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SWEETENER FOR OUTGOING SENATOR

FORMER Solomon MP Natasha Griggs is back in town. Griggs was appointed as the Administrator of Christmas

Island after she lost her seat to Luke Gosling in 2016. But with her term due to expire later this year, Bushie wonders if another Territorian could be in line for the job. CLP senator Sam McMahon will be looking for a new gig after losing preselection. It could be the perfect sweetener to ensure she stays with team-CLP during the election campaign. Although her recent verbal dust-up with Nationals federal director Jonno Hawkes in a Canberra pub won’t have helped her chances. But the senator isn’t putting all her eggs in one basket, replying to a job posting from One Mile Brewery that she’d be available after May.

A SPATE OF BAD TIMING

THE change to the testing regime for new arrivals didn’t come soon enough for many, including a few NT News scribes such as Jason Walls. Meanwhile, Phillippa Butt was stuck searching for a PCR testing centre in Melbourne on New Year’s Day because the Victorian government decided to only open about 10 facilities. Alarm set for 5.45am, Butt managed to be about 30th in line on the Sunday, but still hadn’t received her negative result on arriving in the NT on Tuesday just before 11am. Then, just after 1pm, Chief Minister Michael Gunner announced arrivals would only need a rapid antigen test within two hours of arriving – a few minutes too late. Heading to her PCR test in Darwin on Tuesday evening, she

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waited an hour only to pull up in front of a nurse as her phone buzzed with a negative result. Someone, somewhere must have known to get the results out before those in the mainstream media (and with a very large reach) sit down behind their computers again.

PRETTY STRENUOUS

WITH a mask mandate in place, gyms were told attendees had to mask up upon arrival and exit but could remove their mask if doing strenuous exercise. Palmerston trainer Ange Liddicoat, of ARC Fitness, took to Facebook to remind, and perhaps warn, her clients. “The exercise performed at ARC is considered strenuous.” There’s no lazing around at that gym!

PICTURES OF ME

ON New Year’s Eve, minister for nice frocks (and health) Natasha Fyles posted a heartfelt message to all the hardworking doctors, nurses and other health professionals who helped keep us safe in 2021. Lovely. The post also included eight photos – all of Natasha Fyles.

REASON TO SKIP

BUSHIE was bemused by the NT government’s announcement this week that unvaccinated residents had been banned from exercising. Now if ever there was a reason not to be vaccinated …

TERRITORY CONNECTIONS

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SYDNEY-based epidemiologist Marylouise McLaws, who has ignored online abuse from anti-vaxxers to discuss the latest pandemic developments, has a Territory connection. AMA NT head Dr Robert Parker was undertaking a Masters in

Health Administration at UNSW where Professor McLaws lectured in virology. “From memory I scored a distinction for her coursework,” he said.