It’s been a turbulent year for the couple. Berejiklian dramatically resigned as premier under an ICAC-shaped cloud,and Moses represented former soldierBen Roberts-Smith in the defamation trial of the century against this masthead over articles he alleges portray him as a war criminal.
Arthur Moses and Gladys Berejiklian.Rhett Wyman/ Oscar Colman
Despite all that background noise,it looks like Sydney’s hottest power couple have moved a step closer to cohabitation. Moses has bought a property in Northbridge,the suburb where Berejiklian,now a humble Optus executive,just happens to live.
Sources close to the couple were tight-lipped about whether they were living together. But the new Moses Manor,purchased last December for $7.2 million,has four bedrooms and three bathrooms,a swimming pool,space for a wine cellar,and sweeping views of Middle Harbour. In other words,hardly a bachelor pad.
Northbridge also just happens to be in the electorate of North Sydney,one of those previous blue ribbon Liberal seats lost to the teal wave. Come 2025,the Liberals would be desperate for a prominent moderate woman,but perhaps we’re speculating a little too much here.
Kelly v Commission
We’ve been keeping an occasional eye on the post-politics travails of Australia’s would-be next prime ministerCraig Kelly,now reduced to the ignominy of being a private citizen with a webcam.
Last week,news broke thatClive Palmer’s United Australia Party,of which Kelly is still national director,had been deregistered by the Australian Electoral Commission. It was news that took the party’s sole elected representative,the $100 million SenatorRalph Deej Babet,by surprise.
Despite Babet’s initial claim that it was all an administrative error,Kelly took to Telegram late on Sunday night,where he shares his most unvarnished thoughts,to claim it was all part of a cunning plan to take on the Australian Electoral Commission.
Attacking “misinformation” in the media from “enemies of freedom”,Kelly said the party had temporarily taken the step of deregistering,partly “to protest at the conduct of the AEC at the past election”.
John Shakespeare
The conduct in question was the Australian Electoral Commission taking Kelly to court on the eve of the last election over the display of his campaign corflutes,with Federal Court judge Jayne Jagot dismissing an attempt to restrain his campaigning on the day.
“Something you’d expect to happen when a military junta was running the country,” Kelly said. “To paraphrase Mark Twain,the rumours of our death are completely exaggerated.”
We can’t wait to see where Kelly’s latest fight with the wheels of bureaucracy takes him this time.
Racism welcome?
Over in the City of Cumberland,a handful of local councillors in one of the most culturally diverse local government areas in Sydney are getting extremely mad about anti-racism signs which they say are disrespecting the Anzacs.
At a meeting last week,councillorsHelen Hughes andPaul Garrard brought a motion to move “Racism Not Welcome” signs from Lidcombe Remembrance Park because they were too close to a cenotaph commemorating the diggers,something Hughes claimed was “callous and insensitive”.
Always one with an eye for a culture war,the council’s former mayor and Labor turncoatSteve Christou weighed in,labelling the anti-racism campaign “idiocy” and “un-Australian”.
“This council should go on bended knee and offer apologies to the relevant RSL,” he yelled.
How exactly opposing racism is an insult to the troops was never really explained,unless you believe the diggers themselves were ... never mind.
In the end,cooler heads prevailed;Labor councillors helped vote the motion down. Undeterred,Christou took to his TikTok account to promise another vote at the next meeting.
Good vibrations
The 60 or so business development managers for the female-focused pharmacy chain Priceline who gathered in Melbourne for a strategy meeting last week got a fair bit more than they bargained for.
Under each of the attendees’ chairs was a special gift from management - a vibrator and a packet of condoms intended,CBD is told,to make the Priceline managers’ stay at the Marriott Docklands “more enjoyable”.
It’s not clear what reaction the Wesfarmers-owned chain expected from its staff,but mass-mortification is what it got,according to sources too embarrassed to speak publicly.
We asked Priceline if these perks were standard practice or a one-off bonus.
“This bag showcased products across a number of categories including skincare,makeup,personal care and sexual health,” a company spokesperson told us.
“It is normal practice for our team members to be sampled products which are available at Priceline.
“As a Pharmacy retailer we take pride in servicing our customers across a range of conditions including mental,sexual and general health. To this end,we ensure our Operations team is equipped with product knowledge to assist our store team members.”
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