A video celebrating the winner of a “women in local government” award is soundtracked by a song that has the words “I like the way your body is,is that too obvious?”

Does it pass the pub test? It definitely fails the “cringe” test.

There’s even a name of it:RonTok,or Rontent,as Liberal MPScott Farlowlabelled the minister’s posts during a recent estimates hearing.

Hoenig maintains it’s all a bit of harmless fun,and he just uses songs that are trending on the app without looking too deeply into the lyrics. And rumours that the minister had reshuffled his social media team after the posts started drawing criticism were swiftly denied by his office this week.

Meanwhile,RonTok has become the subject of debate in the basement of democracy,with Bayside councillorFiona Douskoumoving a motion in Wednesday night’s meeting to condemn Hoenig’s posts.

The motion urged council to express its disappointment at the “explicit and inappropriate music” featured on Hoenig’s social media,and called for him to use “more appropriate” songs on TikTok.

But the motion was defeated after Labor MayorEd McDougall cast the deciding vote. McDougall moonlights as Sports MinisterSteve Kamper’schief of staff,meaning he enjoys two separate six-figure salaries,and therefore takes home a pay packet to rival a senior minister. It’s nice out there for some.

Happy snaps

It’s fair to say Australia’s scientific research community aren’t the biggest fans of US PresidentDonald Trump,particularly after this masthead’s recent reports of the CSIRO being asked by his administration to answer a survey on whether they are studying “gender ideology” or climate change.

But some still harbour a fascination for all things American,regardless of the colour of the new administration. Last week,the University of Sydney’s pro vice-chancellor (research)Ben Eggleton,a world-renowned physics professor,attended an American Chamber of Commerce summit in New York and Washington,DC. He was part of a delegation that also included former South Australian premierSteven Marshall.

Eggleton posted a bunch of his happy holiday snaps to Facebook,which included a smiling selfie in front of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan.

In a week when the building’s owner has enraged the research community by effectively holding its funding to ransom,the optics of that weren’t great. Maybe that’s why the pics were unavailable on Thursday. We wanted to check in with Eggleton about all this,but he didn’t reply.

Gandel gets out

At age 90 or thereabouts and with a net worth north of $5 billion,shopping centre impresarioJohn Gandelis rarely seen out beyond annual pilgrimage to his beloved Australian Open.

Except this week,the largely reclusive billionaire,who turned Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre into a colossus,was spotted out twice in two consecutive days.

On Wednesday night,Gandel had a front-row seat atBruce andChyka Keebaugh’s 35th anniversary shindig for their catering empire The Big Group,which is practically the kitchen for Gandel family anniversaries and parties. CBD spotted him talking animatedly toEddie McGuirebefore the cabaret got under way in the glorious heritage-listed Ormond Hall at The Commons Collective.

And the very next morning Gandel,who co-owns Chadstone with the publicly listed Vicinity Centres,exhibited quite the bounceback by braving the considerable crowds at the launch of Chadstone’s Market Pavilion,where the centre beefed up its fresh food offering with specialty shops which normally give shopping centres a wide berth,including Brunetti Oro.

The grand old man of retail and philanthropy,trailed by an enormous security guard,was shown around the centre byJacqui Liberman,who is not only Gandel Group retail projects manager but also Gandel’s granddaughter.

Gandel politely declined CBD’s request for an interview,perhaps mindful that two years ago,when opening The Social Quarter at the centre,hiscomments thatAnthony Albanese’sproposed changes to superannuation tax were “ridiculous” made major news.

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