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ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Deputy Liberal leader Sam Groth under fire for taxpayer-funded car ride from Australian Open
A furious senior Liberal MP says Victorian Liberal deputy leader Sam Groth "needs to explain his actions" following revelations he used a taxpayer-funded car to shuttle him and his wife home after a day out at the Australian Open. The Herald Sun reported the Nepean MP used the chauffeured car of colleague Georgie Crozier to make the 100-kilometre journey home from Melbourne's CBD to Rye on the Mornington Peninsula in January 2024, after allegedly becoming intoxicated at the tournament. It's also alleged he misled Ms Crozier by telling her he needed the vehicle for a work event. In his position as the shadow minister for tourism, sport, events and hospitality, Mr Groth regularly attends events in an official capacity, but on this day also held a Coalition fundraiser with Nationals MP Jade Benham. On Friday Ms Crozier told the ABC that it was also "up to the leadership to explain his actions". "I think Victorians deserve a lot better," Ms Crozier said. Mr Groth has rejected any wrongdoing, saying he attended the Australian Open in "both an official capacity and a personal one". "I was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative," Mr Groth said. "The accusations around intoxication are wrong. "Everything was and is above board. It has all been officially disclosed. There is nothing to hide." The report comes as the former professional tennis player faces mounting scrutiny over his travel expenses, with a parliamentary allowance report released on Friday revealing taxpayers shelled out $816 for accommodation and $664.51 for flights for a weekend trip to Adelaide from February 14 to 16 this year. According to the report, Mr Groth had meetings with "key stakeholders to discuss matters relating to my role as Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport, Events and Hospitality". The ABC understands he attended the LIV golf event in Adelaide. But an Instagram post from Mr Groth at the time appears to show his wife in an airport lounge and jokes about a Valentine's Day trip to Adelaide to attend the golf event. He posted another photo of the carpet of South Australia's parliament the same day. The records show Mr Groth claimed expenses for Uber trips to and from that parliament to Glenelg on Sunday, February 16, even though parliament does not sit on weekends. Attending a Liberal fundraiser on Friday, Mr Groth refused to answer questions about the Uber fares and what work he was doing on a Sunday that benefited Victorian taxpayers. "I've fully disclosed everything I do in this job and continue to do so," Mr Groth said. An opposition spokesperson later clarified that he was staying at a hotel next to the South Australian parliament and the trip to Glenelg was to meet a stakeholder about a jet ski exclusion zone on that beach. Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin has backed Mr Groth — who he promoted to deputy after ousting former leader John Pesutto — rejecting calls for him to resign. "I'm confident that Sam's followed the rules," Mr Battin said. He also insisted Mr Groth's trips "passed the pub test". "We are required to go out and ensure we engage with them, the biggest investors here in our state," Mr Battin said. "Some of the things like the Grand Prix, the tennis, the football, we go to those events all the time, and it's an expectation on your role in this place." The scandal has opened up yet another front in a bitter internal war within the Victorian Liberals. Some MPs are furious with Mr Groth, and Mr Battin for standing by him. But others say the fault lies with Ms Crozier for loaning her car. "If Georgie had any integrity she'd resign from shadow cabinet,'' one senior Liberal said. The party is already deeply divided over the fate of former leader John Pesutto who owes fellow Liberal Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs from a defamation defeat. The deadline to pay is Friday, but the ABC understands he will not be able to make payment yet. It means that Ms Deeming's lawyers can begin bankruptcy proceedings should she choose.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Tones and I enjoys boozy night as she is fined for brutal dog attack which saw her American bulldog maul and kill a Cavoodle
