ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher cut Queensland Premier Campbell Newman down to size at his first COAG meeting after being elected Premier, an anecdote from former prime minister Julia Gillard's new memoir reveals.
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It was one of a few favourable mentions for ACT politicians, both federal and state-level, who have come off well in the newly-released autobiography.
According to Ms Gillard's My Story, published on Wednesday, the confrontation took place at the newly-elected Queensland Premier's first COAG meeting in 2012.
Ms Gillard said Mr Newman was "a pugnacious individual", who was describing at length to the other premiers and chief ministers his plans to cut regulations in his state.
He said at his local kebab shop he had been appalled to find out how many regulations there were on the handling of meat, including rules regarding the temperature the meat needed to be while on the spit and he was going to abolish all this red tape.
Ms Gillard said the "studiously polite" Katy Gallagher then spoke up, commenting that would be all fine "until the first salmonella outbreak".
"Although she did not mean the remark unkindly, it produced guffaws all round, including from Liberal premiers," Ms Gillard wrote.
At the 2013 leadership challenge that saw Ms Gillard lose the prime ministership to Kevin Rudd, she said Fraser MP Andrew Leigh was "especially brave" in his support of her, despite overwhelming odds against them.
Ms Gillard also wrote about how former chief minister Jon Stanhope was the only one to support her on health funding at her first COAG meeting as prime minister.
"You know you have your work cut out for your at a COAG meeting when the only person in the room supporting you is the leader of the Australian Capital Territory," she said.
