By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
A decade after declaring the age of entitlement over, former federal treasurer Joe Hockey is leaning into his new role as in-demand pundit on all things US politics.
Hockey served as Australia’s ambassador in Washington, DC during Donald Trump’s presidency, becoming an occasional golf buddy to the former president. Since then, he’s stayed on in DC, becoming a part of what President 45 once derisively termed “the swamp” and doing a roaring trade with strategic advisory firm Bondi Partners.
Golf buddies – Joe Hockey with former president Donald Trump.
With the convicted felon running neck and neck with Vice President Kamala Harris (who Hockey has also met), it’s no wonder Australia’s business and political insiders, all of whom suffer a severe case of West Wing Syndrome, are desperate for the inside word on what Trump is really like, and whether America will really do the unthinkable at November’s presidential election.
It’s quite the homecoming for Hockey, who’s set to address the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday for a US election special.
Next week, he’ll be giving an election briefing at the Ivy sunroom in Sydney for NSW Liberal moderates, organised by the faction’s powerbroker and lobbyist supremo Michael Photios.
All that wit and wisdom doesn’t come cheap, with this column recently reporting celebrity agent Nick Fordham (brother of 2GB’s Ben Fordham) advertising Hockey’s speechifying services at $15,000 to $20,000 for a Zoom session.
Would Photios be entitled to mate’s rates? He probably is at the Ivy – Justin Hemmes is a client after all.
But sources close to the action told us Hockey wouldn’t be charging the Liberal Party. He’s still a loyal member after all.
CANCEL CULTURE
While state Liberals are very interested in the upcoming US election, they seem less enthused about raising funds for their own coffers ahead of a crucial triple byelection and a federal poll next year.
The party was meant to host two separate fundraisers in NSW parliament on Wednesday, but a week out, both were cancelled. A “meet the candidates” event featuring wannabe Hornsby and Epping MPs James Wallace and Monica Tudehope was canned.
That’s because when Rory Amon was charged with child sex offences (which he denies) and quit parliament, triggering another byelection in Pittwater, it became financially untenable to split fundraising cash from one event between three candidates.
What then, was the fate of an event ominously titled “Out of the Shadows” (which sounds like something out of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 election manifesto), featuring shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and former finance minister Damien Tudehope?
Turns out nobody remembered to book a room, meaning that event will remain in the shadows. The NSW Liberals aren’t too good at the admin stuff.
HARD LAUNCH
One event that will be taking place on Macquarie Street on Wednesday is a book launch for a revisionist history of the 2005 Cronulla Riots, written by former Labor MP Carl Scully (who was police minister at the time) and the state’s then-assistant police commissioner Mark Goodwin.
As CBD recently revealed, the authors are challenging the view that the riots were “solely driven by Caucasian xenophobia”, which to put it extremely kindly, sounds like a bold take.
For anyone curious, the authors are doing signings and a meet and greet by the fountain court. All MPs and staffers are invited.
BROWNLOW DOWN LOW
Seven’s new AFL programming strategy can be summarised as “too much footy is barely enough”.
The network is poised to launch a massive expansion of football programming, with AFL matches and related programs broadcast seven days a week – just in time for the network’s new AFL deal which allows it to put all content on Seven and streaming service 7plus.
New role for Hamish McLachlan?Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Last night’s Brownlow co-host Hamish McLachlan, now back from his family sabbatical in France, is expected to feature prominently, maybe with an interview show.
Nine commentator Kane Cornes is set to be bundled into the boot of a Trabant to cross the no man’s land to Seven next year, where it has been reported he will appear on several panel shows alongside star football columnist for The Age, Caroline Wilson.
When we approached Caro, in between greeting about a thousand well-wishers, she politely, directly but charmingly told CBD where to go.
The new Seven signings may be just the beginning, with more big-name signings to come. Heaven knows where the money is coming from, given its $250 million market cap and cost-cutting redundancies.
Seven West Media officials were out in force on Brownlow night, with CEO Jeff Howard glowingly name-checked at the start of official proceedings. Reformist news division boss Anthony De Ceglie was sitting one seat away from Herald Sun editor Sam Weir, which in no way looked awkward at the centre table hosted by AFL general manager corporate affairs and UN peacekeeper Brian Walsh.
Later CBD caught up with Seven’s head of sport, Chris Jones. He was less direct than Caro, but wouldn’t spill the beans either.
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