Max Maddison
@maxmaddison
Followers
3K
Following
1K
Media
50
Statuses
1K
State political reporter @smh || Yarns, tips etc: [email protected] | [email protected]
Sydney
Joined July 2016
đ¨Gratuitous newsđ¨ After 3.5 years, today will be my last day at The Australian. Excited to announce I'll be joining the @smh's stellar state politics team, starting on July 17. Until then, I'll be in Asia avoiding Sydney's frigid winter.
23
7
205
Breaking: Documents have revealed NSW premier Dom Perrottet was aware former senior bureaucrat Jenny West had been identified as the successful candidate for the stateâs plum NY trade commissioner posting, contradicting what he told parliament in June. @australian.
65
495
2K
Breaking: John Barilaro has called in sick ahead of his much-anticipated second day of evidence at the NSW parliamentary inquiry. @australian.
223
228
2K
The Coalition is furious at a Labor plan to hand a quarter of parliamentary questions to the crossbench based on their heightened representation in the House of Reps, accusing the government of trying to hide from opposition scrutiny. @australian .
530
255
1K
Breaking: High Court has agreed to a motions hearing at 1:30pm on Thursday to consider Matt Camenzuli's appeal of the NSW Court of Appeal's decision.
25
326
1K
Breaking: 88 per cent of the latest round of the Morrison governmentâs $300 million Building Better Regions Fund went to seats held by the Coalition or Labor marginal seats, a seat-by-seat analysis has revealed. @australian.
38
389
766
Breaking: Validity of Scott Morrison's endorsement of his three senior MPs to be determined in NSW Court of Appeal judgement at 2pm on Tuesday.
17
250
747
NSW state executive member Matt Camenzuli has been expelled from the party, just a day after the NSW Court of Appeal dismissed his challenge. Multiple Liberal sources directive came directly from the Prime Minister. Lib HQ disagrees.
18
204
553
EXCLUSIVE: The same Chinese-language WeChat group using the âpower of the massesâ to co-ordinate complaints against academics to overturn failed grades is behind campaigns against lecturers and researchers critical of Beijing @australian
45
554
532
Update: website now says his withdrawal due to mental health reasons.
59
45
377
Exclusive: NSW Liberal HQ has launched an investigation into the party's Wyong candidate after his history of homophobic, Islamophobic and anti-vax comments were raised, including comparing "homosexual activists" to "Palestinian terrorists" @australian .
83
119
327
Breaking: Federal executive have voted unanimously to approve federal intervention into the NSW state executive. Another motion by the PM to endorse the three sitting MPs has also passed unanimously, despite being knocked back by state executive earlier today.
61
169
314
Exclusive: Veteransâ Affairs Minister Andrew Gee is facing multiple complaints of bullying, including a formal complaint lodged with the Finance Department alleging âintimidationâ, âharassingâ and âaggressive behaviourâ âŚ@australianâŠ
25
187
290
Eminent Sydney silk Geoffrey Watson SC says former NSW deputy premier John Barilaroâs intervention in a government bushfire recovery program could be the most egregious case of misallocating public funds he has ever seen in NSW. @australian .
12
124
287
Embattled Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has pulled out of a community Q&A in Sydney's northern beaches amid intensifying calls for her to be disendorsed. Despite a resounding endorsement from the PM on Tuesday, representatives for Ms Deves confirmed she would not attend.
41
66
246
Honoured and incredibly humbled to be the winner of the 2022 Wallace Brown Young Journalist award. Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. (đˇ:@hil_clix_pix)
27
9
227
Despite a $20m funding announcement on the Central Coast, Scott Morrison has refused to take questions from journalists, including about Liberal HQâs ongoing decision to mothball Katherine Deves â the PM has previously claimed he wouldnât allow her to be âsilencedâ.
