Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looked not to have a care in the world as he joined an estimated 140,000 fans and VIPs to watch British indie supergroup Oasis at Accor Stadium on Friday night.
The Prime Minister took his son Nathan to the mega-gig, with the pair spotted in the Venues NSW box with other pollies, staffers and sporting legends.
While many guests in boxes spend as much time at the bar as watching the show, The Sauce was told nearly everyone was outside on the seats watching the band rip through a two-hour set.
Hollywood actors Matt Damon and Liam Hemsworth also had passes to the gig and were rumoured to be in a separate suite with a group of friends.
Other VIPs in Albo’s box included NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, footy commentator Brad Fittler, Australian cricket legends Steve Waugh and David Warner, who was also accompanied by his wife Candice Warner, fellow international cricketer Sean Abbott and two-time Big Bash champion Moises Henriques.
Also there was Venues NSW boss David Gallop.
Kellie season?
With killing season well under way (the final weeks of parliament are known for leadership challenges), the uploading of a slickly-produced “campaign-like” video to social media by Liberal MP Kellie Sloane had pollies and journalists in a lather.
Sloane has the numbers to topple NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman but has publicly declared that she would not “knife” him.
This means Speakman himself would have to make the decision to resign before Sloane would consider putting her hand up – or someone calls a spill.
Either way, things can happen quickly.
The Sloane video highlights her achievements as Vaucluse MP, including the 36-month campaign to keep kids safe online, introducing new laws to stop illicit tobacconists on street corners and opening Nielsen Park.
“And there’s so much more we can do together,” Sloane says in the video.
The post — sent to The Sauce by seven different people — followed Sloane being spotted in an animated discussion on a CBD street corner with political strategist Yaron Finkelstein, who has worked for both Scott Morrison and Dominic Perrottet.
To be clear, Finkelstein was the one waving his arms around with Sloane listening intently.
Later this month, Sloane will be the VIP guest at a $550-a-ticket party fundraiser in the President’s Dining Room in Parliament House with Oatley MP Mark Coure.
A flyer for the November 18 event advertised it as “dinner with Mark Coure MP” and “special guest” Kellie Sloane MP.
“Kellie Sloane MP is currently Shadow Minister for Health and Member for Vaucluse,” it said, prompting observers to latch on to the word “currently”.
Asked about the video, Sloane told The Sauce that she did one every year.
“I do it for my electorate every year. It’s a local video for my local electorate,” she said.
Three sitting weeks to go.
High praise
Former pollie David Elliott this week used his platform as a columnist for The Daily Telegraph to outline what he would do to “fix Australia” if he “could be dictator for a day”.
With suggestions such as “free public transport on public holidays” and “abolish payroll tax”, the piece understandably received a lot of “likes”.
Among those to give it the thumbs up when Elliott uploaded the article to his LinkedIn profile was none other than the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) commissioner John Hatzistergos.
The “like” comes as the corruption watchdog looks into alleged impropriety within the Hills Shire Council in Sydney’s north-west – a council that falls within Elliott’s old Baulkham Hills electorate.
The investigation was prompted by allegations made in NSW parliament by Elliott’s factional colleague Ray Williams, who claimed fugitive developer Jean Nassif was colluding with the Liberal Party to advance its development interests in the Hills area.
Given the animosity between Elliott and Nassif – he blames a “branch stacking operation” by the former Toplace for losing his seat of Baulkham Hills in 2022 – we would expect Elliott to have been rather helpful with the inquiry.
Guardian party
The upheaval in the NSW Official of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) continues with questions being raised at the choice of venue staff have made for the end-of-year Christmas party.
A whistleblower claimed OCG staff were planning to hold the “official” office party in a “gay nightclub and bar on Oxford St in Sydney”.
Given the recent controversy over a “sperm-themed” game and other shenanigans in the office, the whistleblower questioned the appropriateness of the venue.
Upon making inquiries, The Sauce was confirmed “some” staff were organising a party at The Colombian Hotel, “but it is a private event and they are paying for themselves”.
We were told it was not the “official” OCG party.
Given the recent turmoil in the office, including the removal of OCG boss Steve Kinmond, we’re surprised anyone has any festive cheer.
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