, a two-bedroom and one-bedroom unit. They have only been on sale a short while and are both already under offer.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.