A delayed operation 

The changing of the guard at the top of the Australian Defence Force was widely thought to have been imminent last week, with senior figures bracing for the news.

It didn't happen - and the well-established rumour within Defence circles is that the arrest of a certain former SAS corporal was the reason for the delay.

Inside Mail hears there had been growing talk that Lieutenant General Susan Coyle was in serious contention for Chief of the Defence Force, a role that eventually went to Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.

In the end, she was confirmed as the next Chief of Army - a historic first given no woman had previously held the position in the Army's 125-year history.

Sources say both appointments were ready to roll but were postponed due to the Ben Roberts-Smith circus. Coyle's promotion was seen as particularly sensitive given the public flogging AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett - the first woman to lead the AFP - received when she fronted the press after BRS's arrest at Sydney Airport on April 7.

Barrett, of course, was subjected to sexist, baseless criticisms that she was a 'DEI' hire simply for being a woman. Understandably, there was a desire to protect Coyle from similar abuse as tempers flare on social media over Australia's most-decorated living soldier being charged with war-crimes murder.

Our source says there is no chance the ADF will confirm it delayed the appointments, but that there is no question there was a delay. (We asked but received no reply.)

To be clear: there is also no suggestion the BRS situation influenced who got the CDF job - though our insider insists Coyle would absolutely have been a worthy appointment and will likely be the next CDF.

Interestingly, they had heard chatter that if Coyle had got the CDF job, the Chief of Army position would have gone to Major General Ana Duncan.

Perhaps waiting a few days for heads to cool over BRS was worthwhile, as politicians including Defence Minister Richard Marles and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese played up the historical significance of Coyle's appointment as a woman.

Not that the delay silenced all those determined to be sexist on the murkier corners of the internet, with the usual suspects going after Coyle despite her being highly regarded among senior uniformed figures.

D-Day set for Blackwell 

The restraining order matter involving newly minted Nova 96.9 breakfast host Tim Blackwell returned to Newtown Local Court this week.

As previously reported by the Daily Mail, an application for an apprehended domestic violence order was made by police to protect Blackwell's ex-wife Monique.

An interim ADVO was granted on March 11. 

Inside Mail can now reveal that Blackwell won't get a hearing until just before Christmas - meaning the matter will hang over him for much of the year.

It's hardly ideal for someone co-hosting breakfast in Australia's most competitive - and lucrative - commercial radio market.

Still, at least KIIS FM's dramas are offering a welcome distraction.

Blackwell wasn't present in court on Wednesday and the matter is next listed for hearing at Newtown on December 18.

The timing may at least minimise disruption for Blackwell, with the hearing falling during the non‑survey period.

Mogged

60 Minutes Australia scored another viral moment this week when 'looksmaxxing' influencer Clavicular walked out of an interview with Adam Hegarty.

Hegarty had irked the chiselled 'Chad' by asking if he identified as an incel, prompting Clavicular to bizarrely suggest that unmarried Hegarty was a cuckold and storm off in a huff.

It was great TV - and a perfectly valid question from Hegarty, given the company Clav keeps (Andrew Tate et al) and the ideological overlap between looksmaxxers and incels.

The general consensus from the normal side of the Internet was that Hegarty came off better, keeping his cool while Clavicular grabbed his mic and made for the exit.

We've also noticed that Hegarty, who joined Nine's flagship news program in January 2024, has developed quite the online fandom over the last week.

Far from needing the help of a 'looksmaxxer', many viewers agreed Hegarty was actually better looking than Clavicular - whose modelesque appearance is the result of brutal cosmetic rituals like 'bonesmashing' (yuck).

Indeed, some went so far as to say Hegarty mogged him.

Gen Z colleagues advise Inside Mail that 'mogging' is a grave insult meaning you have been upstaged by a person who is better looking.

Given the extreme lengths he goes to achieve physical perfection, how will Clavicular ever recover?

Pauline (not) in The Picture 

Speaking of Clavicular, this week he ranked Australian politicians based on looks (what else?) during an interview with YouTuber Jon-Bernard Kairouz, describing Albo as an 'oldcel' and Pauline Hanson as 'overly masculine'.

Ouch! They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Clav.

Still, Inside Mail remembers Hanson was actually quite the sex symbol in the late '90s.

So irresistible was she to a certain breed of right-minded gentleman, that when a false rumour circulated that she had once posed as a 'Home Girl' for The Picture (RIP) before her rise to fame, the nudie mag's editors were inundated with letters from readers asking them to reprint the apocryphal racy snaps.

