From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Pokies promoter to join NSW Libs? Jeremy Bath, who knocked up some major pro-gambling wins in his role as media relations chief with Clubs NSW and Clubs Australia, is moving on. The Daily Telegraph hints he’s mulling a tilt at politics, although he apparently gave nothing away on which party he might favour.

Oh really. His strong stance on reforming the use of poker machines in clubs is a little clue that he might be more favourable to a Liberal perspective. A tipster certainly thinks so, and claims Bath “was seen touring the state with Barry O’Farrell in the months leading up to last state election”. Could Bath be headed to the NSW Libs?

We called Bath, who laughed and said his next move would not be into politics because he wanted to spend more time with his 18-month-old daughter. “Absolutely down the track it’s something that interests me,” Bath said of a shift to politics, although when Tips tried to wheedle out of him which party he’d lean to, he said: “I’ll keep those cards close to my chest.” Bath confirmed he had spent some time on the campaign trail with BOF because of his role with Clubs NSW.

No bikinis please, we’re from Adelaide. Those fun cats at the Adelaide Advertiser have arranged a staff Christmas party with a beach theme — and it seems not everyone is overjoyed. A tipster reckons “many girls feeling pressured to wear bikinis/bathers or just generally be scantily clad. It is old school s-xism”. Our SA source also claims the party “will be held in basement carpark with truckloads of sand been delivered”, but we checked that with a News Limited source who said there would be no sand.

Here at Crikey we reckon any journos who feel pressured to wear bathers should break out the deeply non-s-xy uniform of board shorts, oversized tee, terry towelling hat and zinc cream. Any more tips on work Christmas parties can be sent to Tips here.

Dire Dems. Yesterday Tips wondered aloud what was the current scandal from the troubled Australian Democrats; the party has gone all Shakespearian on us in its dotage. We got this response from a well-placed mole:

“What’s there to say about the Australian Democrats? The people entrenched will just not share the party with anyone else. They drove Aaron Paul out, they drove Brian Greig out and even recent clean-skin national president candidate Jason Heeris quit in disgust a week ago. Normally reform-minded members have been too nice (they are Democrats after all). The sad thing about all this? They LOVE these fights. I want to call them incompetent but they keep defeating anyone with a clue. In that regard I admire their perfidy. There is nothing to tip you off on. There’s nothing left. Pity the young people.”

Changes in the Qld Premier’s media bunker? We’ve heard a whisper there might be some changes coming up to the Queensland Premier’s media team. Certainly Campbell Newman hasn’t had an easy time of it lately, what with various MPs engaged in frolics to join other parties etc.

Do you know more? Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or use our guaranteed anonymous form.