By Noel Towell and Kishor Napier-Raman
We’re expecting a lively affair on Tuesday evening at Melbourne’s ALTO where a who’s who of the city’s dark pandemic years will gather to launch the latest literary account of the sorry saga; Lockdown by The Age’s chief reporter Chip Le Grand, published by Monash University Press.
Fireworks cannot be ruled out as Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass, a persistent critic of the state government’s pandemic response, delivers the key address.
Glass’ investigations into the Andrews’ government’s actions in the pandemic – notably the lockdown of public housing towers and the state’s imposition of hard borders with the rest of Australia – did not win her many fans in the Labor Party’s upper reaches.
Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass is expected to join the luminaries and critics at the launch of Chip Le Grand’s tell-all treatise of the pandemic.Credit: Joe Armao
It should also be noted that Le Grand’s book has managed to make 3AW mornings host Neil Mitchell (even) “angrier and angrier and angrier” so former health minister Martin Foley, who is on the guest list, might be in for an interesting hour or two.
Especially if he gets chatting with former Australian Medical Association Victorian president Julian Rait, whose attacks during the pandemic on the performance of Foley’s predecessor Jenny Mikakos – she won’t be attending – were quite something.
Several other key cast members from our year of living dramatically will also be at the launch, including go-to epidemiologists Catherine Bennett and Tony Blakely as well as former federal deputy chief medical officer and all-round man-with-a-profile Nick Coatsworth.
Among those looking on will be investment banker John Wylie, whose family charitable foundation just so happens to be co-funding an independent inquiry by former top bureaucrat Peter Shergold into Australia’s pandemic response.
Also expected to join the throng are the ALP’s very own Senator Raff Ciccone and his party comrade City of Melbourne Deputy Mayor Nick Reece as well as publishing powerhouse Louise Adler.
Some big names from the business world will be on hand too, including former Essendon footy club chairman and Toll managing director Paul Little, Humm founder Andrew Abercrombie and tech investor Justin Liberman.
Should be quite the evening.
PULLING A CROWD
We brought word last month that former prime minister Julia Gillard’s upcoming stage shows in Melbourne and Sydney, reflecting on her famous misogyny speech that roasted then opposition leader Tony Abbott way back in 2012, were shaping up as big hits.
Well, it turns out the pulling power of the two-woman show Not now, Not Ever with former SBS newsreader Indira Naidoo – which has sold out the 2500-seat Hamer Hall in Melbourne’s Arts Centre and is well on its way to filling the 4700-capacity Aware Super Theatre at Sydney’s Convention Centre – is forcing other events to concede they can’t compete.
Nobody can compete with Julia GillardCredit: John Shakespeare
Australian feminist trailblazers, the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL), has had to regretfully inform ticket holders to its 50th anniversary bash which had been slated for Sydney’s state Parliament House on October 5, that the gig was off.
Organisers were upfront about their fear of coming off second best in a clash with the Gillard event in the harbour city that night, where not even the ticket prices of up to $170 were deterring eager punters.
“Participants in the WEL celebration event will want to attend the Gillard event, and we felt it was important that our community has the opportunity to celebrate both of these great moments in history,” the lobby told ticket holders by email.
“At the time of deciding on WEL’s event some months ago, we were not aware of the Gillard event. It came to our notice more recently.”
Not to worry though, an “entertaining and inspiring celebration” of the 50th is promised for the lobby’s AGM in December with a “big event” in the works for early next year.
CLUB CLASSICS
Australia’s senators new and old quietly dropped their register of interest declarations last week, giving us a little insight into what the upper house class of 2022 get up to in their spare time.
A few tidbits stand out. We learn, for example, that new-ish Labor senator for Victoria Jana Stewart owns a fashion startup called Frankly Blak! The Greens’ generous David Shoebridge, who stepped up from NSW parliament at the election donates a tithe of 15 per cent of his gross income to the political party.
Clive Palmer’s $100 million senator Ralph Babet, who came to parliament from the real estate business, apparently owns no property. Getting in the market is only going to get harder with the “pay cut” he’s been whining about having to cop thanks to his new gig.
No such problem for former Wallaby turned senator David Pocock, who has residences in Canberra, Perth and Brisbane to go with an investment property in Whyalla, South Australia.
We also learn a thing or two about some of the Senate’s older hands. Former attorney-general Michaelia Cash made a generous donation to the Wanneroo BMX Club to help fund their attendance at the national championships in Launceston.
Speaking of clubs, Liberal senator James Paterson is a member of Melbourne’s exclusive, all-male Athenaeum Club.
Yeah the boys.
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