IT would appear Liberal MLA Nicole Lawder wasn’t Opposition Leader Alistair Coe’s first choice for deputy as he frantically did the post-election numbers and horse trading to knock popular Jeremy Hanson from the top spot.

Newly minted MLA Elizabeth Lee was mischievously asked on 2CC’s “CityNews Sunday Roast” why she hadn’t leapt at Big Al’s offer.

Without demurring, the former lawyer and taekwondo black belter, who had earlier in the interview conceded she was more a liberal than a conservative, suggested it was too soon for her. Is she not ambitious? Oh, absolutely, she is. Some wags are suggesting a mid-term Liberal ticket of Lee and Brindabella poster boy Mark Parton will be facing the Labor light-rail juggernaut in 2020. But probably only over the Machiavellian Coe’s dead body!

Why the dye, Marty, we wondered?

“Went blond for our Big Night Out fundraiser in November. Hairdo was a small part in raising over $100K which was a sensational effort for the Canberra community I thought. I was very touched.”

And Mrs F, what does she think of the flaxen Mr Fisk?

“Mrs F loves it. In fact, I think the only people who really hate it are my mum and my kids (to be expected!).”

It’s not staying, but it’s not going any time soon, says the parsimonious Marty.

“At $200 a throw to get it dyed back, I’m letting it grow out!” he says.

Kids’ party saved

CC’s been told the “guests” staggered back to the hotel after a long afternoon and evening in the sun a lot the worse for wear.

Whether alcohol or other substances, we know not, but we do know they came across the downstairs room that had been fastidiously primped and primed for the Hyatt staff’s kids’ Christmas party the next day.

Apparently, they completely trashed the room before lurching back to their rooms, leaving a corridor trail of lollies, which made the job of plod pretty straightforward when they inevitably came knocking.

On being ejected from the hotel, the clowns were presented with a $6000 repair bill which, we’re told, evoked boo-hoo from the big men.

The hospitality heroes are the Hyatt staff, who turned around and had the room restored in time for the kids’ party.

CC regular Pierre the Lair writes to say he ordered a book on horse-drawn vehicles from Melbourne.

“The dispatcher emailed me that it was posted on Monday, November 28. The parcel arrived in my post office box in Canberra on Monday, December 5,” says Pierre.

“A Cobb & Co. mail coach on a rough track could average more than 10km/h. Australia Post’s delivery averaged 4km/h over the week.”

CC so admires the Member for Canberra that feelings are aroused at her every formal function. Gai Brodtmann’s just launched a cookbook and is shouting loud (not her best attribute, we doting ones think) for locals to snap up the coffee-tabler called “Capital Cookbook 3”.

The book is “bursting” with recipes from many of Canberra’s culinary experts, with chefs happy to share some of their most popular recipes. Les Bistronomes, XO, Chairman and Yip and Pialligo Estate have all contributed, says doyenne of dining and “CityNews” reviewer Wendy Johnson.

“Growers and sellers, who are an essential ingredient of the dining scene here, also feature, including Canberra Urban Honey, Alto Olives and Ona Coffee,” says Wendy.

It’s available from many Canberra bookstores and gift stores, as well as online through quicksandfood.com

HEAR ye, Canberra has a new town crier. Well known local actor, director, singer and dancer Joseph McGrail-Bateup has told all his chums on Facebook ahead of the Chief Minister’s announcement.

A quick search on his skills revealed him to be inordinately suited to the role given his theatrical profile lists an ability with accents that include Australian, Cockney, English, Scottish, New York and French.

AND for anyone anal enough to be prepping the diary for next year comes the news that only one summer, one autumn and one winter away is Canberra’s biggest red-carpet fashion event, Fashfest, which will be held at the National Convention Centre September 28-30.

Dedicated follower of fashion, Clint Hutchinson is in the throes of departing his day job as MD of advertising agency Zoo to refine and expand the festival as its CEO (and founder with wife Andrea).

“Stepping down from my full-time role will help Andrea and I take Fashfest 2017 to the next level. We’ll also roll out exciting pop-ups and activations throughout the city. Fashfest is here to stay.”

But CC was drawn to the end of the media announcement and the lonely sentence that acknowledged: “Fashfest is supported by the ACT government”. A sniff around reveals that Fashfest has received government funding for three of its four years, a total of $115,000 over the time, with $65,000 dropped into its lap in 2016 to assist with the event’s staging costs.