nsw politics
16 Sep 2008
No Cockroaches in this Operating Theatre
Bob Dumpling bids farewell to controversial former Health Minister, Reba Meagher
Fourteen long and hard years serving the people of NSW have come to an end for Reba Meagher. After Powergate, Costagate and Undiesgate we're now ensconced in 1800 NSW Premiergate.
In true Reba style, the former Health Minister resigned from NSW Parliament on Saturday without informing the new Premier (and ex-garbo) Nathan Rees. Instead, she emailed AAP to let the media know that she was quitting.
The Premier naively believed Reba had made every effort to inform him of her impending announcement. Surely she would have left a regretful voicemail, sent a pithy SMS or faxed through a drawing, aptly portraying her regret of what could have been? He spent part of the weekend sounding like a frazzled boyfriend, pleading with the media, "I had all these missed calls... I've been given this new mobile and can't figure out how to use voicemail".
When Reba caught on, she sent another email to AAP to publicly clarify the matter. No message was left for the Premier (who once worked as a garbo).
Clearly Rees needs to sack his incompetent staff. Morris Iemma never had to stuff around with mobiles. If Sussex Street needed to give him the heads up, they'd happily wait for Morris to arrive after dropping the kids off at school or visiting his mum. Plus, Morris had awesome staff in his office, people with names like Winky Chow and if he wasn't entirely across an issue, he'd remind people that he was Premier and therefore a busy man.
Nathan Rees did recently try this trick, and just about got away with it.
Last week, Premier Rees (the ex-garbo) acknowledged there was more than $1 billion missing from the NSW Budget but - and this is the important part - he was too busy becoming Premier to look into the details.
One billion dollars is a lot of money so you would expect the state Liberal Party leader Barry O'Farrell to be front and centre on this one. Unfortunately he wasn't around, so it was left to the Shadow Treasurer Greg Pearce to give Labor both barrels on this blow out. Unfortunately he was out of the office, so instead Rees had to endure the torment of the member for Willoughby, Gladys Berejiklian (otherwise known as Opposition Spokesperson for Transport). The Australian carried the pithy headline "Rees too busy to track $1b loss". Aren't we all...
Of course Barry O'Farrell is all over the Dial-a-Premier mess. Tough questions such as "If Nathan Rees is prepared to lie about an issue like this, what else is he prepared to tell lies on?" are bread and butter for opposition leaders. Dream big Barry.
There were big hopes for Reba Meagher when she was elected MP for Cabramatta at just 27 years of age. She entered Parliament a few years after former boyfriend Joe Tripodi (there's a rich image for the imagination) entered. Both had reshaped Young Labor and reaped the rewards for a decade as integral parts of the NSW Labor family.
During her political career, Reba had seven portfolios. The most recent and undeniably the most difficult was Health. Dubbed "Grim Reba" after one too many media conferences explaining cockroaches in the operating theatre, women delivering still-born babies in hospital toilets or bullying of staff by hospital management, Meagher has resigned with an annual superannuation package of $130,000 and another by-election (estimated to cost us $300,000).
Who knows what's next for Reba? She has formed a relationship with former TV newsman Adam Walters - who is a sort of Ron Burgundy of Sydney newsrooms. Whatever happens, it's reassuring to know that each night somewhere (Neutral Bay, Coogee, who knows!) someone will be saying, "Stay classy Reba Meagher!"
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Newsvine
Facebook
Kwoff
Discuss this article
To participate in the discussion Sign in or Register
Vale Reba and shame on you Mr Dumpling. Why should someone born and bred to rule NSW answer to a rum fellow like ex-garbo Nathan Rees. He probably lost the 1 billion on the cardies at Rooty Hill RSL Club on his first night as premier.
At last Reba can leave the frightening steets of Coogee, where she lived so long representing her constituants and move back to her emotional home of Cabramatta. Or something like that.
Long will I wait in the downstairs carpark at Establishment of my heart, Reba. The taxpayers of NSW look forward to the amusement you will provide from our $130 000 per year.
Fair call Dr Dog. Perhaps a state owned nail salon could be named in her honour.
I hope she hires a full time chauffeur, that seems to be the gag that keeps on giving.
Thanks Bob, thanks for the reminder of just how weak these jokers really are.
What I don’t understand is why Ms Meagher would have spent time putting cockroaches in operating theatres and forcing pregnant mothers to give birth in garbage trucks. Surely she had better things to do with her time?
The FULL second email reads:
"I would like to respond to comments made by Premier Nathan Rees in today’s media regarding the way in which I announced my retirement from the NSW Parliament," she said in the email.
"At no stage did I contact the Premier, or leave any messages with Mr Rees or his staff.
"I was surprised today to learn of assertions that I left a voice mail message, or any other message for Mr Rees or his staff.
"I made the announcement via AAP to ensure its widespread circulation. Any assertion to the contrary is misleading."
PS. Aren’t I a bitch!
I say goodbye to bad ALP rubbish Reba Meagher was nothing but a Young Labor blow in to the seat of Cabramatta. She never lived out there or did anything about cleaning up the drug trade and its poor addicts. I often saw her "swooning"around paddington sipping latte coffees with friends when she should have had her shoulder to the wheel and getting on with the job the taxpayers are paying her. Now she will be a rich woman and leave NSW politics. If she has been smart she will have invested her money well and will never have to work again. There is something seriously wrong when these elected reps dont care what happens to them during office because Australians pay politicians so well. There is no incentive to try innovative policy moves. No interest in making a difference in the local area. Its really sad for Australian democracy if thats what it should be called.
who was she swooning over? i hate people who drink lattes
‘shoulder to the wheel’, she was being paid to farm? Ban lattes and friends for MP’s?
I’m confused.
I think Reba cared a lot about what happens to her in office. If she didn’t, we wouldn’t have seen the infantile tantrum on the weekend.
I hate lattes, but, if she is as bad as you all say she is (me no live in Ozland, by the way), then she should have a bin thrown through her front window and the boys in balaclavas sent round to her, as happens where I come from. I’ve seen scraggier bints, by the way. How old is she, by the way?