Darren Chester hasn’t sent a fax for 15 years – but he’s still charging us for the line

Apparently Deputy Nationals leader Darren Chester had no idea his office was still charging taxpayers for a fax machine. Well, at least that’s what we were led to believe after we inquired about his bizarre $455 fax disclosure in last week’s MP expenses data.

The fax machine expense emerged as one of the quirkier charges disclosed in data released by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority last week, in among a string of other esoteric line items, including Liberal Nationals MP Scott Buchholz and Bob Katter spending more than $50,000 on flags.

When we reached Chester to ask him what on Earth he has been using the fax machine for and with whom he has been using the relic to communicate, Chester said he hadn’t sent a fax in some 15 years and was getting the thing disconnected.

“Given I was first elected in 2008, I can only assume the fax machine was part of the original office set-up, but I can’t remember sending a fax to anyone for the past 15 years. We used to send media releases via fax when I first started in the role, but it’s obviously redundant technology today,” Chester told CBD.

“Most people contact my office via phone, email or social media, so I have arranged to get the fax line disconnected as soon as possible.”

How’s that for economic management? We’re just glad Chester’s not in charge of anything important.

Last week’s data dump covered the March quarter, which crucially includes two of the local flag market’s biggest dates: Australia Day and Anzac Day. Parliament’s biggest polyester patriots, at least by our count, were Buchholz, who spent $27,761 on flags over the period, followed by Katter, who spent $23,239 on flags of his own.

That’s more than $50,000 on flags between them. Katter didn’t get back to us on the expenses. But Buchholz confirmed our thesis: Australia Day, the start of the school year, and Anzac Day meant the Queensland MP had to restock.

He said he made “no apology for supporting and promoting the Australian flag” in his community.

“Our electorate is incredibly patriotic and there is very strong demand from schools, community groups, veterans organisations and local families for Australian flags through the parliamentary constituent flag request program,” Buchholz told CBD via a spokesman on Monday.

“Many of these purchases were made ahead of Australia Day, the start of the school year and Anzac Day, times when requests for flags traditionally increase significantly.”

Vogue boss goes rogue

Australian Fashion Week may not attract the same level of fanfare as the smattering of industry shows that dot Europe and the United States.

But that didn’t stop tongues wagging last week when Vogue Australia’s editor-in-chief Christine Centenera decided to snub the local industry’s fashion week festivities for a trip to Los Angeles to attend a Dior show that drew Al Pacino and all manner of Hollywood heavyweights.

At the centre of the industry chatter were questions of whether Centenera’s absence undermined the local edition of Vogue’s commitment to Australian talent, given the magazine was the sponsor of two Fashion Week events. Not to mention Anna Wintour’s successor as head of Vogue US, Chloe Malle, along with her army of editors, probably had Dior more than covered.

All in, Vogue Australia’s editorial director Edwina McCann said the magazine had 12 editors in attendance at Australian Fashion Week last week. McCann said Vogue Australia is a team, not just one person, and to question Vogue’s commitment to the local market was “insulting”.

“Christine attended the Dior show in LA, which we also needed to be represented at, and she also celebrated a significant birthday of her twins in London during the week. To my knowledge she does not own a Tardis,” McCann told CBD, referencing the time machine featured in the British sci-fi series, Doctor Who.

Michelle Obama and her life lessons hit town

America’s former first lady Michelle Obama kicks off her whistle-stop Australian speaking tour in Melbourne on Tuesday, where she is going to tell fans how they can find strength, purpose and hope in uncertain times – or so the promotional blurb goes.

It does seem like quite the lofty mountain to climb in just 90 minutes.

Obama, who is glowingly described as a “global advocate” and “one of the most iconic, inspiring and compelling women of our era” on the tour information site, will appear at two 90-minute “In Conversation” events at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and, interestingly, tickets are still available for both sessions.

The allocation of “platinum” tickets, which at a hefty $895 a pop will get you a front-row seat, nibbles, a copy of Obama’s book The Light We Carry, and a photo with Obama, have all been snapped up for the shows, as have the $445 “premium” tickets.

A check of the ticketing website on Monday showed seats in the $395, $195 and $145 (restricted view) categories were still available for the 12.30pm show and in the $245 and $195 categories for the 7.30pm show. ABC identity Annabel Crabb is hosting both events. But sadly CBD can’t be part of the fun – it will be a media-free zone.

“Growth Faculty has been pleased by the progress of ticket sales and is looking forward to welcoming attendees across its Melbourne events this week,” Growth Faculty, the company bringing Obama to Australia, told CBD in a statement.

The company could shed no light on what plans Obama had outside of her speaking commitments while Down Under.

After Melbourne, Obama will take her words of wisdom to Sydney for a sold-out show on Wednesday and another show on Thursday, where plenty of tickets were available as of late Monday, at the TikTok Entertainment Centre. Australian Story host Leigh Sales is in the hosting seat for the Sydney events.

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