By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
Our item about independent Kingston councillor (and former Liberal Party member) Jane Agirtan receiving back pay after her council suspension was rescinded, hit a nerve with one reader … Jane Agirtan herself.
Regular readers will recall the recent news Agirtan was allowed back on council after escaping conviction in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court. A magistrate ordered that the Liberal-turned-independent councillor make a $2000 donation to the Royal Children’s Hospital as punishment for breaching an intervention order.
Kingston councillor Jane Agirtan.Credit: Instagram
Agirtan was in hot water after she allegedly doxxed a lawyer who had posted anonymous criticism of her online. The breach occurred when the post in question was not removed within 24 hours as per a court order.
After our item, which detailed that Agirtan had exposed the lawyer’s name and work firm, and urged her followers to help the lawyer overcome their “Aunty Jane derangement syndrome”, the councillor and tax manager responded in a social media post by … doxxing your columnist in an Instagram post.
“Can’t talk, too busy collecting backpay… and receipts,” Agirtan wrote, with a screenshot of our attempts to reach out.
She followed up with what we took was criticism of our attempts to get in contact with her (none of which were responded to).
“Frantically ringing my council phone like it’s Triple J’s Hottest 100 vote line is giving … unpaid intern,” she wrote over a screenshot of this columnist’s phone number.
Whatever Jane, in the end it’s all content.
At the time of writing, the number of people who took up Agirtan’s invitation to get in contact and supply us with feedback stood at zero.
Oscar the Cavoodle: the next legal chapter
By now, gallons of ink have been spilled in this column on the wagging tale of Oscar the Cavoodle, the subject of a successful defamation suit against Nine (owner of this masthead) by his barrister owner Gina Edwards, who is now locked in a lengthy legal falling out with her former lawyer Rebekah Giles over her $1.2 million in legal costs.
Now, matters have escalated after Edwards, acting for herself, filed a statement of claim this week against the high-profile solicitor and her firm Giles George, alleging that her former lawyers were professionally negligent, and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct in relation to costs agreements made before the initial proceedings against Nine.
Gina Edwards and Oscar.Credit: Janie Barrett
Edwards alleges that her lawyers should have provided her timely and accurate costs disclosure, and accused them of making misleading representations about firm entitlements and failing to act in her best interests.
She also alleges that the lawyers engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct in their representations to her about the nature of the costs she would eventually receive.
The legal filing, seen by CBD, also includes a laundry list of bombshell claims made by Edwards, who accuses her lawyers of engaging in bullying, coercive or intimidating conduct.
In her statement of claim, Edwards alleges that before a final Federal Court hearing in the defamation case, her solicitor told her that “if Edwards did not follow the rules of cross-examination, Giles would ‘pull her ear’. ”
“During Edwards’ cross-examination, Edwards noticed Giles staring at Edwards and pulling her ear,” the statement of claim says.
Edwards also accuses Giles of shopping online for clothes during the Federal Court hearing.
The Age is not suggesting the allegations are true just that they have been made in a statement of claim.
Edwards is claiming aggravated damages, pointing to the lawyers’ “highhanded and oppressive conduct, including bullying, dishonest representations”. She also wants a declaration that her costs agreements with Giles George are void, and further compensation under the Australian Consumer Law.
Meanwhile, a complaint made by Edwards about Giles to the Legal Services Commissioner, which was referred to the Law Society for investigation, remains open.
Giles and her firm are yet to file a defence, and the matter is listed for a hearing in October. In a statement, the firm told us: “We reject the allegations Ms Edwards makes. She makes them without being represented by a lawyer and apparently to seek publicity for herself outside the court process.
“We reserve further comment until we have had the opportunity to defend the allegations in court.”
Grand opening
SPOTTED: Clicking around the corridors of power for the 48th opening of parliament was ex-deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop.
JBish joked that she was “just passing through” – entirely plausible, given her many hats as principal of Julie Bishop & Partners, chancellor of Australian National University, United Nations special envoy to Myanmar and sometime ambassador for retail chain David Jones.
Former deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop, right, dropped in on new Liberal leader Sussan Ley.Credit: Instagram
She later told us: “I was delighted to witness Sussan Ley assume her leadership role – a landmark in Australian politics and a defining moment for the Liberal Party.”
That could’ve been Bishop’s landmark but the Liberal blokes wanted Scomo instead.
Also spotted was a former Bishop staffer, Gisele Kapterian, who lost the Northern Sydney seat of Bradfield to teal independent Nicolette Boele by just 26 votes at the May election. Kapterian, who is appealing the result in court, was spotted at Aussies Cafe like one of the locals. Was she measuring the drapes or simply manifesting? We hear she was in town for non-political purposes. Although what other reason is there to visit Canberra?
Dee Madigan, executive creative director and co-founder of advertising agency Campaign Edge, was spotted at the opening of parliament, accompanied by her son Peter.
“I am actually taking my son who’s in his final year at ANU … I have never been to an opening of parliament before and I thought this would be a nice one to be at … two seconds I have to hug someone ...”
That turned out to be Claire Clutterham, the freshly minted MP for Sturt in South Australia, who was promptly invited out for a beer, but replied she was needed in the chamber until 8pm.
New ALP MP Claire Clutterham and ALP election ad strategist Dee Madigan at the opening of parliament.
“Just leave early,” urged Madigan, who was invited to the opening by Labor’s national secretary and election winning mastermind Paul Erickson, “no one will notice”.
With 94 members on the Labor benches, we can see her logic.