Alas, the gossip wasn't true: the flame-headed former fish and chip shop owner from Ipswich never was a 'Home Girl'. (And we won't make the same mistake as News Corp by printing a scantily clad lookalike...)

Still the gossip gathered such momentum back in the day that A Current Affair sent a hack to rifle through The Picture's archives in search of the fool's gold...

He ain't famous... he's a journo 

Panic stations at 1 Denison Street last Friday after the Daily Mail ran a gossip item about star newspaperman Nick McKenzie's romantic history.

Some, er, robust conversations soon followed during which it was emphasised that McKenzie faces real safety concerns due to his high-profile investigative work.

While we don't wish him or his loved ones any harm, we reject the suggestion made to us that McKenzie 'isn't a celebrity' on par with Karl Stefanovic, and therefore tattle about his personal life is not newsworthy.

McKenzie is hardly a lowly sub-editor for The Age (Ed-Weren't they all laid off?) He's a high-profile journalist whose transition to prime-time TV is basically complete. We've all seen his 60 Minutes promos - he's gone full Frontline.

So, if you didn't read about it last week: what did we say to cause such upset?

We reported that the 20-time Walkley winner was previously married to a Melbourne playwright, later dated a Nine publicist, and is now in a relationship with retired AFLW player Elise O'Dea.

While it wasn't breaking news, we thought it ticked enough boxes to justify a gossip item: it was interesting in its own right; the arrest of Roberts-Smith dragged McKenzie - who first accused the soldier of war crimes - back into the spotlight; and Nine's $700,000 payout to a trial witness who threatened to go public with claims against McKenzie provided fresh justification to take a closer look at the man behind the scoops.

So there. 

Nine's publicity department was contacted for comment. 

The new Karl (again)

As Karl Stefanovic prepares for a post-Nine future in the 'I'm just asking questions!' podcast sphere, all eyes are on who will fill his seat on Today.

There have been some wildcards thrown around, but our money is on Tom Steinfort.

Steinfort co-hosts Nine News Melbourne with Alicia Loxley, and we note with interest that both anchors are in the last year of their contracts.

Readers will remember Steinfort had a stint as Today's newsreader in 2019 during the show's wilderness years, in between tenures at 60 Minutes.

It wasn't a roaring success, but his stock has risen since then and now he is a proven ratings winner in Melbourne - a market Today has long chased.

His wife's family all live in Sydney, too. The stars seem to be aligning... 

Love Island's budget shake up

Television production budgets are under more scrutiny than ever, with networks making tough calls to cut costs as revenues shrink.

Nine's Love Island is the latest to feel the pinch. While not a ratings juggernaut on broadcast, its streaming success has kept the dating show alive season after season.

But now, a major shake-up is on the cards.

Inside Mail can reveal the ever-charming Sophie Monk will be heading somewhere new for the next season. Instead of the usual sun-soaked shores of Mallorca, Spain, filming will move closer to home: Fiji.

It's not the first time the show has landed on the South Pacific island, but this change was already in the works long before the current oil crisis sent airfares sky-high.

The move to Fiji isn't just about saving on flights; with global tensions rising, keeping production closer to home feels like a safer bet all round.

For viewers, the new backdrop won't change much - but when it comes to promotion, 'Fiji' just doesn't have quite the same ring as 'Mallorca'.

Bartlett grills Bowen

Channel Seven's Spotlight is back in the headlines after tough reporter Liam Bartlett 'ambushed' Energy Minister Chris Bowen last week, causing uncomfortable scenes that aired live on Sky News and ABC News 24.

At a media conference addressing the fuel crisis sparked by Middle East tensions, Bartlett pressed Bowen relentlessly on why he refused to shift focus from renewables to boosting Australia's self-reliance on fossil fuels.

The rapid-fire questions visibly rattled the minister, who struggled to keep his composure as Bartlett refused to back down.

It was pure car-crash TV.

Did Bartlett overstep the mark by peppering Bowen with multiple questions? Strictly speaking, journalists are normally allowed only one - perhaps a follow-up if they're lucky. But he's hardly the first frustrated reporter to hijack a routine press conference.

Bartlett is not one of the Canberra press pack, so his mere presence must have rung alarm bells for Bowen's media team, but there was nothing they could do.  

The Spotlight program has been trying to secure an interview with Bowen since January. Thirteen emails were sent and his office failed to return phone calls from the producer of the story.

While never offering an official 'no', it became obvious to the Spotlight team Bowen had no intention of sitting down for an interview, so Bartlett decided to pounce at the press conference.

The next day, Bowen made his position clear: 'I don't choose to interact with Spotlight. I'll always interact with serious shows and serious journalists. Spotlight is not one of them.'

Fair enough, the minister can choose his interviews - but he can hardly complain when a journalist exercises their democratic right to ask tough questions at a press conference.

Bartlett did nothing wrong by confronting Bowen on the issue.

That's journalism. That's democracy.

Lisa's Titanic opportunity

Move over, Donald Trump - Inside Mail could be up for its own peace prize.

Last month we reported that Lisa Wilkinson, despite being one of Australia's most recognisable faces, was facing a PR dilemma for her new Titanic book: no television bookings at all - a fact confirmed by her publisher.

Then, after our story ran, producers at Today saw a ratings opportunity and reached out. Lisa and her team were ready to seize the chance for some headlines - and a return to the show she left suddenly in 2017 after a pay dispute with management.

It was a win-win.

Watching Wednesday's reunion, it was clear enough time had passed for Wilkinson and Stefanovic to reminisce about their decade on air together. The atmosphere was warm, even if there was a hint of regret about how abruptly her Today tenure ended.

They joked about Wilkinson possibly filling in for co-host Sarah Abo during her maternity leave, and, jokes aside, Nine would be wise to keep the option open - the old duo still has chemistry that's tough to match elsewhere on breakfast TV.

Wilkinson herself admitted she's not busy these days.

It was the reunion no one saw coming, but Inside Mail can now confirm: sometimes all it takes is a little push.

Channel Nine and Lisa, you're welcome.

One rule for us... 

There is something almost touching about the sudden discovery on the populist right of politics that human beings are complicated and redemption matters.

For years, the same crowd has built careers out of treating crime as a branding opportunity: bark loudly, sound tough, demand longer sentences, and never miss a chance to imply that the country is collapsing because someone somewhere has gone soft on crime.

Then Pauline Hanson's party found itself having to explain why convicted rapist Sean Black had been given a job, and suddenly Barnaby Joyce was out there musing about second chances and rehabilitation. It seems they want harsh rules for everybody else and nuanced understanding for their own.

Mercy arrives right on cue when the embarrassment is one of their own! Of course, in the end, they got rid of him anyway, so the stand they initially took didn't stand for long.

It is not simply that Hanson and One Nation handled the matter badly, although they certainly did. A big slab of Australian right-wing politics is built on selective morality. Standards are absolute for enemies, negotiable for allies, and elastic for anyone still potentially useful.

Come to think of it, such hypocrisy is also rife within the left in this country…

No red carpet for Mr Roblox 

Albo may be more than comfortable rubbing shoulders with billionaires like Anthony Pratt and Twiggy Forrest, but not all of his cabinet colleagues are quite so deferential (at least when political donations aren't being considered). 

Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells has taken a different approach in her campaign against online harms - particularly her crusade targeting the wildly popular gaming platform Roblox.

In a pivot away from the expenses controversy that saw her hobnobbing with Australia's elite at a seemingly endless run of major sporting events, Wells has chosen to steer her communications portfolio in a markedly different direction. 

Inside Mail can reveal that when Wells came face-to-face earlier this year with Roblox's global co‑founder and CEO David Baszucki, who boasts an estimated personal fortune of $7.9billion, there were no red carpets or boardroom courtesies.

Instead, Baszucki was summoned to Wells' Brisbane electorate office in Nundah, just off Sandgate Road - a location any Brisbane local will tell you is a world away from Silicon Valley. 

For weeks, Wells has insisted Roblox had been 'put on notice' to do more to protect children from online grooming on their platform, and it appears the message landed. 

After resisting the government's broader online social media bans, the platform has now come to the table. 

Roblox will launch new restricted accounts for children and teenagers from June, just two months after the federal government raised alarms over reports children were being groomed on the platform.

The changes include two new account types: Roblox Kids for children aged five to eight, and Roblox Select for users aged nine to 15, a quiet but telling sign that Wells' less‑than‑cosy meeting style may have paid dividends after all.

Freya's Knocked Up 

A Who's Who of Liberal Party true believers packed into the Thomson Geer offices in Sydney on Tuesday, where Opposition Leader Angus Taylor unveiled the party's first tranche of migration policies at an event hosted by the Menzies Research Centre.

Among the recognisable faces was John Anderson podcaster and former Sky News Australia motormouth Freya Leach, fresh off a whistle‑stop trip to the U.S. where she attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas. 

