An Ikea couch.

The unwanted exercise bike.

The bicycle had to go.

Elm tree mulch.

The Spikeball set.

Katy’s rustic wine cupboard.

Katy’s cornucopia… some of the stuff the senator’s been giving away. 

We will probably be seeing more of Katy Gallagher as she clocks in to get rubber-stamped again as the shoo-in Labor senator for the ACT at this year’s federal election, says “Seven Days” columnist IAN MEIKLE.

WHILE the wider electorate may not see much of Senator Katy Gallagher between polls, hers is not an unfamiliar name to the 925 members of the Buy Nothing Lyneham Facebook group. 

In fact, she’s something of a poster girl for the group, borne of the philosophy to: “Give, receive, lend, share and show gratitude in hyper-local gift economies, where the true wealth is the connections between real neighbours.”

In other words, this is a members-only environment where “locals post stuff they want to get rid of for free – old books, a kid’s cot no longer in use, an unopened packet of rice that’s due to expire next week, some leftover paint, and so on,” says my inner-north snout. 

Except, it’s said that in the former chief minister’s case, she is wont to give away expensive things that seem almost new.

“In the last few months, she’s given away an up-market bike (‘hardly used’), some brand new armchairs she didn’t think worked when put in her home, an Ikea sofa-bed (‘very handy for sleepovers’), as-new sporting goods and a ‘rustic’ wine cabinet,” my snout attests. Then there’s bags of leaf mulch, a prized bucket of Lego and a bat-and-ball game called Spikeball 

“People can’t believe their good fortune and she must be chuffed to be giving something back to the peasants.

“It’s funny, though. Every time someone talks to me about Buy Nothing Lyneham, it usually starts with: ‘Did you see what Katy Gallagher posted?’ or ‘has Katy posted anything today?'” 

With tongue firmly in cheek, one waggishly wonders if this “Robyn” Hood largesse could be seen through the prism of the Electoral Commission’s rules around bribing voters.

“All Katy would need to get elected here is a commitment to post more on Buy Nothing Lyneham,” sniffed my snout.

GROWING old disgracefully, the irascible John Miller gave Australia Post a stellar serve recently. 

He’d ordered a rapid antigen test kit weighing 0.12 kilograms from a Melbourne supplier.

The Australia Post shipping information reported the parcel “received and ready for processing” at 6.19pm, on December 30.

It was delivered to his Stirling address at 2.05pm on January 11.

“The distance between Melbourne and Canberra is 660 kilometres by road, which means the parcel was speeding to its destination at approximately 2.4 kilometres an hour during that time,” he says.

“It arrived an hour and a half after the plane my grandson was on had left Canberra airport for Brisbane. This was the test he was required, at that time, to complete before travelling.”

AND to finish on a joke, columnist Clive Williams shared with me: “Lemon pickers needed”, the newspaper advertisement read and Sally Mulligan, of Launceston, Tasmania, read it, and decided to apply for one of the jobs that most Tasmanians are not willing to do.

She submitted her application, but seemed far too qualified for the job; she has a liberal arts degree from the University of Tasmania (Sandy Bay) and a master’s degree from Monash University (Melbourne). 

For some years she had worked as a social worker and also as a school teacher.

The citrus farm owner studied her application, frowned, and said: “I see you are well educated, and have an impressive resume. However, I have to ask, have you had any actual experience in picking lemons?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I have,” she said. “I’ve been divorced three times, owned two Holdens, voted twice for Tony Abbott and once for Scomo.”

She started work yesterday.

Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon.