Nestled beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge and directly opposite the Sydney Opera House, the Park Hyatt clearly has the premier location of any Sydney inn and it's the home away from home for most visiting celebrities.
But what was with the report in a Sydney tabloid newspaper today that implied that while the Star casino (possibly Australia's most ghastly looking building) served Krug champagne for it's glitzy launch last year, the Park Hyatt settled for photographs of the French tipple ?. Perhaps the journo was pre-occupied with the dramas about his newspaper's parent company unfolding in the Leveson Inquiry in the UK.
Not only was the Krug flowing freely at the Park Hyatt, it was '98 vintage which doesn't come cheap. There were buckets and buckets of the stuff and the Shuttle knows as we could only look on in sheer envy, reduced as we are to sipping mineral water because of a course of anti-biotics.
If the service at the Park Hyatt's launch party is anything to go by, it's position as the hotel of choice for superstars (and other mortals) will remain un-matched. The hotel had flown in chefs from around the world including two to prepare superb sushi, and with a series of rooms serving up various cuisines, this was one of Sydney's most memorable parties.
Bridget & Louise Abbott
Jo Ferguson & Catriona Rowntree
As for Star, which the Tele helpfully informs us attracted the likes of Leo DiCaprio, Stevie Wonder and others of that ilk to it's launch late last year, they forgot to mention the millions of dollars paid out to the slebs or in DiCaprio's case, the entire floor of it's hotel they laid on gratis for Leo's staff to live in while he filmed The Great Gatsby. Or of the Star's private jet that was laid on for DiCaprio's exclusive use during his stay. Even then he only turned up to the launch party for an hour or so and stood sullenly in a corner scowling at the media.
Sipping Krug at the Park Hyatt : Hon Bruce Baird, Amber Keating, Kerri Anne Kennerley, gossip writers Jo Cassamento and Ros Reines, Catriona Rowntree, Sandra Sully and two new entrants to the social scene, Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's daughters Bridget and Louise Abbott.
Never has an Australian prime minister had to work so hard
to justify their existence as Julia Gillard since ousting Kevin Rudd in a
party room coup in 2010.
The general public show little
interest in Kevin Rudd replacing her but there’s every chance that a leadership spill may become a self-fulfilling
event (certainly if News Corp has it away).
Monday’s much touted but disappointing ABCTV 4 Corners program
regurgitated claims from 2010 and was much ado about nought, not unlike the great Canberra ‘riot’ of Australia Day when dozens of AFP officers dramatically bustled
the PM and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott through a largely docile crowd who had minutes
before been merely tapping vigorously on a restaurant window, gesticulating at
the two politicians shouting insults no worse than ‘shame shame’.
Where will it all end?. Perhaps internationally famous Astrology Marjorie Orr has a
tip.
According to Orr
(sans the Pluto trines and Uranus square Pluto and other technical jargon):
Julia Gillard’s PMship chart, 24 June 2010 1.03pm is
labouring mightily this year with…. by mid-March which is often a sign of an
administration's collapse. If by a miracle she survives that destabilising
influence returns later in the year...and so on.
Basically it sounds like Mars and Jupiter may do her in by
late 2012.
But there’s more as in
Kevin Rudd’s chart:
Kevin Rudd - whom as I recollect no one actually liked when
he was in power (in fact he was more popular than any Oz leader in history, except within the Labor Party
Caucus where he was detested) - does have lucky/successful influences in early
March especially though he looks to be sagging badly from May onwards….. But
he's certainly for all that in a bullish mood through the year with tr Pluto
square his Jupiter and tr Uranus in opposition.
Julia is a Libran and Kevin a (by all accounts-the bitchy type ) Virgo. Virgos holds grudges. For a long time.
So it’s business as usual and Julia will plod on while Rudd
plots on, enjoys the speculation and News Corp fans the flames. Which means God forbid, another
two years of this.
As the video and pictures sweep around the world.....Prime Minister Julia Gillard clinging to a minder and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott being bustled out of a Canberra restaurant surrounded by dozens of policemen and being attacked by....err....what looks like a chubby elderly Aboriginal gent and a large Hippie style woman, the hard questions are being asked..
who is the bodyguard ?
The race is on to discover the name of the handsome public servant. Just look at some of the comments from the UK's MailOnline:
Her Body guard can protect me any time!! Coorrrr!!!
- lucylooselegs, Me casa, 26/1/2012 22:29
Wow! Her personal security guard is hot!
- Saulle Dinne, London, UK, 26/1/2012 22:26
Sweet Holy Mother of God, I am so in love - how can we find out who that bodyguard is ????
- Mary, Leinster, 26/1/2012 22:12
Sorry, I know this is serious, but holy crap that body guard is GORGEOUS!
- Sue, Galway, 26/1/2012 22:08
Ooooo.....i'd have a cling as well, he's one tasty bodyguard!!! Lol ;-)- lilylitebug , west midlands , 26/1/2012 22:06
Blimey, I would have clung to him too, he's
gorgeous........- Paula, Cheshire, 26/1/2012 22:55
Any excuse to cling on to your bodyguard...eh
Jules..??- Sam, Dubai, 26/1/2012 23:07
I'd cling to her body guard too if I had the chance.. Crowds or no crowds...- Sarah, Newcastle, 26/1/2012 21:41
He can come and guard me any day.- Jane, London, 26/1/2012 21:31
ooooh errr I would like him to rescue me too. mmmmmmmmm- Me , Here, 26/1/2012 21:21
That guard is enjoying every moment of it.....ha ha ha- Anita, Nairobi, Kenya, 26/1/2012 22:12
FOUR hundred women assembled in the NSW Parliament House dining room on Monday to clap and cheer the Ernie Awards-the feminist awards for comments or opinions deemed offensive to the feminist audience.
They're named after Australian Workers Union secretary Ernie Ecob, famed for his misogynist remarks. His piece de resistance :" Women aren't welcome in the shearing sheds. They're only after the sex,"!
Some honourable mentions:
The Gold Ernie and Media Ernie
News Corp journalist Andrew Bolt for saying : 'Can the Australian Defence Force afford this social engineering, in which gender becomes a qualification - and a fault line? What will this do to the tight mateship so critical to a fighting unit? Does a woman turn her male colleagues from warriors to escort?'
The Political Ernie
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for standing in front of the placards describing the Prime Minister as 'Bob Brown's Bitch' and 'Ditch the Witch.'
The Warnie for Sport
Aussie Rules footballer Spida Everitt for saying : 'Girls! When will you learn! At 3am when you are blind drunk & you decide to go home with a guy, it's not for a cup of Milo!
'
The Elaine
Liberal Party MP Pru Goward for attacking the community workers equal pay case, saying they 'failed to make their case' and referred to the 'so-called' wage gap.
Our favourite nutty Scottish noble Viscount Monckton of Brenchley is heading for these shores again to stir up the debate about climate change scientists who he calls 'eco fascists'. Monckton says the climate change claims are a plot to install a World Government
Lord Monckton guardian.co.uk
A month ago in Los Angeles Monckton described Professor Ross Garnut who has just delivered the final Garnaut Climate Change Review commissioned by the Australian government, as having "a fascist point of view" and someone who expected people to "accept authority without question".
Prof Garnaut
"Heil Hitler, on we go," said Lord Monckton as a Garnaut quote was displayed beside a huge swastika on a screen.
Monckton, who has stood for political office in England several times,( twice receiving not a single vote) once unsuccessfully tried to get an injunction to stop a BBC program "Meet The Sceptics" which featured him and which he reckoned made him look like a 'pottypeer'. He also sponsored an anti-gay campaign and said all AIDS sufferers should be quarantined for life.
He'll be a star attraction at the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies conference in Perth next week where he will join fellow climate sceptic and Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott along with the mining magnates Gina Rinehart and Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest who last year funded a million dollar campaign to de-rail former PM Kevin Rudd's proposed new mining tax which they said would destroy the industry.
As if to prove their point, both Reinhardt and Forrest added several billion dollars to their wealth in the year following their campaign.
And according to a 60 page research done by Citigroup Global Markets, a division of the big US banking group Citibank Gina Rinehart is on the way to becoming the world's richest person !
Here's our tribute to Lord Monckton : Springtime For Hitler!
One glamorous guest at the Lavazzi calendar launch on Monday evening in Potts Point was hotelier to the stars, Terry Schwamberg.
Terry Schwamberg
Terry owns a few boutique hotels here and there along with some luxurious houses you can hire by the night or month-Paris, Byron Bay, Bali, Palm Beach , the Amalfi Coast, and some of Queensland's most beautiful tropical beaches and of course, the Medusa Boutique Hotel just near Kings Cross-a favourite with Hollywood movie stars filming at Fox Studios including Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen during the Star Wars trilogy and Keanu Reeves who called it home for a few months.
Terry reports that one of her Bedarra Island beach huts was borne aloft by the terrifying Cyclone Yasi and vanished in the wind as it swept through QLD twelve days ago. But fortunately that was the only damage and considering the island was in the eye of the storm she reckons she got off lightly.
Sadly business will preclude her from attending tonight's Rose Bay Flood Relief Fundraising Dinner at the Rose Bay Promenade to aid victims of the dreadful floods that preceded Yasi. 750 guests at $1000 a head with food prepared by Michael McMahon's Catalin and other prominent chefs. It should be something quite amazing. Providing the weather holds.
Bedarra Island
Also raising funds for flood and cyclone victims in Queensland were 400 prominent businessmen at the Hilton Hotel last week at a lunch hosted by the Hon Bruce Baird AM , chairman of the Tourism and Transport Forum and sponsored by Qantas.
Anna Bligh
Guest speaker was the QLD premier Anna Bligh who through adversity in her home state has surely resurrected a faltering political career with her approval rating jumping a whopping 35% . There are whispers that a Federal Parliamentary seat now beckons.
Anna's heartfelt speech at the lunch , just as she has delivered on several TV news broadcasts, some that were screened on the BBC has impressed all with her ability to empathise with the flood victims. Watch out Julia Gillard. A competitor is on the horizon.
**************************
In the interests of always bringing Shuttle readers the latest in gossip and innuendo with the knowledge that today's tittle tattle is tomorrow's news, we can report the latest rumblings in both state and federal politics.
Our mole disguised as a Qantas trolley dolly reports on a conversation overheard on a recent flight from Melbourne to Sydney between two very senior Labor Party identities who know what's what and whose tongues loosened as the Chardonnay was sipped.
If Prime Minister Julia Gillard has Anna Blair already breathing down her neck, party heavies have given her just six more months to impress the electorate. Should she fail and the axe falls-Assistant Treasurer BillShorten, former union heavyweight is waiting in the wings with a lot of support.
And it's not so rosy for Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. The very strong mail out is that Shadow Treasurer, the large and cuddly Joe Hockey is ready to takeover, sooner rather than later.
Joe Hockey
Not that Joe will around for long. Step forward- Malcolm Turnbull, the man who would be king and as predicted by the Shuttle many moons ago, will finally claim the crown.
Stateside-when ruling NSW Labor is swept aside in 5 weeks and the ever so nice but dull state Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell who could surely win a gold medal with his Olympian efforts at boring an audience witless becomes premier, he shall remain for 12 months which is about how long Coaltion heavies figure it will take NSW voters to realise they have elected a dud of Titanic proportions. Which takes us to March 2012-the Ides of March and all that as knives come from all directions aimed at Barry's ample back.
In his place will be the member for Manly, the clever, young and good looking Mike Baird, co-incidentally the son of former MP Bruce Baird, host of last week's flood lunch.
That gives Mike 3 years to consolidate the Coaltion's 10 years of power to come.
From a political standpoint they are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Bob Ellis, poetic writer, darling of the left and a speech writer for the Australian Labor Party and the conservative Catholic politician and Federal Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott.
In Ellis's new book Suddenly Last Winter-An Election Diary Bob gets stuck into a few Labor Party heavies while announcing his admiration for Abbott.
On Prime Minister Julia Gillard he says she is "not well informed". He says Gillard is part of a Melbourne clique called the Mouse Pack, a reference to the size of their intellect.
" She hasn't I think read a novel or seen a film that has subtitles and I doubt if she has read Encounter or The New Statesmen or Vanity Fair or The London Review of Books or The New York Review of Books and therefore she doesn't have a hinterland. She has not much except a kindergarten sandpit response to things-'Nyah Nyah you're just jealous because I'm Prime Minister and you're not' "
" Civilised people already have their hands over their faces when she speaks!"
Ellis has form in courting those from the right. Often spotted lunching with Christopher Hitchers when in town or the famed right leaning poet Les Murray. And he has expressed an odd admiration for the xenophobic Pauline Hanson who Ellis swears attempted to pick him in a Surfer's Paradise bar long before her political career took off
But it's the astonishing turn around in his relationship with the political love-child of the strange Catholic theologian and political fixer B.A.Santamaria and Margaret Thatcher-Tony 'Mad Monk'Abbot that is raising eyebrows.
Several years ago Tony Abbot and his wife along with a fellow cabinet minister Peter Costello and his wife sued Ellis and Random House over Bob's new book Goodbye Jerusalem and Ellis was badly bruised to the tune of a $277,000 libel payout that came right upon his uninsured Palm Beach home burning to the ground in a bush fire.
Ellis says he has just about forgiven Tony Abbot over that episode and invited Abbot to launch one of his books a year ago which Abbot did.
The Opposition Leader who once studied to be a priest openly admires the philosophies of the late B.A.Santamaria who railed against Communism and socialism in the 1960's, split the Labor Party and in the 1930s supported Mussolini and Franco.
"resembles F.Scott Fitzgerald"
But Ellis reckons Tony Abbott may be a closet socialist :
"He is no more a Liberal than I am . Liberal is the name of
the suit he is wearing. He is actually a Catholic socialist. He's DLP
[Democratic Labor Party] and always has been."
Ellis goes further in his SMH interview : "The person he most resembles, I've just decided, is F.Scott Fitzgerald. The classic good looks, big
flashing smile, easy Irish eloquence, angelic writing style, self-doubt,
Catholic guilt, hot temper, Gatsby-like yearnings for past
relationships long gone and luminous in remembrance, fondness for
football and self-flagellation and his need for a son, all bespeak a
literary genius drawn by life and lesser pursuits into spiritual
shallows and drunken remorse like Scott, poor Scott."
******************************
Writing in the UK Guardian newspaper Germaine Greer has slammed American architect FrankGehy's plans for the new University of Technology describing the building as "five scrunched up brown bags"
The building (pictured) is to replace the ugly concrete bunker that stands on the proposed site and when the model was release the UTS Vice Chancellor Ross Milbourne said "We've got the Opera House, and it's hard to say we are going to beat
that, but from what I've seen we'll have an equally outstanding icon at
this end of Sydney."
Responds Greer:" The Sydney Opera House may be one of the best known structures in the world, but it is also a
worse building than anything Gehry would want to put his name to. The original design by Danish architect Jorn Utzon was rejected by the Australian judges in 1956, only to be reinstated. By
the time the opera house opened in 1973, it was more than 10 times over
budget. Utzon struggled to protect his vision of a building made of
sails until 1966, when he was obliged to close his Sydney office and
return to Denmark, because the New South Wales state government would
not meet his fees. Government architects took over the project.
The Potential Wedding Album is for same-sex couples who would like the
option to get married in Australia. Inclusion in
the album is to show support for marriage equality, currently a hot topic that has got many Australian politicians in a real tizz and heading for the hills - except notably The Greens who support same sex marriage as one of their main policies. Dr Bob Brown, their leader is openly gay and lives with his male partner,
Bob Brown
With that in mind, as volumes of The Potential Wedding Album are completed they will be
printed and delivered to the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Leader of the
Opposition Tony Abbott and other members of the Australian parliament, to highlight
the couples who are treated unfairly by the marriage laws in this
country.
They should make ideal coffee table books for Mad Monk Abbott, a conservative Catholic !
The project has already got some major supporters including former High Court Justice Michael Kirby who retired in 2009 after exiting the closet quietly in 1999 when he listed his long term partner inWho's Who In Australia as Johan van Vloten.
Johan van Vloten & Justice Michael Kirby
Kirby came in for criticism from shocked conservative circles but stood his ground even after a botched attempt to falsely stitch him up over the alleged use of Commonwealth chauffeured limos to pick up rent boys at Sydney's notorious Wall, a male prostitute haunt.
It was discovered the ComCar records being bandied about that purported to show Kirby's movements were fake with the result that then Prime Minister John Howard offered an unqualified apology in Parliament.
Since retiring, Kirby has toured the world lecturing at law symposiums and speaking on equal rights, particularly for young gays and lesbians.
If you want to show support for the Potential Wedding Album you can sign uphere
And go the albums to view many of the couples who have signed up and contributed their photos. The albums are quite charming.
***********************
## One budding politician who is openly supporting same sex marriage is the famous private eye Frank Monte who will be standing for NSW's Upper House in the March 2011 state election.
Frank Monte
Brought up a Catholic in an Italian family in Egypt, Monte says although his political views are fairly conservative, he believes personal liberty is one of the greatest bastions of a free society and he supports the freedom of people of any orientation to get legally hitched-at St Mary's Cathedral if that's what takes their fancy !
tSS agrees and nothing demonstrates this more than today's Galaxy poll conducted for the Murdoch Sunday Telegraph about the new premier of NSW, American born Kristina Keneally.
Keneally's rise to the top has given her a 73% approval rating with the punters, as opposed to state Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell-now into his 6th year in the job and floundering at 42% approval. Significantly-70% of Coalition voters approve of Keneally. In other words, they, as tSS has been saying for yonks-haven't warmed to their own party leader.
Keneally and Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt tSS outdid all other news outlets-television, radio and print by predicting Keneally would be Premier by November-she was on the 3rd December. At the time of the prediction one well know political pundit said at a party we were 'batshit crazy" .
Following Keneally's election in a party-room spill both News Ltd and the normally sane FairfaxNewspapers went on a crazy rampage-accusing her of being a "puppet premier" to Labor powerbrokers Eddie O'Beid and Joe Tripodi .
Both newspaper outlets ignored the fact that the Federal Coalition dumped their best chance at scoring a hit against PM Kevin Rudd by sacking the only man who-given time-would give him a run for his money, the extremely clever ex-merchant banker Malcolm Turnbull. Turnbull was dumped via the influence of right-wing Coalition power brokers like Nick Minchin who seem determined to lead their party to oblivion with the 'Mad Monk' Tony Abbott (right) in charge.
That's power brokers on all sides of politics guys-just like it's always been and will be ever after.
Even the pompous Peter Harvey of Channel Nine news tonight pontificated that a certain percentage of voters perceive Keneally as a "puppet" !. Yes Peter-you have been one of the dingbats pushing the line since she was elected but get a grip-the majority of the state's voters aren't buying that line. Political journalists like Harvey have completely lost their way once they repeat tosh from tabloids.
Both newspapers ran bizarre 'people's petitions' demanding an immediate election seemingly oblivious to the fact that 4 year fixed terms are now mandatory and could only be changed by a referendum in 18 months time at the next state election and the end of the err.. current 4 year term.
The tone of these 'people's petitions' changed slightly after about a month when both newspapers changed tack and began demanding Keneally and Labor visit Governor Marie Bashir and offer themselves up for election (still an impossibilty under current law) .
The Fairfax Sydney Morning Herald's law expert RichardAkland, who describes NSW politics as "some of the nastiest on the planet" finally felt obliged to point this out to his own colleagues.
If an 80 year old social snapper, a 6 a day G&T drinking blogger and a useless sub-editor cat at tSS can get these things right, as opposed to some of the oldest and most established news outlets on the planet, what hope is there for the printed media that cannot perceive that the great unwashed public just isn't interested anymore in their attempted machinations of public opinion ?.
In 2007 Kevin Rudd made a conscious decision to ignore Murdoch's hysterical political pundits who were out to destroy his election campaign-furious that he wasn't paying the appropriate homage to them. Murdoch's pride and joy The Australian leapt into the fray with gusto reporting in shock and horror a lunch Rudd attended with lobbyists Brian Burke and business partner Julian Grill . Burke was a former WA Labor premier who had served a jail term.
The Australian thought it was on a winner until ex-Labor PM Paul Keating-himself the victim of a vicious News Ltd smear campaign stepped in to describe Burke ( right )and Grill as the "Arthur Daley and Terry of West Australia politics", delightfully trivialising the whole affair. The only victim was then Murdoch favoured PM John Howard who had huffed and puffed with outrage at Rudd, but then had to accept the resignation of one of his own ministers who had also lunched with the pair.
Again they came up with the startling story that Rudd, as a diplomat , had visited a New York strip club with New York Post editor and Murdoch favourite Col Allan ( in the USSR it used to be called a honey trap). It backfired badly-the church attending Christian Rudd was just seen as a bit more human-his approval ratings dramatically rose.
Then came the great 'utegate" scandal when Malcolm Turnbull-supplied with dodged up emails by a News Ltd hack, accused Rudd of attempting to assist a car dealer friend. The resulting damage winded Turnbull but The Australian political writers leading the charge were mortally wounded-their credibility shot.
President Barack Obama deliberately sidelined Fox News in his campaign. He was vindicated. Only Britain is still enthralled by the tabloids as both PMGordon Brown and Conservative Leader David Cameron fling themselves at the feet of tabloid writers and in particular, grovel for the affection of the Murdoch clan.
Unfortunately one important matter is being lost with the plunging credibility of tabloids and newspapers. Real investigations. To their credit it was Murdoch's Australian journalists who perservered and uncovered the appalling fibs and illegal activities of the Australian Federal Police who had incarcerated the innocent Indian born Dr Haneef after the Glasgow Airport bombings in 2007.
Next Wednesday sees the first Australian singing appearance of Tallulah Rendall-the daughter of 'Christian TheLion' author John Rendall and London publicist and star of 'Ladette to Lady'Liz Brewer.
The Vanguard,a small venue in the very alternative suburb of Newtown says the night is already a sellout with a 100 booked for dinner. Expect Rendell to pull out all the stops for Tallulah's gala appearance with guests like Lady Sonia McMahon and her pal Glen Marie Frost along with Lady Atwill. Presumably John, flush with cash will deliver Tallulah in the vintage Roller he has just had shipped from London.
For those who have already forgotten the Christian the Lion saga-here is the youtube clip that made Rendall and partner Anthony 'Ace' Bourke famous. (It's a vicious rumour a camera assistant was standing behind the pair waving a hunk of raw meat.) Followed by a piece on Ivana Trump with Tallulah's mum LizBrewer.
Tony AbbottMP: known as the 'Mad Monk'. Disciple of the late Catholic powerbroker , communist conspiracy nutter,anti-capitalist and Franco & Mussolini admirer B.A.Santamaria-who caused the split within the Labor Party that kept it out of power for 2 decades. The Mad Monk looks like doing the same favour to his Liberal Party.
Senator Erca Abetz : known as the Tasmanian Devil Born in Stuttgart, West Germany and makes Attila the Hun look like a Girl Guide. Great-nephew of SS-Brigadeführer Otto Abetz, Nazi German ambassador to Vichy France from 1940 to 1944.
Sophe Mirrabella MP : "Ginger Group" member who wants tax cuts for the rich and reduced spending.on the poor. Denies there was a 'Stolen Children Generation' and when pregnant was told by Labor's Belinda Neal MP in Parliament "if you think evil thoughts you will give birth to a devil "
Senator Nick Minchin : Liberal Party Senate leader and right-winger who wants compulsory voting abolished, total privatisation of anything not nailed down and abolition of labour market controls. Famous quote as the infamous WorkChoices went down in flames at the last general election : "The Australian public don't seem to agree with our policies-in fact they violently disagree"
Tony Smith MP : former research assistant at the conservative think tank Institute of Public Affairs Championed the abolition of compulsory student union fees for which a decade of new university students vow to never forgive him for. No other distinguishing features.
