The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's federal election post-mortem was already a golden ticket and a hotly anticipated evening. But the room at accounting firm Nexia on Sydney's Market Street was full to bursting on Monday evening as ACCI members and guests jostled to see Cabinet Secretary Arthur Sinodinos face off against the week's biggest political villain: Labor Senator Sam Dastyari.

Pokies king Len Ainsworth was there, as were bus baron Ron Murray, Westpac chief economist Bill Evans, Howard government minister Helen Coonan and NSW Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios. Even ALP state president Mark Lennon turned up to see what Shanghai Sam had to say for himself.