9
44
189
Exclusive: The NSW Liberal Partyâs Maroubra candidate promoted an unproven drug used on horses as a cure for Covid-19 and labelled climate change the âbiggest fraud committed on hard working peopleâ. âŚ@australianâŠ
76
83
178
EXCLUSIVE: The Prime Minister has threatened a Liberal federal executive meeting with unprecedented federal intervention powers, incensing members of the NSW State branch, who have decried the move as a declaration of war âŚ@australianâŠ
48
84
160
Exclusive: The Labor-appointed NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray and his wife both made personal donations to the woman who would become Transport Minister, Jo Haylen, less than a year before she hand-picked him for the role. @smh
25
39
156
Breaking: Liberal federal executive has agreed to cancel preselections in Eden-Monaro, Hughes and Parramatta. Committee of PM, Premier and Christine McDiven reappointed until Saturday to install candidates in remaining seats.
30
104
148
Exclusive: ICAC pushed Fire and Rescue NSW to investigate allegations sacked commissioner Paul Baxter breached state government procurement rules by engaging his âpersonal friendâ in consultancy work worth nearly $500,000. @smh
6
68
141
Exclusive: A Newspoll, conducted exclusively for The Weekend Australian, shows Laborâs primary vote of 40 per cent has risen 6.7 per cent since the 2019 election, while the Coalitionâs primary vote has slumped 6.6 per cent to 35 per cent. @australian
5
27
108
"Westconnex is now a tourist attraction" - Dom Perrottet. Would love to meet those tourists.
11
16
110
In some gratuitous news, I am excited to announce I will become the @australian's NSW political correspondent role at the start of July. Back to the Macquarie St madhouse in time for the March election.
6
2
111
Excl: Liberal leader Mark Speakman says he will vote in favour of enshrining a Voice to parliament in the Constitution, saying the âdisastrous outcomesâ facing FN communities requires elevating the advisory body into the nationâs founding document @smh
3
31
87
The Auditor-General will be asked to urgently investigate the $4.8bn Urban Congestion Fund, amid concerns the Morrison governmentâs maladministration of the Commuter Car Park Projects fund is just the âtip of the icebergâ. @australian .
7
31
78
Breaking: Just over two weeks before his shock retirement from politics, John Barilaro defied convention and fast tracked a cabinet submission seeking to convert the state's plum trade postings to ministerial appointments, his senior policy adviser has revealed. @australian.
2
27
76
Breaking: ICAC founds former NSW Liberal Sports Minister John Sidoti engaged in "serious corrupt conduct" @australian.
3
39
73
Breaking: Former deputy premier John Barilaro told staff in 2019 the stateâs recently created trade postings were an opportunity for him to âget the f**k out of this placeâ, saying he would force the NSW govt to move the headquarters from California to NY @australian.
3
23
65
Tu Le has described the Kristina Keneally saga as a âsour debacleâ and says she is âdisappointedâ her Fowler community wonât get a say in who represents them, revealing she only discovered she would be sidelined through media reports @australian .
10
20
64
A week on the campaign trail with the PM: âAs Morrison crosses the country like a political Contiki, his campaign doesnât appear to be overly concerned about winning the hearts and minds of voters he meets in person. Those voters are seemingly superfluousâ
13
22
66
The Morrison governmentâs administration of the $711 million Commuter Car Park Projects fund, has been savaged by the AG, finding 87% of the funded were in targeted or Coalition-held seats and none of the 47 projects were chosen by the dept @australian .
11
51
59
Breaking: Liberal moderate Gisele Kapterian has won the partyâs North Sydney preselection, beating conservative favourite Jess Collins 145 votes to 106. Could be moot if seat is abolishedâŚ.
5
13
63
@australian Deleted an earlier tweet to make clear the funding was predominantly distributed towards Coalition-held AND targeted seats (aka Labor seat under 5% margin).
2
20
53
The contest to replace Marise Payne in the Senate will be great viewing: nine candidates have officially lodged nominations for the November 26 preselection. List includes: Dave Sharma, Zed Seselja, Andrew Constance, Lou Amato, Monica Tudehope. @smh.
