After six days of evidence about Ian Macdonald’s infamous night at room 1119 in the Four Seasons Hotel with Tiffanie, it was a huge relief to finally hear it from the horse’s mouth.
Articles by Margot Saville 
About Margot Saville
Margot Saville graduated in Arts/Law from Sydney University and practised as a lawyer before finding her true calling in the cadet training room at The Australian. Since then she has worked for ABC Television, the Nine Network and the Sydney Morning Herald. In 2007, she wrote The Battle for Bennelong. Margot’s most precious possession is a concert ticket from the late 70s signed by all the members of AC/DC.
ICAC inquiry: Medich explains happy endings to the court
Most people approach a day at ICAC in total dread, but multimillionaire property developer Ron Medich appeared insouciant, verbally wrangling with counsel assisting, Geoffrey Watson SC and even the commissioner.
ICAC inquiry: Ron Medich details night with sex worker
Multimillionaire Sydney businessman Ron Medich this morning made his long-awaited appearance in the witness box at the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
ICAC learns rough kissing meant no breakfast with Tiffanie
“If you knew who I was, you would be surprised.” When Ian Macdonald allegedly said this to an Asian sex worker in a Sydney hotel room in 2009, he could not have imagined that his words would end up in a corruption inquiry.
Minister ‘Sir Lunchalot’ — did Medich put the ‘lay’ into Labor?
Christmas came early for political voyeurs yesterday when the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption opened an inquiry into whether a former Labor minister had accepted s-xual services.
Medich, the pr-stitute and the cabinet minister: ICAC inquiry begins
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is currently hearing evidence a NSW cabinet minister in 2009 receiving the services of a sex worker paid for by Ron Medich.
Abbott’s statesman’s hat is so unfashionably last year
I attended Tony Abbott’s address to The Sydney Institute last night with real enthusiasm, expecting to hear something good. However, what we got was 2010 revisited.
Media inquiry: Disney calls for Press Council funding to be doubled
The federal government’s print media inquiry concluded on Friday with a wide-ranging discussion about possible sanctions for breaching Press Council standards, including the imposition of fines or compensation payments of up to $40,000.
Leighton Holdings’ lizard brains didn’t get the better of them
Leighton Holdings’ shareholders were only interested in one thing at Friday’s AGM. If losing one chief executive is a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness — and had they been paid the money?
Pollies grumble at writers’ fest: ‘good govt and ALP are strangers’
Can the ALP survive? And if so, what form will it be in? There was huge interest in this topic at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
Sydney’s sparkling elite gather to hear Julia kick the bludgers
Let’s get those horrible dole-bludgers back to work! That was theme from Julia Gillard’s address at the Sydney Institute’s annual dinner lecture, where Sydney’s business and political elite gathered.
The gluten-free NSW Greens launch, with added planning commissions
It’s always good to go to a political launch with very low expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised to find yesterday’s NSW Greens party launch not nearly as bad as I expected. Real policies were announced, Bob Brown was eloquent and passionate, and there were only a couple of the sort of cultish, quasi-religious moments that irritate the crap out of me.
NSW Libs: this century’s most soporific election launch
Tony Abbott summed up the state Liberal campaign in a sentence; Barry O’Farrell, the King of the small targets, will Get Things Done.
Battle for Balmain voters: white, rich, divorced gym goers
Not too long ago, being a Balmain Liberal would have led to a public stoning, but the conservative vote is rising, and they are now girding their loins for a real battle.
Talking the Town: Lunch with Richo and the Faceless Man: launching Labor’s progressive manifesto
Is there any finer way of spending an afternoon than sucking on a lobster leg, gargling chardonnay and listening to top-quality political gossip? Margot Saville went to lunch with Richo and the Faceless Man to get the Labor Party gossip.
The band’s back together for Howard’s last lap
It was fabulous to see Peter Reith emerge yesterday from whatever dark cupboard he’s been hiding in since 2001 to come out and call for a new IR reform agenda. Indeed, the whole band was back together for John Howard’s book launch, says Margot Saville.
McKew: ‘I don’t regret a minute of it’
This morning, McKew was in the office, helping her staff to find new jobs, but she’s not bitter about the result. “I don’t regret a minute of it. I loved doing the job locally and I loved working on public policy. It was a great thing to do.”
With grandma in charge, the Liberals were celebrating
It occurs to me in the cab that drinking half a bottle of red wine before I go to the Liberal HQ election night party is probably not a good idea. It is likely to be a very long night, and I should have started it at least sober. Too late now. 8pm. Arrive at […]
Bennelong: tired McKew fighting the polls
Yesterday was a pretty bad day for the Labor MP for Bennelong, Maxine McKew. Two new polls published in the major Sydney newspapers predict she will lose her seat on Saturday.
Bennelong despatch: yum cha and tears with Kevin Rudd
Losing the job of a lifetime is one thing, but following it up with an emergency gallbladder operation is bad luck, and Kevin Rudd looked like he had been through the wringer.
Bennelong dispatch: relevance takes a back seat in JA’s campaign
In the battle for Bennelong, Liberal candidate John Alexander was the star of a two and a half hour brain-bleeding session dominated by klutzy questions.
Talking the Town: Bennelong despatch: McKew serves it up to ‘good looking’ JA
Bennelong is one of the most ethnically diverse electorates in the country.
