Sitting by the window of a beachside cafe in his electorate of Cronulla, the newly minted NSW Opposition Leader laughs as he recalls a morning phone call from a young Warwick Fairfax. It was the late 1980s and Speakman, then a partner at Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst), was part of a team advising the 26-year-old on the takeover of his family’s publishing empire, John Fairfax Holdings.
Samantha HutchinsonNational reporterSamantha Hutchinson is the AFR's National Reporter. Most recently, she was CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Before that, she covered Victorian and NSW politics and business for The Australian, the AFR and BRW Magazine. Connect with Samantha on Twitter. Email Samantha at samantha.hutchinson@afr.com.au