17
17
56
An open letter signed by 22,000 first-generation Australians has called on Scott Morrison to outline a clear plan for when families separated by the countryâs strict international border rules will be reunited @australian .
12
21
53
Breaking: Liberal MP Matt Kean has announced his resignation from politics. He says he wonât go into federal politics.
31
20
54
Exclusive: a motion to expel Alex Hawke from the Libs has been mysteriously snubbed from the agenda for the partyâs annual meeting, with grassroots members accusing the state director of interfering to prevent debate over the matter âŚ@australianâŠ
3
37
50
Philip Ruddock has been ousted as Hornsby mayor, after councillor Warren Waddell won a Liberal preselection 164 votes to 104.
8
15
49
A raft of Liberal-appointed members of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal have fallen well short of their performance benchmarks, despite many earning six-figure salaries. @workmanalice @australian .
5
18
47
Exclusive: Scott Morrison has been named as first defendant in a legal challenge brought by a member of his own partyâs state executive to try to force preselections for three senior sitting MPs âŚ@australianâŠ
12
38
39
Exclusive: Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour claimed on expenses a Masters of Business Administration degree worth $48,000, charging it to ratepayers, raising questions about whether he breached the councilâs expense policy in 2017. @australian.
11
7
46
Exclusive: NSW Police drug-detection dogs incorrectly detect illicit substances on patrons 75 per cent of the time, raising questions about the efficacy of enforcement as the stateâs festival season starts @smh .
3
13
36
Almost 90 per cent of the latest round of the Morrison governmentâs $300 million Building Better Regions Fund went to Coalition-held or Labor marginal seats, a seat-by-seat analysis has revealed. @australian .
2
14
41
NSW Coalition leaders Mark Speakman and Dugald Saunders have both told this masthead they are open to lifting the ban on nuclear energy, allowing for the construction of reactors in the state. Minns categorically ruled out the idea this morning.
9
9
39
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has dodged, weaved and obfuscated during a heated budget estimates hearing that went to the heart of the scandals facing her government. @australian .
1
11
33
Exclusive: The boundaries of a World Heritage-listed site may be changed and Australiaâs international obligations ignored as the NSW government seeks to raise the height of the Warragamba Dam wall, according to an agency report. âŚ@australianâŠ
7
30
38
Exclusive: NSW Labor leader Chris Minns is poised to lead the ALP into government after 12 years in the wilderness, according to Newspoll data that shows the party is on the cusp of claiming a majority. âŚ@australianâŠ
6
12
40
A letter Novak Djokovicâs lawyers claim cleared him for quarantine-free travel was self-generated on an Australian government travelling app, providing no iron-clad guarantee of his entry into the country @australian .
8
10
40
The Morrison governmentâs failure to appropriately undertake assessments for the $660m Commuter Car Park Project has seen costs on some projects blow out by more than 500 per cent, costing the taxpayer least $70m. @australian
7
25
37
Exclusive: NSW Greens MPs and senators have been conspicuously missing from the Yes campaign despite the partyâs formal position in favour of the Voice to parliament. @smh .
11
12
39
"Why on earth would Ryan or Zali Steggall need â let alone feel so deeply entitled to â eight full-time staff in their service? There are working monarchs of middle European powers who operate a royal court with smaller retainers.".
1
7
35
Breaking: The NSW Electoral Commission has rejected the Liberal's claim it breached regulations, the second failed effort to try and reopen nominations for the local government elections.
4
3
34
Exclusive: A legal challenge seeking to invalidate Scott Morrisonâs three senior MPs has been broadened to include nine candidates in vital seats across the battleground state of NSW âŚ@australianâŠ
2
14
31
Exclusive: The Liberal federal executiveâs appointment of a committee to endorse Scott Morrisonâs three senior MPs is âinvalidâ and breaches the partyâs constitution, legal documents filed with the NSW Supreme Court say. @australian
8
14
31
Exclusive: âAdapt or dieâ: The Millennial Liberals pushing to ditch Boomers for younger voters . âWe can win those voters, but youâve got to be willing to lose a handful of voters at the Boomer end to pick up a whole lot more voters at the Millennial endâ.
