ABC makes cameo appearance in celebrity legal drama

Edwards also accused Giles of “witness-coaching” her during last year’s defamation trial (a claim denied by her former lawyer) and has made a complaint to the Law Society of NSW over the costs agreement.

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This week, Edwards filed further submissions in her appeal against an earlier order by Wigney that Nine pay her legal costs directly to the court.

“Leave [to appeal] should be granted to avoid substantial injustice and uphold the integrity of the Court’s processes,” Edwards, representing herself, submitted.

As they say in the news business, more to come.

Defence minister hires gun

Labor are breathing a sigh of relief that Lucien Wells has accepted the job as chief of staff to Defence Minister Richard Marles.

The former defence bureaucrat who served in Kabul has the respect of the government, defence and industry. Regular readers will recall that Marles’ former chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky claimed she was pushed out of the job after seeking help over alleged bullying from other colleagues.

Last November Tarnawsky launched legal action against Marles, the Commonwealth, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s most senior staffer, Tim Gartrell. She alleged she was pushed out of her role after she complained about being ignored, belittled and excluded from crucial conversations. Marles, Gartrell and the Commonwealth all filed defences to the claims, but the matter was settled in March.

“Everyone is thrilled that Richard has hired a gun as his chief of staff,” a senior Labor source told us with feeling.

“Lucien Wells is the smart, respected and steady hand Marles needs in his office.”

Praise indeed.

The Albanese government is busy filling out the ranks of senior ministerial staff, while a frustrated Liberal opposition remains unable to hire because the prime minister is yet to give them their staffing allocation.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has promoted Anna Oldmeadow to be her chief of staff. Oldmeadow is a Rhodes scholar who was stationed in Tehran with DFAT for three years, which sounds like it will come in handy right about now.

Pat Cronan will now be the chief of staff to Finance Minister Katy Gallagher. The pair go way back to the noughties, when Gallagher was a member of the ACT government and later the territory’s chief minister.

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Also, NSW socialist left faction member Sarah Hunt is the new chief of staff to Science Minister Tim Ayres. Columbia Law School educated Sharyn Broomhead will be chief of staff to Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae. Former economics adviser to Julia Gillard, Jim Round steps up to be chief of staff to Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino.

And one-time Navy lieutenant commander Tim Quadrio will become chief of staff to Jason Clare.

The long-term member of the NSW right faction’s very first job in politics was for Clare, proving that the Australian Labor Party is something like the Hotel California: you can check out any time, but you can never leave.

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