Aussie pop sensation Tones and I enjoyed a boozy night out in the US with friends on Wednesday evening, the same day she was fined over a brutal dog attack. The 32-year-old singer's American bulldog 'Boss' escaped her $7million mansion on the Mornington Peninsula in November last year, and attacked and killed her neighbour's pet Cavoodle. Boss was euthanised as a result. On Thursday, Dromana Magistrates' Court ordered the singer, whose name is Toni Watson, to pay a $3000 fine and the council's costs, The Herald Sun reported. That same evening, Watson shared a clip to social media which captured her partying with her friends at a club. The Melbourne-born singer was all smiles as she hugged a female friend and laughed when she quipped, 'we are officially alcoholics'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She captioned the clip with 'my baby's'. Watson's dog Boss was put down after he killed a cavoodle by biting it on the neck and refusing to let go. The court heard that Watson's neighbour, Wayne Schultz, was walking his two cavoodles when he spotted her chocolate Labrador Charlie stuck outside the electric gates. He called out to Watson's friend Tahlia as she arrived at the property and, as she opened the gate, Boss escaped, the magistrate heard. Boss bit one of Mr Schultz's cavoodles on the neck and would not let go. Mr Schultz, Watson's husband Jason 'Jimmy' Bedford and a bystander were forced to intervene and separate the two dogs. The elderly cavoodle died as a result of its injuries. 'The victim's family are devastated by the loss of their family pet and the manner in which the dog died in front of them,' prosecutor Colin McLean told the court. On Thursday, Dromana Magistrates' Court ordered the singer, whose name is Toni Watson, to pay a $3000 fine and the council's costs, The Herald Sun reported. That same evening, Watson shared a clip to social media which captured her partying with her friends at a club Mr Schultz was injured, with a bite on his knee and a bruised eye. The stranger's hand was fractured when he hit the bulldog while trying to separate the dogs. Watson was at home in the shower at the time. The court also heard that she wept with her neighbours on the night of the attack. The neighbours reportedly didn't accept her offer to pay for the cavoodle's cremation due to the fact the dog was 17-years-old. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Watson's team for comment. The pop star did not front court as she's currently in the US recording an album but was represented by barrister Cameron Scott. Mr Scott told the court the musician had accepted responsibility and took the matter 'very seriously'. She was ordered to pay a fine for failing to securely confine two dogs and for not re-registering the American bulldog.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Australian singer Tones and I fined over dog attack that saw 17-year-old cavoodle torn apart
Australian pop star Tones and I has been in court after her American Bulldog attacked and killed a 17-year-old cavoodle. The incident took place while the singer, real name Toni Elizabeth Watson, was in the shower at her $7 million home in the Mornington Peninsula in November last year. As a result of the attack, she was forced to have her dog, named Boss, euthanised and was fined by the local council, reported Herald Sun. Watson's neighbour and owner of the elderly dog that was killed, Wayne Schultz, said he was on a walk with his two cavoodles when he spotted one of Watson's other dogs, a labrador named Charlie, unable to get back into the singer's home because the gate was shut. Watson's friend Tahlia arrived at the star's home and Schultz called over to let her know Charlie, the dog, was outside. Tahlia opened the gate to retrieve the Labrador and inadvertently let the American Bulldog escape, and launch the attack by biting down hard on the elderly dog's neck. It eventually took three people, Schultz, a passer-by who spotted the commotion and Watson's own husband, Jason Bedford to stop the attack. The elderly dog died while still held in the jaws of Watson's American Bulldog. The attack also led to Schultz sustaining an eye injury and a bite wound on his knee, while the passer-by who helped stop the attack received a fractured hand. . 'The victim's family are devastated by the loss of their family pet and the manner in which the dog died in front of them,' Mornington Peninsula Shire prosecutor Colin McLean told the Dromana Magistrates' Court on Thursday. It was later revealed in court that the pop singer had visited Schultz's home in the hours after the attack where they both cried before she offered to pay for any funeral-related costs, which the couple declined. Watson did not show up in court due to being in the US to record her forthcoming album. However, her husband did attend. As a result of the attack, Watson was ordered to pay a $3000 fine for failing to securely confine two dogs and for not re-registering the American bulldog. She also was ordered to pay the council's costs. It was a civil matter and the singer is not facing criminal charges.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Aussie pop star Tones and I is charged over deadly dog attack - after her American bulldog escaped their $7m mansion and tore the neighbour's cavoodle to shreds
Australian pop star Tones and I's dog has been put down after it killed a cavoodle by biting it on the neck and refusing to let go. The 32-year-old singer's American bulldog 'Boss' escaped her $7million mansion on the Mornington Peninsula in November last year and attacked her neighbour's dog. Boss was euthanized. On Thursday Dromana Magistrates' Court ordered the singer, whose name is Toni Elizabeth Watson, to pay a $3000 fine and the council's costs, The Herald Sun reported. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Watson's team for comment.
