By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
Pick and stick. Throughout his decades of accumulating – and ruthlessly exercising – power, that was the mantra of broadcaster Alan Jones. We pick our friends and we stick with them.
It was in evidence last week, when Jones was spotted dining with former prime minister Tony Abbott and top silk Margaret Cunneen, a board member of the broadcaster’s digital media concern ADH TV, at storied Darlinghurst power-dining institution Beppi’s.
From “pick and stick” to “no comment”: Alan Jones have remained silent since his arrest.Credit: Sam Mooy
But after Jones was arrested and hit with 26 charges related to allegations of indecent assault on Monday, neither would pick up our calls. A pity, as we were keen to inquire if they were still sticking with their old friend.
But businessman Maurice Newman, chair of ADH TV and handpicked by Abbott to run his business advisory council, did.
“I know why you’re ringing. I have nothing to say,” he told CBD.
This would be a recurring theme on Tuesday, as high-profile friends of Jones from the business, sporting, and political worlds, who had stuck by him through years of scandals and execrable comments that might destroy a less well-connected man, dodged our calls.
Some were caught out in the open and unable to break for cover. Like former cricketer Brett Lee, asked about Jones at a Fox Cricket launch in Melbourne.
“I won’t be making any comment on that, thank you,” Lee said.
When asked whether he stood by Jones, Binga walked off.
Former Labor powerbroker Graham “Richo” Richardson, who shared a Sky News show with Jones and once called him “an amazing bloke”, said: “I am unable to make a comment on any pending legal matters.”
What about Jones’ membership of the nation’s most exclusive club? Last year, this column reported that Jones had been purged from Qantas’ Chairman’s Lounge, only for the airline’s then boss Alan Joyce to personally reinstate him. Qantas declined to comment on whether Jones retains his Chairman’s Lounge access. But given memberships are only reviewed every couple of years, it’s a fair bet that he still has that perk.
As CBD reported on Tuesday, Jones was the MC at barrister and former Liberal MP Maurice Neil KC’s 80th birthday on the weekend. No comment from the learned silk.
Jones’ schedule meant he was a no-show at the Noosa wedding of another mate, celebrity accountant Anthony Bell, who married Annika Martyn (the ex-wife of former Test cricketer Damien Martyn) on the weekend. Bell hosted a farewell cruise for Jones on his yacht following the broadcaster’s retirement from 2GB in 2020. His people – you can probably guess this next bit – declined to comment.
Art of the deal
The indefatigable Adelaide Adonis, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, is on a mad dash to the Republic of Azerbaijan. His mission? To turn his fire hose of charm on the world’s climate leaders attending the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, and persuade the 30,000 delegates from 197 nations to anoint Adelaide as the host of COP31 in November 2026.
Yes, the world’s leading hot air conference might generate $500 million in economic benefits to the state. But it is not like COP21 is going to generate the sort of excitement that “Mali” (as local folk call him) got for securing the AFL Gather Round for four years. I mean, ex-AFL star Billy Brownless drove a busload of fans from Melbourne to Adelaide for a footy fest publicity stunt. Who will they get for the COP31 version? Adam Bandt?
CBD last encountered Malinauskas during September’s AFL grand final power networking at the AFL Commission lunch, where he was dragged away from a conversation by head of Premier and Cabinet, Damien Walker, to close a deal the state had been working on for months. What was the deal?
“He stitched it up on the spot that day with Paul Dainty to get Katy Perry to Adelaide for one show,” our spy told CBD.
CBD didn’t hear back from Dainty TEG, but a glance at tour listings shows that Perry, who was at the MCG as the grand final entertainment, has sold out four shows at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena next June.
Mongrel mob
Sport brings people together. How else to explain the extraordinary gathering of business and political creatures with sporting mongrels at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame gala?
And when we say “mongrels” when referring to our sporting greats, don’t blame us.
It was the term used by the organisation’s chairman John Bertrand, who told assembled guests how he had always found AFL great Ron Barassi a perfect gentleman while realising he was a competitive mongrel underneath.
Guests could not help but be awestruck by the assembled greats at Crown Melbourne on Monday night including Dawn Fraser, Ken Rosewall, Steven Bradbury, Raelene Boyle, Dean Lukin and new inductees Sally Pearson and Mick Fanning.
Members of the Fox, Gandel and Grollo families all had tables. Alas, the organisation’s patron John Howard was a late scratching due to illness.
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