By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
In a country battling a devastating housing crisis, the term “celebrity real estate agent” conjures a particular sort of ick.
But that hasn’t stopped flashy realtor Gavin Rubinstein building a bit of fame out of the intellectually demanding work of helping rich people in the eastern suburbs sell their garish waterfront homes to other rich people in the eastern suburbs.
Rubinstein’s success is largely down to his lead role in Prime Video reality show Luxe Listings, a brainchild of shockjock Kyle Sandilands which has tapped into the public’s voyeuristic desire to gawk at the grotesque homes of the 1 per cent. It has made a handful of hustlers moving prime real estate in the Emerald City’s prestige property market into small-screen stars.
Unfortunately for Rubinstein, who gets around in a 4WD Lamborghini he describes as his office, the whole fast-living schtick that made the show such a hit has come to bite. He’s had a couple of run-ins with the law for speeding in the past few years.
The most recent was heard by the Manly Local Court in May, where, following a plea of guilty to exceeding the speed limit by more than 10km/h, Rubinstein was able to escape with a two-year conditional release order without proceeding to conviction.
It’s subject to the condition that he not commit any moving vehicle offences, meaning Rubinstein, who didn’t return CBD’s requests for comment, will have to take it easy behind the wheel of his Lambo.
BOYS CLUB
Another day, another fascinating tidbit out of one of the many inquiries that followed consulting giant PWC’s tax leak shame.
Last year, a Senate inquiry into big consulting revealed that former finance minister Mathias Cormann had an equity stake in Sayers Group, the latest venture of former PwC Australia boss Luke Sayers.
Sayers, the uber-connected Carlton Football Club president, led the consulting giant while its partners were using confidential Australian Tax Office information to help its clients evade tax. He insists he knew nothing about any of this.
Answers to questions on notice during the latest joint-parliamentary inquiry into consultants further illuminate the relationship between the two men, highlighting how for Cormann, a job with Sayers was a kind of back-up in case he didn’t land the OECD role.
“Mr Cormann agreed to join Sayers Group, then a start-up advisory and investment business in the process of establishment as a founding partner, with the intention to keep working for the firm had the application to join the OECD been unsuccessful,” the firm told the committee.
In other words, while the government was lobbying to get him elected to lead the Paris-based organisation, the then former senator was also working for Sayers. Sayers Group told the committee that Cormann’s work was consistent with the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Nonetheless, we reckon should Matthias not get another term come 2026, there might still be a job for him at Sayers Group.
PICKING UP THE TAB
When former AFL boss Gil McLachlan takes the reins at betting giant Tabcorp next month, he’ll enter a company wracked by a few high-profile departures of late.
The job only opened up for Gil because in March, former chief executive Adam Rytenskild departed after making a sexually explicit comment about a female Victorian regulator. Chief Industry and Corporate Affairs officer Tom Callachor abruptly left in 2022.
When McLachlan arrives, the firm will be without general manager of corporate affairs Daniel Meers, a former senior advisor to then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
In May, Tabcorp launched an independent investigation conducted by law firm King and Wood Mallesons to investigate a complaint made by an allegation related to workplace language made against Daniel Meers.
But last week, Tabcorp announced that the investigation had cleared Meers of bullying or sexual harassment. Nonetheless, Meers decided to move on, and will leave in August after the company’s yearly results are released.
Frankly, we think Gil will need all the corporate affairs expertise he can get.
EURO SUMMER
It seems like half of our Instagram feeds are off on Euro Summer, and the latest to join their ranks is former prime minister John Howard, spotted by CBD’s spies at the Heathrow luggage carousel last Friday along with wife Jeanette.
Coincidentally, Howard had landed just hours before Rishi Sunak conceded defeat after his Conservatives lost a whopping 250 seats to Labour under Keir Starmer, and with it the government they’ve somehow held for 14 years.
Despite all the Tory tears about Starmergeddon, it’s a great time to be in London, with Wimbledon on, and the three lions hiccuping their way into the Euro semis.
FREEDOM OF JOYCE
Following his hasty departure as Qantas chief executive last year, Alan Joyce fled halfway across the world, meaning he was missing in action as the Sydney Theatre Company, which he chaired until January, was engulfed in controversy over a couple of actors’ peaceful pro-Palestinian protests.
Clearly things have cooled off, because on Saturday evening, Joyce was finally back at the theatre after a very long hiatus, spotted by CBD’s spies at the opening night of STC’s Dracula, seated in the same row as outgoing artistic director Kip Williams.
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