The cake was baked almost two years ago by a former Labor staffer, with a senior employee in the office of Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp posing in a photograph next to it.Unwisely, the picture was posted to Instagram, where it was immediately screengrabbed by “Craka’s” political rivals.When sent the picture, The Sauce was told the employee photographed next to the cake was partly to blame for a plunge in membership numbers at the local ALP Newcastle branch.The branch is one of the largest outside of Sydney, but Crakas’ rivals claim numbers have been declining from more than 50 to around 14.It is alleged members have been purposely driven out to allow the branch executive to maintain control to keep Crakas – and also federal Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon – in power.As “Crakas” staffer is a member of the executive, the photograph was perfect ammunition for his rivals to attract attention to the branch’s plight.“It’s a battle between the old guard and new blood,” the sender of the photograph said.“The old guard have their cabal that keeps Crakanthorp and Claydon in power. Should Claydon retire, the cabal will choose one of their own, most likely the branch secretary.“Noone else can get a look in. The branch is kept small so it can be controlled. It is the opposite of branch-stacking.”The NSW ALP head office appears to have its own concerns, staging an intervention last week to informing Newcastle branch members that party assistant general secretary George Simon would be attending the branch’s delayed AGM.The Sauce understands it was made as “a joke” with the cake-baker, whom we have chosen not to name, saying she herself identified as a queer woman. “It was said by someone’s father and we thought it was so wrong, we put it on a cake,” she said.Crakanthorp, who became aware of the photograph “a week ago”, said the staff member posing with the cake was now on stress leave, “to be counselled”. The staff member told The Sauce he “deeply regretted” the hurt the photograph had caused. “I had no part in the making of the cake or the publication of the photo, and when I became aware it was online, I immediately asked for it to be removed,” he said. When asked by The Sauce, neither Craka, who once called out a Newcastle councillor for alleged homophobic comments, nor his staffer said they believed in the sentiment on the cake.BIRTHDAY BLUNDERThere’s always one “facepalm” moment at a Budget Estimates hearing.In the case of NSW Veterans Minister Geoff Lee, it was mixing up the date of Anzac Day with his own birthday.Lee was being grilled by Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane about what financial support — if any — he was offering RSL sub-branches to organise and host Anzac Day services and marches. Declaring it as “arguably the most important day on our nation’s calendar”, Lee went on to state how he had been speaking with RSL NSW about the commemoration and march.And, “as we get to the final date – 25 March, obviously” the government would continue to support branches “ in any way we are able,” he said.Erm … The error was quickly seized on by Greens MLC David Shoebridge who challenged Lee about the date.“Sorry, 25 April,” a flustered Lee replied, before revealing March 25 was his birthday. “Apologies. If I could correct the record and say 25 April.” Shoebridge agreed. “There is a facepalm moment,” he said.BOOZE AND BLOOD PRESSUREIt was first reported in this newspaper last week and now NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has revealed his deputy had consumed alcohol prior to being found in the gardens of a Goulburn hotel — but that it was not the cause of the high-ranking police officer’s collapse.Deputy Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon last week said he would be apologising to paramedics and police who turned up to help him, but who instead were faced with a patient that refused their help.Instead, Lanyon, who had been in town for an upcoming police attestation, was accused of being argumentative and agitated.Appearing before a Budget Estimates hearing on Friday, Fuller said Lanyon had consumed alcohol, but that the reason for his collapse was either low blood pressure or low blood sugar.“It was attributed to a medical episode,” Fuller said. “Had he consumed alcohol, yes.”Fuller said he spoken with NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan who had said the “episode” related to “low blood pressure or low blood sugar”.GOT SOME SAUCE? CONTACT [email protected]



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