Donna Petrovich,a former Victorian state Liberal MP,failed to get into federal Parliament in 2013 and the next year failed to attain a seat in Victoria’s lower house. She had her term extended.
The tribunal,which independently reviews government decisions,was one slammed by shadow attorney-generalMark Dreyfuswho accused the government of treating it like “a Liberal Party employment agency”.
Dreyfus has vowed to end political appointments. Looks like even if they get into power,Labor will have to wait a little longer to realise that ambition.
The AAT can pay senior full-time members north of $330,000,even if they are lacking in legal qualifications
Former High Court judgeIan Callinanwas so displeased with the AAT in his review that he identified 37 areas for potential reform and urged future appointments be lawyers and made “on the basis of merit”. We’d expect nothing less,your honour!
Adding to the tsunami of new appointments or reappointments over the past fortnight,former NSW Aboriginal Affairs and Arts MinisterDon Harwin has been elevated to the board of the Australia Council.
Harwin,an ally of former PremierGladys Berejiklian left state politics during the transition of her successor,Dom Perrottet. His last few years in government were rocky,after he stepped down temporarily from the ministry for relocating to his Pearl Beach home during lockdown.
SAGE ADVICE
CBD can only assume sales of sage were through the roof at the Potts Point Harris Farm in recent weeks.
Not due to any particular culinary trend in the melting pot of ageing bohemians,young professionals and Liberal types,but a conversation about spectral activity on Potts Pointers,a community Facebook page that counts Sydney lord mayorClover Moore,prominent local state MP and NSW crossbencherAlex Greenwichand leading feministAnne Summersamong its 13,000 members.
The conversation was started byJohn Howard (neither the former Prime Minister,nor the actor),who was asking on behalf of a friend how to deal with a potentially paranormal presence in one of the old apartments the former red-light district is known for.
He asked for respectful commentary,and so it was,with plenty of locals offering up their own ghostly experiences and how to solve them. One group member said her apartment in the neo-classical building Carinthea was haunted,but that she’d had it cleansed with sage.
Habitue journalistDuncan McNabsaid the Catholic Church had a few trained exorcists on hand,alternatively suggesting some specialist UNSW researchers.
Howard thanked the group and reported his friend had taken measures including asking the “ghost” to leave. While none of the page’s notable members contributed,we assume they’ve all picked up a few ways to keep Casper away.
WRONG NUMBER
Put it down to pre-election teething,but federal Labor HQ has just made the first mistake of the election campaign.
Team ALP didn’t have all its ducks in a row when it distributed campaign media liaison details to journalists last week.
The info included a landline number with a stern directive that it be used for “all media enquiries and interview requests for the Labor leader,Shadow Ministry,MPs and Labor candidates”.
The mistake was brought to light when journalists phoned the hotline for Labor CHQ Comms,only to find someone named “Steve” picking up the phone.
While Steve does apparently work for Labor,it is not in his job description to be bombarded by calls from frantic hacks eager for minute faux-campaign updates.
The landline number was soon updated with an entirely new set of digits,“effective immediately”.