5
7
32
Can confirm Mr Squires has been dumped. A Lib HQ spokesman said: âThe comments made by the candidate for Wyong are offensive and unacceptable. Having failed to make appropriate disclosures to the Party during the nomination process he has been disendorsed.â.
2
2
28
The premier has distanced himself from Mr Burstâs views, but the Maroubra candidate has not been dumped as yet.
4
3
30
Exclusive: Lib MP Fiona Martin is facing allegations she employed a former babysitter in a taxpayer-funded role worth up to $90k pa, despite them having no political experience, and oversaw a mass exodus of 15 staff members. (@ Joanne Tran) @australian .
4
22
29
Breaking: Kelly Sloane has emerged victorious for the Liberal preselection in the seat of Vaucluse. Sloane won 121 votes, Mary Lou Jarvis came second with 90 votes.
9
6
29
My comment on Newspoll & a tightening NSW election race. "A month is still a lot of time . these polling numbers dispel the prospect of either side forming a majority in their own right. NSW appears headed towards its first hung parliament since 1991" .
12
2
30
Breaking: NSW Liberal state executive hs voted strongly in favour of an unprecedented federal executive intervention, accepting the motion put forward in a ballot by President Phillip Ruddock this afternoon. Proposal will now be put to federal executive.
9
19
27
đ¨ personal news đ¨Off to Parliament House for the foreseeable future to cover for the stellar @rosieslewis. Starting on June 21 so am in the market for yarns, beers and tips on what to do without the ocean.
4
2
30
A collective of prominent Australians say the benefits of psychedelic medicines for mental illness are too great to be ignored, but the decision hinges on the TGA's ruling on February 3. @australian .
1
8
27
Court documents lodged with the Supreme Court reveal Mr Camenzuliâs lawyers have sought an injunction to prevent senior Liberal figures from requesting the AEC print any election ballot papers which has the contested candidates names.
1
16
26
Results from the 100 undecided voters at the DT/Sky News fifth and final debate are in â and itâs a drubbing: Minns 48%; Perrottet 32%; and undecided 20%.
1
4
28
âĄď¸xkluzive âĄď¸ Leaked minutes reveal indigenous leaders raised multiple concerns with the NSW governmentâs handling of raising Warragamba Dam two years Âbefore a damning report by two of the nationâs leading archaeologists. @australian .
0
7
26
Exclusive: A sensitive NSW government analysis of its signature housing reform proposals says the entire Inner West local government area would be zoned to allow six-storey apartments. @smh .
7
2
26
Exclusive: Canterbury-Bankstown mayor + ALP MLC candidate Khal Asfour failed to disclose his directorship of a company as part of his council requirements, sparkÂing a probe by the NSW ÂOffice of Local Government. âŚ@australianâŠ
2
6
26
Liberal state director Richard Shields has issued a statement confirming the administrative disaster which has seen the party fail to nominate candidates in several LGAs. "With the secretariat resources that we had available unfortunately we were unable to nominate in all LGAs".
8
4
27
Breaking: the ballot endorsing Jacqui Munro as the NSW Liberals upper house candidate has squeezed home overnight by one vote.
3
6
27
EXCLUSIVE: an investigation has revealed a string of coordinated WeChat âanti-failâ groups targeting Australian academics and aimed at overturning the failed grades of hundreds of international students @australian
12
9
26
Breaking: NSW Liberal President Maria Kovacic has resigned so she can run for the Senate vacancy. Leaves the NSW division without a president, state director and leader.
5
11
25
3
11
23
In the first Newspoll since Sept, the NSW government has halved Laborâs lead in the polls one month out from the state election, with Dominic Perrottet defying internal challenges to extend his lead as preferred premier over Opposition Leader Chris Minns.
