Brendan Rowswell twin spinning his way out of PR biz
Don't miss out on the headlines from Page 13. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Oops, this page cannot be found.
It seems fate has finally caught up with multiple drink-driving offender Brendan Rowswell.
The well-connected businessman – and twin brother of state shadow environment minister Brad Rowswell – was the high-flying executive at CPR public relations, specialising in government relations with direct lines into Spring St and corporate Victoria.
After exceeding the limit last year and recently again blowing over three times the legal limit with a BAC of .162, he was reprimanded in court with conviction, fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for 32 months.
It wasn't that stiff a penalty given the former high-flying director of the leading public relations company had already pleaded guilty some years back after speeding in his Mercedes from officers in Black Rock and again blowing more than three times the legal limit.
But his time as a director at Communications and Public Relations (CPR) has finally come to an end.
His name is no longer to be found on the website.
A brief and carefully worded statement from CPR, which was acquired by Civic last year, was given to Page 13, saying: 'After 14 years, Brendan has decided to step back and take a break from consulting.'
Nothing like spin doctors writing their own spin!
Some may remember Rowswell after he was investigated after being accused by another young Liberal of nuzzling his head into her chest at a 2006 ALSF function that was addressed by John Howard.
The same year, he was also embroiled in a scandal at the Melbourne University Liberal Club where he was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks.
Page 13 understands he has taken some time out to reflect.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mercury
4 hours ago
- Mercury
Australian man killed, another injured in horror Bali shooting
Don't miss out on the headlines from Travel. Followed categories will be added to My News. An Australian man has been killed and another wounded following a shooting at a popular tourist hotspot in Bali, Indonesian media has reported. Indonesian media outlet Radar Bali reported the two men, aged 32 and 35, were allegedly shot at a villa in Badung province shortly after midnight on Saturday. Badung Police chief Arif Batubara told the National News Network the 32-year-old died at the scene, while the second man was rushed to hospital for treatment. 'A shooting incident has happened. There are two victims, both Australian nationals,' Badung Police chief Arif Batubara said. Arif said police were yet to make any arrests and that officers were attempting to find witnesses to the alleged incident. The deceased man was later identified by the Bali Tribune as Zivan Radmanovic, while the injured man was Sanar Ghanim. The Bali Tribune reported two men were allegedly involved in the shooting, both of whom had 'a thick Australian accent'. The shooting occurred in Badung province on the island of Bali. Picture: Getty Images Gourdeas Jazmyn, the wife of one of the victims, told the Indonesian media outlet she was sleeping when she heard her husband screaming. The Tribune reported Ms Jazmyn covered herself with the blanket before seeing her husband being shot in the toilet and fleeing. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was 'providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in a shooting incident in Bali'. 'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. 'DFAT stands ready to provide consular assistance to another Australian injured in the same incident.' Originally published as Australian man killed, another injured in horror Bali shooting
Herald Sun
10 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Dirty backyard fights livestreamed from Melbourne homes
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News. A man was brutally floored in a backyard fight event with $10,000 cash up for grabs. The suburban backyard was turned into a makeshift boxing ring in which it hosted a number of bouts at the secret location on Saturday afternoon. Ordinary Victorians were seen trading ugly blows in the series of bouts that was highly publicised and livestreamed online. One young contestant was floored after he suffered a huge blow to the chin, falling backward into the temporary fencing. One of the winners was then handed an estimated $5,000 in cash just moments after he claimed victory late on Saturday. A small number of supporters were seen cheering on from the sidelines, filming the bouts on their mobile phones. The backyard brawls were staged in suburban Melbourne with organisers reluctant to disclose the location to followers during the week. Young Victorians mixing in crime circles were among those to have been urged to participate as a way to settle disagreements with rivals. 'Put your knives down, put the guns down and pick your fists up,' the promoter said in a clip last week. Saturday's fight series did not seem to have appeared on the list of promotions and events approved by the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board of Victoria. It is unclear whether the fight crew obtained a permit to promote the fight, which is a legal requirement in Victoria. Victoria Police on Friday said they were not aware of the event. The event, which wrapped up just before 5pm, was broadcasted to hundreds of viewers on a live streaming service online. The boxing ring, situated between two homes somewhere in the suburbs, was complete with promotional material plastered across the temporary fencing. The event's promotional video, posted last week to an Instagram audience of nearly 18,000 people, began with a compilation of news headlines from around Melbourne in recent months. Among them were instances of home invasions, machete incidents, street shootings and stabbings across the suburbs. Registered participants were asked a series of questions based on why they wanted to fight. 'Do you consent that you are freely choosing to fight at your own will?,' was one of the questions posed. The legality of the fight event is largely unclear but organisers, and hundreds of their supporters, believe the event was a positive move for young Victorians. It was held as a way to resolve disputes without guns or knives. They say a second fight event is already being planned due to 'overwhelming demand' of interest.
