By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
Richard Alston knows a thing or two about elites.Credit: John Shakespeare
This week on CBD book club, we’re delighted to feature a new tome from Richard Alston, communications minister in John Howard’s government, probably most famous for his groundbreaking – and widely imitated – work weaponising the ABC’s complaints process against the national broadcaster.
The title of Richard’s new paperback, The Trouble with Elites: Elitism and the anti-democratic impulse, should give us a decent clue what to expect of the 106-pager.
The basic problem, Alston’s blurb explains, is that “just because you are a famous film star, sporting hero or business tycoon, let alone a wealthy retiree, doesn’t entitle you to pontificate, often on subjects you know little about.”
And we’re delighted to confirm there’s no danger of Alston falling into that error.
Because, as a bloke who grew up in Melbourne’s upmarket Brighton, educated at Xavier College, (which costs $37,000 a year these days) and Melbourne University before completing his legal training at blue-blooded law firm Mallesons, was federal president of the Liberal Party, a senator for 18 years, high commissioner to the United Kingdom, has chaired the boards of three publicly listed companies in Australia and been a director of a number of others both here and overseas, and also sits on the board of the National Gallery of Australia, you’d expect Richard to have accumulated more than a passing knowledge of “elites”.
Let’s call it a lifetime of research in the field.
Now look, we haven’t read the book, but are prepared to recommend it nonetheless on the basis that the former minister has stuck, with his subject matter, to that hardy old literary tenet.
Write about what you know.
We gave Richard a shout on Tuesday, hoping for an elite-level quote or two. Never heard back.
DEAR DIARY
NSW Premier Chris Minns is continuing to do his best to keep the tabloids and shock jocks onside. According to the most recent drop of ministerial diary disclosures, Minns had another meet and greet with The Daily Telegraph in November (that’s three since he came to power). Minns and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey both sat down to lunch with Ben Fordham in November.
The premier had a few other notable meetings. On October 30th last year, he made time for former celebrity apprentice host turned business bro podcaster Mark Bouris and ex-premier Mike Baird, with whom he discussed cricket and aged care matters.
Later that week, he was given a tour of Gosford by racing identity John Singleton. In December, the premier met with CT Group, the pollster founded by John Howard’s old dark arts master Lynton Crosby that only just announced a separation from the Liberal Party. Intriguing timing.
The ministerial diaries were otherwise rather tame affairs – plenty of meetings with unions and various pressure groups. Although we were intrigued to see billionaire mining magnate turned renewable evangelist Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest flexing his greenie credentials by meeting Environment Minister Penny Sharpe in November.
Finally, a shoutout to Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig, who held just 16 meetings in the final quarter of 2023, the fewest of any government minister.
BATTERY POWER
It’s becoming all the more common these days for Labor-aligned union types to step into the world of big business and wind up breaking bread with the big end of town. Take the latest case of former Australian Council of Trade Unions President Sharan Burrow, who also co-chairs with Malcolm Turnbull the (thus far unsuccessful) campaign for a royal commission into Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.
Burrow yesterday joined the board of global battery technology company Novonix, where she’ll be among a different crowd from the standard ranks of comrades.
Novonix is closely linked to former Dow Chemical boss and one-time Donald Trump and Barack Obama advisor Andrew Liveris. And by closely linked, we mean it’s practically a family affair for the Brisbane Olympic Games honcho. Chair Anthony Bellas is Liveris’ brother-in-law. Chief financial officer Nick Liveris is his son. Liveris, also known for being the architect of former PM Scott Morrison’s ”gas-led recovery policy”, is but a mere non-executive director.
Who said unions and big business can’t get along?
CHARITABLE CHARLTON
Labor’s member for Parramatta Andrew Charlton is a fair bit better off than your average backbencher. After all, he had to abandon a $16 million Bellevue Hill trophy home (previously owned by media boss Mia Freedman) when he moved into that western Sydney electorate in 2022.
At least that means Charlton, who owns three other properties to go with the eastern suburbs spot, can afford to be generous.
According to Australian Electoral Commission disclosures published last week, the MP gave $75,000 to the Labor Party’s NSW division.
The payments categorised as “other receipts” rather than donations, but we hear it’s all a fair standard situation of Charlton fronting up some of the costs for his Parramatta campaign two years ago.
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