12
4
24
Former rugby union star and ACT Senate candidate David Pocock says he would support a federal corruption watchdog with the power to look into the alleged rorting of taxpayer dollars by senior ministers in the Morrison government. âŚ@australianâŠ
3
3
21
Exclusive: A Labor MP has split with the Minns government over pill testing, urging the premier to undertake an âurgentâ trial during this summerâs music festival season, saying the implementation could save lives. @smh
0
6
23
đ¨exclusive đ¨ The Department of Home Affairs has almost 9000 outstanding family and partner visa applications for Afghan citizens. The backlog is the consequence of visa processing unnecessarily taking up to five years. @australian
0
15
23
The CCCP has recruited more than 300 scientists and scholars at Australian research institutions through its talent Ârecruitment programs â and maybe as many as 600 â a new submission to a parliamentary inquiry has revealed @australian .
7
8
23
Breaking: The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of state executive member Matt Camenzuli, overruling the legal advice presented by the NSW Liberal Party last Thursday.
2
13
17
NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman has told Peter Dutton, Liberal President Don Harwin and Richard Shields the state directorâs position is untenable. Comes after an unprecedented bungle on Wednesday saw the party fail to submit council nominations in a dozen LGAs.
3
5
23
Exclusive: Immigration Min Alex Hawke has been included in a broadened legal threat by a member of the NSW Lib state executive, amid allegations he is working contrary to the best interests of the party to further his own political ambitions @australian.
5
15
20
âI think this is in reference to a genuine cat â that of the member for Ryde. It says he shared a meal with the cat.â. Weâre on day two of cat discourse in QT. Thereâs no debate, NSW politics is without rival.
2
5
23
Something in the water at the E-Scooter inquiry this morning. NSW Parliament has no equal example #4556
5
3
26
Senior NSW cabinet ministers Brad Hazzard and Victor Dominello have publicly thrown their support behind Dom Perrottet. Follows Matt Kean, Planning Min Anthony Roberts and Multiculturalism Min Mark Coure. Pretty safe to say the premier's job is secure.
7
4
23
NSW Transport secretary Josh Murray and his wife donated $1450 to three separate Labor events, including an event with Premier Chris Minns in â none of which were disclosed during his recruitment, a parliamentary inquiry has heard. @smh .
5
9
19
Breaking: An eleventh hour peace deal negotiated by Dom Perrottet has ended the civil war in the NSW Coalition, with a joint statement expected to be issued by the leaders after the Liberal party room at 9:15am.
2
2
23
T he NSW government ignored advice recommending lowering the water level of Warragamba Dam by 5m and pre-releasing water, a strategy which would have cost a fraction of the $1.6bn to raise a damn wall, leaked cabinet documents reveal. @australian .
0
4
20
Scott Morrison has refused to Âanswer questions about who was responsible for a list of top 20 marginal seats for the $660m Car Park Fund, declaring âAustralians are the winnersâ â despite only 2 out of 47 promised projects being completed. @australian .
7
11
20
Chris Uhlmann, political editor of Nine News, who has written extensively about the creeping Âinfluence of the CCP in Australia, told The Australian the China Daily insert was an âextremely disturbing developmentâ. @australian .
3
14
22
Aston serving up an almighty spray . âHow does Morrison think he can still win an election by talking about which major party crashes the budget? Six weeks ago, his government unveiled a budget of another $224 billion of cumulative deficitsâ
3
10
18
Disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire gave Louise ÂWaterhouse the personal email address of the NSW Premier to help get approval for an infrastructure decision she was after but urged her not to mention him because it would be âICACableâ @australian
0
14
22
âIntelligent, charming, ambitious and disingenuous. These four words pop up over and over again in opinions expressed about NSW Treasurer and deputy Liberal leader Matt Kean.â.â my profile of the governmentâs progressive beacon and most divisive figure. @australian
7
4
21
My exploration of the internecine warfare being waged among the NSW Liberal Party's conservatives. âThey made Dom premier then he switched off his phone . Itâs not like they wanted much; they just wanted an in with the premierâs office." @smh .
1
3
23