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
Northern Ireland hit by fourth night of clashes
Northern Ireland was rocked by a fourth night of anti-immigrant unrest on Thursday as police clashed with protestors in a second town, undeterred by driving rain. Firing plastic baton rounds, police sought to drive back several hundred people who had gathered in the town of Portadown -- some 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of Ballymena, where an alleged sexual assault that sparked the violence took place -- an AFP correspondent saw. Three nights of unrest had already hit Ballymena, some 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Belfast, leaving a trail of damage, with 41 police officers injured and 15 people arrested. The clashes first erupted on Monday night after two teenagers were arrested for the alleged attempted rape of a young girl at the weekend. Police have not confirmed the ethnicity of the teenagers, who remain in custody and had asked for a Romanian interpreter in court. Foreign nationals were forced to hide in wardrobes and attics to escape the rioters, police said on Thursday, calling for the protests to end and warning demonstrators that they would face arrest. "Stop this violence," said Northern Ireland police chief Jon Boutcher. "We will come after you. We will arrest you. We will prosecute you successfully." Fifteen people have been arrested and four people charged in connection with the ongoing disorder. Boutcher described the riots as "wanton disgraceful criminal behaviour that is absolutely race motivated", speaking at a news conference on Thursday. "They are not criminals. They contribute positively to society here and are well integrated," he added. Clonavon Road, where most of the riots happened -- a neighbourhood known for having a large population of eastern Europeans -- was almost deserted on Thursday. Many of the houses were damaged, and British, English or Northern Irish flags hung from most windows, AFP reporters saw. Some had signs saying they were Filipino residents. - 'Terrible scenes' - There had been fears on Thursday that the violence might spread. One housing association in Portadown called on residents to leave and take measures to protect their property. In a letter to its residents, Arbour Housing said that Thursday's demonstration in the town was "directed towards migrants, foreign nationals, and what are perceived as deviant behaviour," the BBC reported. Residents should take measures to "secure your property and belongings", it added. Ministers from every party in the province's power-sharing executive have strongly condemned "the racially motivated violence witnessed in recent days", while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the "mindless violence". The UK's Northern Ireland minister Hilary Benn, who visited Ballymena on Thursday, said he "utterly condemned the terrible scenes of civil disorder". Police called the violence "racist thuggery", deployed riot officers with dogs and asked forces in England and Wales for help quelling the unrest. Political commentator Alex Kane, a former Ulster Unionist Party communications chief, told AFP that "most of those involved in the rioting... were from the working-class loyalist community" who support Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK. "This is a demographic which feels left behind" by various political and social forces, he added. "An unsettled community, particularly when it is mostly composed of the young, is often quick to anger and easy to mobilise on the street. It's a problem which won't disappear any time soon," he warned. While acknowledging the protests were a "bit extreme", college student Lee Stewart, 18, described them as necessary "to defend our own people". "We view it as the police aren't doing anything to stop what is going on to those poor wee girls," Stewart said.
