From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Go West, young man. The Daily Telegraph has been very strong on the need to pay more attention to western Sydney and regularly accuses politicians of ignoring the region. Here’s yesterday’s front page, accusing pollies of failing to create jobs there:

Which is most interesting, given that News Corp is in the process of closing down one of its Parramatta offices and shifting more of its Sydney staff to the fashionable central ‘burb of Surry Hills. “The media precinct location provides employees with easy access to public transport links and all of the amenities of Surry Hills, including restaurants, bars, cafes, parks and theatres,” the company bragged in an email to staff. It’s certainly a long way from Blacktown, isn’t it?

The tipster who’s keeping tabs on the Tele’s western connections said this: “It seems they are more than happy to champion the western suburbs but have no interest in actually setting foot out there themselves!”

We improve News Corp. Speaking of the Tele, remember this front page on Monday?

Here are a few improvements, courtesy of the internet:

 

The Katter’s Australia Party’s newest candidate can apparently commune with the dead. Former KAP president Rowell Walton lauched his campaign for the Queensland seat of Maranoa at the EKKA yesterday, saying he and Bob take calls “almost daily” from “people who have taken their own lives”. A pretty grim gaffe for the Condamine farmer.

 

No suds please, we’re public servants. This Tip made us feel sad.

“It appears that the government’s lift in the efficiency dividend is already taking its toll in some corners of the public service. Pity the occupants of the Collins Street offices of the largest government department, Human Services, who have been told that they have to buy their own washing up liquid to do the dishes in their staff room. Yes that $1.8 billion in savings announced by the Treasurer on Friday is being steadily chipped away thanks to the parsimony of leaders in the public service. Staff were told last week that the property division is ‘not responsible for the provision of kitchen consumables, and only supply cutlery and crockery during the initial office fit-out’.”

No office Fairy liquid! Do you have an example of a tight-arsed boss? When Ms Tips worked for a regional daily newspaper in Tassie, the company gave us cars to drive around in to write stories (very nice of them) but wouldn’t pay for street directories — and this was pre-smartphone days. It led to some exciting detours. Email us your tales of parsimony — and don’t be shy in naming your workplace.

Don’t open that! What do you do when you get this official-looking envelope in the mail? Why, you open it, of course …

Our reader who did so was not impressed that it contained a “vote for me” plea from Tony Abbott; “note the unmarked envelope, mentioning nothing about the Liberals, which led me to believe that it might actually be important information. I think this is pretty dodgy, underhanded behaviour, tricky people into opening their mail.” We agree — and we’d guess the Liberals are not the only party using this trick. If you’re so ashamed of your party, how about you don’t send us mail us at all? Tips readers have done a great job sending in election material, snaps and gaffes — make your contribution here.

*Heard anything that might interest Crikey? Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or use our guaranteed anonymous form