Latest news with #Ex-NSW
The Age
6 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Dorinda's digital detox
The realtor involved in the sale remained tight-lipped about the whole situation. But a little birdie reminded us that it's a difficult market out there. And that sales like these often come down to only one or two serious buyers. Loading When you put it like that, this is a pretty good outcome. Plus, we think the transaction should be classed as a win for someone who didn't technically exist in the land titles registry for a while and therefore couldn't sell any property, thanks to the power of an unprecedented special police order. CBD enquired whether newly freed drug kingpin Tony Mokbel, another of Gobbo's former clients, had expressed any interest in the property. No? Maybe he's been too busy sticking to his curfew and shopping at Northland's Myer. Instead, our source said of the buyer: 'It's just everyday mums and dads. It's normal people. There's no story … [it's] no one of any note.' What a shame. And for those who were worried that Lawyer X might be left out in the cold, never fear. She still maintains a respectable portfolio of properties across Melbourne's south-east. Any of them would provide an ample place to reside. That is – if she ever manages to emerge from hiding. Butt out, Parliament House CBD brought word last year that the Department of Parliamentary Services was planning to review the Big House's smoking policy, and we were told at the time that the shift was a response to the introduction of automatic doors near parliamentary chambers. The latest draft was dropped last week, and the new policy greatly reduced the number of designated smoking areas in the parliamentary courtyard. If approved, they'll bring the federal parliament's restrictions broadly in line with new rules in countries like France and Spain. The department told us consultation on the changes was closing on Tuesday. 'Any changes will be balanced with work health and safety obligations for all people who work and visit Australian Parliament House,' they said. But we also hear that a major driver of the new policy is Senate President Sue Lines, who takes a far dimmer view of smoking than one of her recent predecessors, Liberal Scott Ryan. He used to be seen sparking up in the Senate president's courtyard. That said, Lines is probably on the right side of history. Lung lollies are practically extinct in parliament, where anyone under 35 has switched to the also restricted vapes (despite Health Minister Mark Butler 's best efforts to ban a product available at every convenience store in the country). And practically no pollie will even admit to being partial to a dart any more. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he's never smoked. Ever. Notable exception – firebrand independent senator Lidia Thorpe. Ex-NSW premier Dom Perrottet used to admit to a sneaky vape. Others known to have indulged include Labor's Karen Grogan and Jo Ryan. CBD would often get a heady aroma outside the Nationals party room. And former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was certainly partial, although the big fella is now on a health kick, quitting booze after being found sprawled on a Canberra pavement and having recently undergone surgery for prostate cancer. Loading
The Age
6 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Butting out: Parliament House crackdown on political puffers
And practically no pollie will even admit to being partial to a dart any more. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he's never smoked. Ever. Notable exception – firebrand independent senator Lidia Thorpe. Ex-NSW premier Dom Perrottet used to admit to a sneaky vape. Others known to have indulged include Labor's Karen Grogan and Jo Ryan. CBD would often get a heady aroma outside the Nationals party room. And the party's former Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, was certainly partial, although the big fella is now on a health kick, quitting booze after being found sprawled on a Canberra pavement, and having recently undergone surgery for prostate cancer. Dorinda's digital detox The nuked Instagram page was a dead giveaway. Greens senator Dorinda Cox's profile went dark on Monday afternoon, before news of her defection to Labor had even made it onto the homepages. Cox's Twitter (sorry, X) account also went private, and the Greens quickly moved to scrub her from their own website. But the Instagram deletion was telling, probably because some of the senator's most recent posts were bagging the Labor government's decision to approve the extension of energy giant Woodside's North West Shelf gas project until 2070, which she described as 'catastrophic for many reasons' in the now-deleted pic. Clearly all water under the bridge for Cox and her new party. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose distaste for the Greens Political Party is well-documented, gleefully accepted her change of colours. Last year, this masthead reported that Cox had been the subject of several bullying complaints among staff, none of which appeared to trouble Labor, who welcomed her with open arms. Wigging out The standard career downgrade for journalists looking to leave the game behind is to switch to PR or communications. Indeed, most of the political media flacks that dodge CBD's calls every week tend to be retired media types. But Paul Farrell, until very recently an investigative reporter with the ABC, has traded the small screen for the courtroom, and is off to become a barrister. Farrell, who won a Walkley award for longform audio last year, joined 153 Phillip Barristers as a reader (that's jargon for a baby barrister). 