Leach was featured in a class photo of Aussie attendees, including Pauline Hanson's chief of staff, James Ashby, and Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart.

The influencer was glowing, having somehow managed to squeeze an international political junket into her pregnancy.

That's right, readers: Leach is expecting her first child with her husband, Young Liberals president Cooper Gannon.

(With two conservative parents and being raised in Cronulla, you'd expect the little one to shoot from the right hip when he grows up. But as Family Ties famously taught us, anything can happen...)

Fun fact: Leach actually announced her pregnancy on Sky News on March 4 - but nobody noticed because it was on The Late Debate. But we digress...

Also in attendance for Taylor's speech was John Howard, who appeared positively buoyant as Inside Mail overheard the former prime minister animatedly discussing the round of golf he'd played the day before.

Federal shadow ministers and senators, including Jonno Duniam, Sarah Henderson and Jess Collins, attended alongside several state MPs, among them prominent factional operator Chris Rath MLC.

Afterwards, Inside Mail spotted NSW Opposition Leader Kellie 'the Sloane Ranger' Sloane in the building lobby having lunch. 

Sloane did not attend the event itself due to a prior media commitment and appeared genuinely surprised as a cluster of Liberals poured out of the lifts.

Policy déjà vu 

Speaking of Taylor's first major policy unveiling, we couldn't help but notice it's a virtual carbon copy of an idea his ousted predecessor Sussan Ley had been working on!

The 'new' policy is a clampdown on immigration that takes the form of selecting only prospective citizens who adhere to our 'values', however that is going to be defined.

Long story short: if the Coalition is elected - which it won't be, so this point is really moot - there will be social media checks as part of the policy script.

A political party that as recently as last month screwed up its own candidate-vetting process in Victoria wants oversight of social media vetting for hundreds of thousands of new arrivals each year? Good luck with that!

Australia's great unspoken problem isn't economic drift or policy mediocrity but insufficient ideological screening at the borders, apparently.

Picket lines to penthouse living

Embattled Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has unveiled her new‑look cabinet, pitching it as a fresh team ready to steady the government heading into November's election.

But while Allan talks renewal, it's one promotion in particular that has set tongues wagging: first‑term MP Luba Grigorovitch.

Just three years after entering parliament, the Kororoit MP has rocketed straight into cabinet.

Before her election at the 2022 state poll, Grigorovitch was a major figure in the union movement, serving as state secretary and later national president of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.

She has also long maintained close ties with disgraced ex-CFMEU secretary John Setka, an association that sits awkwardly for a government under sustained attack over allegations it channelled as much as $15billion in taxpayer funds to the union.

In 2019, as Setka prepared to face court over harassment charges stemming from a domestic violence incident involving his estranged wife, Grigorovitch was among his public defenders, praising his record on workplace safety and pay.

The relationship runs deep. 

The CFMEU helped clear the path for her political ambitions, Setka attended her wedding, and he even got a warm mention during Grigorovitch's maiden parliamentary speech.

If those union loyalties evoke Labor's old power structures, Grigorovitch's private life paints a rather different picture.

She and her husband, Ben Gray, a senior figure at private‑equity firm BGH Capital, divide their time between a South Yarra penthouse and a $30million Mornington Peninsula estate bought two years ago in a new suburb price record.

It's a long way from the picket line.

Late to the party 

Albanese's answer to the fuel crisis is so beautifully modern that it manages to be both very busy and faintly ridiculous at the same time.

Australians are being told to think carefully about fuel usage while the prime minister heads off on another regional airborne bog lap, flying to Brunei and then Malaysia to discuss fuel security with neighbours, having already jetted here, there and everywhere begging for more supplies.

There is something wonderfully Albo about trying to save the country petrol by burning a great deal of it in order to be seen talking about the problem.

Diplomacy matters, of course, as does the fuel supply. And here at Inside Mail we don't doubt that meeting Albo face to face is a powerful way to get what he wants: give him some fuel quickly and he'll go away!

But the situation really is priceless: a government that spent years acting as though vulnerability in energy-supply chains was a technical footnote is now scrambling around the region, having just realised the jerry can is empty.

Suddenly, Brunei is indispensable. Malaysia is crucial to our needs. And everyone is gravely rediscovering that Australia imports a lot of the stuff that keeps the place moving, with insufficient reserves in case of a crisis.

By all means fly around the neighbourhood with abandon. Just spare us the suggestion that this is strategic genius rather than belated recognition that somebody should have worried about this much sooner.