Off The Record: There’s never a free launch

THIS week Off The Record examines the sky-high cost of a bash to boost trade, looks at a head-spinning about-face on state funding for sexy cheerleaders, and reveals the hot deal for a cool cafe.

Cafe owner Joe Weber has sold his iconic Joe’s Kiosk at Henley Beach after more than 20 years. Picture: Tait Schmaal

THIS week Off The Record examines the sky-high cost of a bash to boost trade, looks at a head-spinning about-face on state funding for sexy cheerleaders, and reveals the hot deal for a cool cafe.

There’s never a free launch

EVER wanted to know how much it costs to run one of those whizz-bang events at the Adelaide Convention Centre? Ever curious to discover the expense of feeding rubber chicken to 300 guests? Wonder no more.

The full answer is $89,729 and 27c.

A hot document fell into the hands of Off the Record explaining in great detail how much Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith spent on launching his Trade and Investment Statement earlier this year.

The 60-page document is designed to promote local exports and to attract investment.

Feeding the 300 guests cost $52 a head, for a grand total of $15,600.

Another $4675 was spent on watering them with 17 jugs of Coopers Pale Ale, 53 bottles of Coriole Chenin Blanc and 43 bottles of Scarpantoni shiraz.

TV personality Kelly Nestor was MC at the expensive launch of the Trade and Investment Statement. Picture: Mark Brake

The guest speaker, ABC commentator Alan Kohler, received $13,000 for turning up. He was flown business class from Melbourne and SA taxpayers even picked up his $59.60 carpark bill in ­Victoria.

Local personality Kelly Nestor was paid $1550 to MC.

Other bills, including such things as technical assistance, added tens of thousands more.

The good news, though, was that the $89,729.27 was actually a bargain. A state government spokesperson told Off the Record that the Trade and Investment Statement replaced the Major ­Projects Directory, the launch of which had cost more than $127,000.

“The Statement books are used year-round as promotional materials as are the ­individual sections within those books,” the spokesperson said.

As about-faces go, it’s a head spinner

WHEN is spending taxpayers’ money on events featuring cheerleaders a good idea and when is it not?

Grid girls Jessica, Tess, Natasha and Lydia at the Clipsal car race last year. Picture: Mark Brake

That’s the question posed after last weekend’s NRL game at Adelaide Oval, where the Sydney Roosters defeated the Melbourne Storm 25-24.

As the game was starting, Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis on Twitter praised colleague and Sport Minister Leon Bignell for securing the game, emphasising the 20,000-plus crowd and huge TV audience. Kouts’s tweet also included a video of the Roosters cheerleaders, indicating tacit approval, despite Bignell this year outlawing such roles from the Clipsal 500 Supercar event and the Tour Down Under cycling.

Perhaps appropriately, Bignell argued in March last year that funding Clipsal “grid girls” was not a good spend of taxpayers’ money when other public funds were helping women with body image issues.

We asked Biggles if paying to host the NRL match through the state Major Events Bid Fund included the cheerleaders’ cost and whether this was a good spend. But the question remains open, because his office yesterday declined comment.

After a long simmer, cafe deal comes to the boil

IT’S been brewing for more than a year, but a sale deal has been inked for the power­brokers’ favourite coffee haunt, Joe’s Kiosk.

Fittingly, the Henley Beach cafe’s buyers are Adelaide identities Mark Balnaves and Roberto Cardone, both associates over the years of renowned owner Joe Weber.

It’s an unexpected return to the cafe industry for Cardone, co-founder and former co-owner of the CIBO Espresso chain. Balnaves, his business partner at city-based Evans + Ayers (a mixed bag of accountants, property and business consultants), is a Joe’s regular and convinced Cardone to come aboard.

Cafe owner Joe Weber has sold his iconic Joe’s Kiosk at Henley Beach after more than 20 years. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Cardone assures patrons Joe’s name will remain and his legacy will be honoured when they take over on August 1.

“We definitely want to make him part of the place in way of his name and what he stood for,” Cardone said.

Clearly Cardone and Balnaves want to hang on to Joe’s illustrious clientele. Patrons include political types Jay Weatherill, John Rau, Natasha Stott Despoja, Ian Smith and Nick Bolkus, and sports identities Wayne Jackson and John ­Kosmina.

Weber, who’s been there since the mid-1990s, will help run his sister’s Lygon Lodge, in Carlton, Melbourne, for a year or so. “I can’t live there (Melbourne). I love Adelaide,” he enthused.

Minister Leesa Vlahos has enlisted a high-price QC to represent her at the Oakden hearings. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Inquiry’s silken silence

ICAC commissioner Bruce Lander’s look into the Oakden scandal won’t be held in full view of the public. Premier Jay Weatherill and Attorney-General John Rau put the ­kibosh on that, even though Lander was keen, but the findings will be keenly awaited and all involved will be eager to ­secure good legal advice.

Off the Record hears Mental Health Minister Leesa Vlahos, in the middle of the furore, has enlisted a high-price silk to look after her interests during the Lander hearings.

Who is picking up the tab – Vlahos herself or the taxpayer – isn’t clear.

We asked the minister’s flack Jason Gillick who was paying and were told: “Sorry mate, no comment.” However, it is believed no final fee decision has been made.

When a state government minister last appeared before Lander, during the hearings into the Gillman land deal, Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis was represented by the state’s most eminent SC (no, not Rau), Michael Abbott.

Tim Browning has been named as the new headmaster of St Peter’s College.

Hello Possum!

NEWLY appointed St Peter’s College principal Tim Browning will be hoping he doesn’t have to deal with any possum-related incidents of the kind that made headlines at his current Sydney school. As head of senior school at Cranbrook School, he had to punish students who threw stones at a possum and injured it while on a bush camp late last year. The students were made to attend school in the summer holidays and do an assignment on the treatment of native wildlife. Browning said acts that could kill animals “can’t be tolerated”.

Party line

IN the absence of his boss, Tom Koutsantonis, under-treasurer David Reynolds gave a spirited defence of the State Budget at the Property Council’s Outlook lunch this week.

The arguably political nature of comments such as “I think for us ... this is a question about them (the banks) paying a fair share of tax” raised a few eyebrows, with some wondering at the separation of church and state as far as senior public servants go. Could make for an interesting relationship should the Liberal Party prevail at next year’s election.

David Reynolds raised eyebrows with his spirited defence of the State Budget at a Property Council lunch.

Battery jolt

IT was one of those classic media storms. There’s a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder but soon calm is restored. So who remembers those heady days in March when Jay Weatherill spoke with Tesla genius Elon Musk in a meeting brokered by Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes? Together the three musketeers were going to solve the state’s energy problems by building big batteries.

One shortcoming was Cannon-Brookes didn’t really know what he was getting into and was quoted in an eastern states newspaper last week saying, at the time, he didn’t know the difference between a AA battery and a 100-megawatt battery.