'I'm thrilled to be joining 153 Phillip to learn from the brilliant barristers on the floor,' Farrell told CBD. 'I've been very fortunate to have a great career in journalism, most recently at the ABC. I felt like it was time for a change though, and going to the bar is something I've always hoped to do.' But it's a chambers that isn't exactly a safe space for journalists these days – Farrell's star colleague is defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, known for her all-star cast of plaintiff clients including Geoffrey Rush, Lachlan Murdoch, Gina Rinehart and more. Loading Coincidentally, Chrysanthou was this week in Tropical North Queensland speaking at Cairns Crocodiles, which describes itself as Australia's premier creative festival, where she offered up a passionate defence of defamation laws, and accused big media outlets of successfully lobbying to shift the balance of power in the legal landscape back in favour of publishers. Given Australia's reputation as being the defamation capital of the world, we'd say it's all long overdue. Lawyer X sells Relief for gangland barrister turned police informant Nicola Gobbo, who sold her Melbourne penthouse apartment for $1.25 million last week, ahead of the planned auction.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Butting out: Parliament House crackdown on political puffers
And practically no pollie will even admit to being partial to a dart any more. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he's never smoked. Ever. Notable exception – firebrand independent senator Lidia Thorpe. Ex-NSW premier Dom Perrottet used to admit to a sneaky vape. Others known to have indulged include Labor's Karen Grogan and Jo Ryan. CBD would often get a heady aroma outside the Nationals party room. And the party's former Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, was certainly partial, although the big fella is now on a health kick, quitting booze after being found sprawled on a Canberra pavement, and having recently undergone surgery for prostate cancer. Dorinda's digital detox The nuked Instagram page was a dead giveaway. Greens senator Dorinda Cox's profile went dark on Monday afternoon, before news of her defection to Labor had even made it onto the homepages. Cox's Twitter (sorry, X) account also went private, and the Greens quickly moved to scrub her from their own website. But the Instagram deletion was telling, probably because some of the senator's most recent posts were bagging the Labor government's decision to approve the extension of energy giant Woodside's North West Shelf gas project until 2070, which she described as 'catastrophic for many reasons' in the now-deleted pic. Clearly all water under the bridge for Cox and her new party. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose distaste for the Greens Political Party is well-documented, gleefully accepted her change of colours. Last year, this masthead reported that Cox had been the subject of several bullying complaints among staff, none of which appeared to trouble Labor, who welcomed her with open arms. Wigging out The standard career downgrade for journalists looking to leave the game behind is to switch to PR or communications. Indeed, most of the political media flacks that dodge CBD's calls every week tend to be retired media types. But Paul Farrell, until very recently an investigative reporter with the ABC, has traded the small screen for the courtroom, and is off to become a barrister. Farrell, who won a Walkley award for longform audio last year, joined 153 Phillip Barristers as a reader (that's jargon for a baby barrister). 'I'm thrilled to be joining 153 Phillip to learn from the brilliant barristers on the floor,' Farrell told CBD. 'I've been very fortunate to have a great career in journalism, most recently at the ABC. I felt like it was time for a change though, and going to the bar is something I've always hoped to do.' But it's a chambers that isn't exactly a safe space for journalists these days – Farrell's star colleague is defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, known for her all-star cast of plaintiff clients including Geoffrey Rush, Lachlan Murdoch, Gina Rinehart and more. Loading Coincidentally, Chrysanthou was this week in Tropical North Queensland speaking at Cairns Crocodiles, which describes itself as Australia's premier creative festival, where she offered up a passionate defence of defamation laws, and accused big media outlets of successfully lobbying to shift the balance of power in the legal landscape back in favour of publishers. Given Australia's reputation as being the defamation capital of the world, we'd say it's all long overdue. Lawyer X sells Relief for gangland barrister turned police informant Nicola Gobbo, who sold her Melbourne penthouse apartment for $1.25 million last week, ahead of the planned auction.