Daily Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Pride Of Jenni's owner Tony Ottobre ahead of Doomben Cup
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. There are two things Tony Ottobre will never do again. Make a snap decision on race day. Or go on social media. Pride Of Jenni's owner admits he made a blue with his emotional announcement that his star horse had been retired when she was eased down in last November's Champions Mile at Flemington after suffering a bleed. 'It was just after the race, the (media) microphones came in and people wanted to talk to me and I had already had a bad day,' Ottobre said. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'She had bled and, already, some people were starting to bag me and were bagging (trainer) Ciaron Maher. 'It was the most disappointing day at the races in my life. 'You don't make decisions on race day but I said, 'nah, I'm going to retire her, I've had enough'. 'You never make decisions on race day, but that's what I did. 'About a week or so later, after we got her back to my place (Cape Schanck Stud on the Mornington Peninsula) I started to think about it some more. 'I thought that she had basically got a blood nose. Why couldn't she race again? 'Plenty of other horses have done it.' Tony Ottobre (middle) after Pride Of Jenni bounced out of retirement and won the Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield in March. Picture: Racing Photos • Bott endorses Eliyass for Doomben Cup turnaround Freakish frontrunning mare Pride Of Jenni, the reigning horse of the year, showed she was still a force to be reckoned with after scoring the Peter Young Stakes in March when she bounced back from retirement. A vindicated Ottobre has now set his sights on Queensland and Saturday's Group 1 Doomben Cup which features a blockbuster clash between Pride Of Jenni and the Sunshine State's best horse Antino. There will be something for everyone in the Doomben Cup with many eyes on Pride Of Jenni up front, but also watching Blake Shinn aiming to pull a rabbit out of his hat with another daring ride on Tony Gollan's star Antino. Tony Ottobre and reigning Horse Of The Year Pride of Jenni. • 'No two-horse race': Gollan insists chances aplenty in Doomben Cup Whatever the Doomben Cup result, Ottobre won't see the social media light up after the race. He used to enjoy social media, sometimes spicing things up with a 'bit of banter' which he believed helped to make racing fun. Ottobre knows he might not be everyone's cup of tea, but says some of the vitriol he copped was beyond the pale. He has banned himself from social media and will never be back on socials. 'I'm not a sook or anything, but some of it was getting out of hand,' Ottobre said. 'If a bloke comes into my golf club and he's an idiot, we don't talk to him. Pride Of Jenni and owner Tony Ottobre after the mare's victory in the Listed Anniversary Vase at Caulfield on May 3. Picture: Scott Barbour / Racing Photos • Clinton Payne's 2025 Doomben Cup tips, runner-by-runner form analysis: $26 on-top tip So I was thinking to myself, why would I be on social media, with all the knockers giving it to me? 'Some of it was really nasty. 'Nobody probably wants to talk to a lot of these people in their real lives, so they go on social media. 'Why would I want to get involved in that? 'There is also a really sad side to social media, there are kids who have killed themselves because of social media abuse. 'I don't know how you monitor it. 'These days, I have no idea what is going on with social media and I don't want to know.' Vo Rogue, back in the day. • Derby 'carrot' for filly's prospective new owners Ottobre is about to jet into Brisbane for the Doomben Cup and he will have a special guest with him at the races on Saturday. He has struck up a friendship, largely via text messages, with Vo Rogue's legendary jockey Cyril Small. The similarities between Pride Of Jenni's dashing frontrunning style and that of Small's former star are easy to spot. 'We have got Cyril Small with us on Saturday, so that will be great,' Ottobre said. Cyril Small. Picture: Portia Large 'He has been really into the whole Pride Of Jenni journey, and the way she runs. 'He loves how she races and she reminds him of Vo Rogue. 'With Pride Of Jenni these days, we will take every run as it comes. 'At the moment, we know the horse is happy and she is enjoying what she is doing. 'She is a drawcard for a lot of people and if she had stayed in retirement, the members of the public would have missed out on watching a really good horse continue to race. 'A lot of people want to see her and take pictures of her and I think that is just great.' All of Ottobre and his wife Lynn's horses carry the name 'Jenni', in honour of their daughter Jennifer who died from a brain tumour in 2015. It will be the latest deeply emotional moment in an extraordinary chapter of Australian racing history if Pride Of Jenni busts her rivals hearts and surges to Doomben Cup glory on Saturday. Originally published as 'Some of it was really nasty': Tony Ottobre on Pride Of Jenni, social media and race day regrets ahead of 2025 Doomben Cup mission
