By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
Graham “Richo” Richardson, the Labor powerbroker of yore, once described the adrenaline rush of being Bob Hawke’s numbers man as “better than sex and almost as exciting as a good feed”.
Richo’s heyday may have passed, but the appetite for a long lunch never wanes. CBD’s spies spotted the former minister celebrating his 75th birthday in typical fashion – surrounded by a posse of influential friends from around town at the Malaya at King Street Wharf (a fancier way of saying Darling Harbour).
Seated next to the man of the hour was former NSW premier turned captain’s pick foreign minister Bob Carr, who with Richo and Paul Keating were part of a cadre of Labor right warriors known, rather creatively, as “The Mates”.
Other mates from that faction who turned up at the Richo fest included Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, and Sam Crosby, head of Labor-aligned think tank the McKell Institute and husband of rising star state Housing Minister Rose Jackson. CBD hears Crosby has his sights set on replacing retiring Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney as the next member for Barton, the seat adjoining Burke’s.
It wasn’t just Labor mates. Also making an appearance were former Australian Olympic Committee boss John Coates (an old mate), the human hairdo Richard Wilkins, entertainment editor at Nine (owner of this masthead) as well as former Socceroo Mark Bosnich and ex-NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller. The boys celebrated with a chocolate cake adorned by a single candle.
Richo, once known as the “Senator for Kneecaps”, is still out hustling for Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios’ lobbying firm. Those lunches won’t pay for themselves after all.
JOURNEY’S END
After yet another grand final humiliation on Saturday, the Sydney Swans headed to Bar Bambi in Melbourne’s AC/DC Lane for a planned post-match after-party, which turned into a wake.
Nightclub impresario and one-time candidate for lord mayor of Melbourne Nick Russian was on hand to console Swans star Isaac Heeney and Heeney’s cousin, a former star of The Bachelorette Dave Billsborrow. Invited guests crowded the dancefloor and turned the anthem Sweet Caroline into a lament of the loss by adding a string of f-bombs to the famous chorus.
One attendee told CBD it was a “surprisingly a great night”.
“Obviously, they were all disappointed but still in good spirits.”
The full team turned up to drown their sorrows, as did the coaches and other local identities, including MMA champion Alex Volkanovski.
We hear they partied late into the night. A small consolation, but at least in Melbourne, that’s something you’re allowed to do.
ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED
Earlier, back at the MCG after the final siren, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton clapped and sang (sort of) the Brisbane Lions’ song in the moment of victory, but three minutes later it was straight back to work, as this CBD pic shows.
Peter Dutton, three minutes after the final siren, was back on his phone. Credit: Stephen Brook
Dutton was a guest for the AFL Commission lunch hosted by AFL chair Richard Goyder and CEO Andrew Dillon in the MCG Olympic Room. Penny Fowler, chair of the News Corp’s Herald and Weekly Times division (an AFL partner) as well as Rupert Murdoch’s niece, was granted top table status along with the prime minister and various other sponsors and club presidents while Richard Marles (only the deputy prime minister), Dutton and sport minister Annika Wells slummed it on various satellite tables.
GENEROUS FRIENDS
As NSW Minister for Lands and Property, Steve Kamper has carriage over the land audit, a key plank of the Minns government’s plans to find new sites for housing in Sydney.
And it’s that role that led to a few raised eyebrows about the donations Kamper received in the lead-up to last year’s election, before he’d been sworn in to his current portfolio (although he then had the shadow property portfolio).
Kamper received a $1500 donation from Anthony Papaioannou, chief financial officer of construction group Orwell. Property developers are banned from donating in NSW but there’s no limit on the ability of construction companies to donate.
So naturally, questions to Kamper’s office about the appropriateness of the donation caused a bit of angst. Eventually, Sussex Street stepped in. A NSW Labor spokesperson told us the party “conducts all our fundraising operations in line with legislative and regulatory requirements”.
Papaioannou, the generous donor, also happens to be an expert at Kamper Chartered Accountants, Steve’s family firm, where he worked before getting elected as the member for Rockdale in 2015.
Speaking of the family, Steve’s brother Bill Kamper is still at the firm. Outside of work, he’s a member of a local Liberal Party branch along with his wife. Which must make for some interesting family Christmases.