But the former Patrick boss, who spends much of his time in Italy and Switzerland where he can ride his bike and presumably pay less tax, does chair the ASX-listed walnut farm Webster Ltd.

Meanwhile, Corrigan’s son Joseph pocketed $272,000 for flying Webster management around in his jet.

Joseph is the sole owner and director of Corrigan Air.

The Webster annual report tells us he earned the money in just 15 months. So does Corrigan Air’s fleet of single-engine planes do much work outside Webster? (For the record Corrigan Snr assures us this is the case.)

Nevertheless, it should be pointed out all three aircraft are registered at Webster Ltd’s Riverina headquarters.

Also on the Webster board is John Robinson, son of Australian Food and Fibre boss David Robinson, who is trying to offload his 19 per cent stake to Canadian pension fund PSP Investments.

We hear that financial gain was not the only reason Robinson Snr wants to sell out.

Animosity between Corrigan Jnr and Robinson Jnr also helped make up his mind.

Talk about democratic reform!

Several months ago, the NSW Liberals opened up preselections for the coming federal and state elections.

At the time Camden MP Chris Patterson, parliamentary secretary for keeping seats warm, seemed to suggest to colleagues he was not going anywhere.

As a result nobody nominated to challenge him for the electorate, held on a near 30 per cent margin.

Well, almost nobody. We can reveal his mate on Camden Council, Mayor Peter Sidgreaves, did nominate.

This turned out to be an extremely prescient decision.

In late September, Patterson had a change of heart and announced he would not be running at the next election.

Patterson told his local paper, the Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser, that he did not know who would be chosen by the Coalition to contest his seat.

“That’s a matter for the party to decide,” he said.

Except it’s not.

Sidgreaves is the man now. And unless he finds it in himself to withdraw the nomination and open up the field to a real preselection, that won’t change.

Even the party’s executive committee can’t do anything to open up the race.

New rules introduced as part of the push for more democracy in the party prevent it.

Talk about empowering local branches.

Former NSW Labor general secretary Jamie Clements was meant to face his day of reckoning on Monday.

It’s only been 17 months since the courts found Clements guilty of asking for the contact details of a voter to pass on to disgraced former union boss Derrick Belan.

One Labor official gave evidence that Clements mentioned Belan was “probably sending a bikie now” to visit the poor chap, whatever his sins may have been.

But despite four attempts, no luck at having Clements expelled from the party.

Now the Monday hearing has become the Thursday hearing.

And on it goes.

CBD isn’t one to often wander into the world of racecourse fashions.

But we couldn’t resist this real double-take moment at the Harrolds Fashion Chute best-dressed competition on Saturday’s The Everest race day.

Perennial fashion field circuiter Crystal Kimber took home the overall women’s prize.

But who was runner-up? Harrolds ambassador (and Gold Coast lawyer) Violet Atkinson.

Surprisingly, another Harrolds ambassador, Bondi “influencer” Jordan Turner, was runner-up in the men’s category.

Arriving Bronwyn Bishop-style at Royal Randwick in the Harrolds helicopter was just one giveaway.

Judging the comp was Viktoria Novak, described as a celebrity milliner (whatever that may be), as well as Harrolds buyer Kathleen Buscema, Vogue editor Edwina McCann and jeweller Nic Cerrone.

Harrolds buyer Roshali Kaul told the media the best way to stand out would be with bold prints, metallics, monochrome, anti-floral (query what this is), baby doll and Italian glamour.

Our suggestion: just wear Harrolds.