By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
Pick and stick. Throughout his decades of accumulating – and ruthlessly exercising – power, that was the mantra of broadcaster Alan Jones. We pick our friends and we stick with them.
It was in evidence last week, when Jones was spotted dining with former prime minister Tony Abbott and top silk Margaret Cunneen, a board member of the broadcaster’s digital media concern ADH TV, at storied Sydney power-dining institution Beppi’s.
Broadcaster Alan Jones at an anti-CSG (coal seam gas) rally in 2011.
But after Jones was arrested on Monday and hit with 26 charges relating to allegations of indecent assault, neither would pick up our calls. A pity, as we were keen to inquire if they were still sticking with their old friend.
But businessman Maurice Newman, chair of ADH TV and handpicked by Abbott to run his business advisory council, did take our call.
“I know why you’re ringing, I have nothing to say,” he told CBD.
This would be a recurring theme on Tuesday, as high-profile friends of Jones from the business, sporting and political worlds – who had stuck by him through years of scandals and execrable comments that might destroy a less well-connected man – dodged our calls.
Some were caught out in the open and unable to break for cover. Cricketer Brett Lee was caught in the media glare at a Fox Cricket launch in Melbourne.
Reporter: “Brett, your friend Alan Jones has been charged with a number of offences … ”
Lee: “I won’t be making any comment on that, thank you.”
Reporter: “Do you stand by him?”
Lee walks off.
Former Labor powerbroker Graham “Richo” Richardson, who shared a Sky News show with Jones and once called him “an amazing bloke”, said: “I am unable to make a comment on any pending legal matters.”
What about Jones’ membership in the nation’s most exclusive club? Last year, this column reported that Jones had been purged from Qantas’ Chairman’s Lounge, only for the airline’s then-boss Alan Joyce to reinstate him. Qantas declined to comment, but given memberships are only reviewed every couple of years, it’s a fair bet that he still has that perk.
Jones’ schedule meant he was a no-show at the Noosa wedding of another mate, celebrity accountant Anthony Bell, who married Annika Martyn on the weekend. Bell hosted a farewell cruise for Jones on his yacht following the broadcaster’s retirement from 2GB in 2020. His people – you can probably guess this next bit – declined to comment.
The art of the deal
The indefatigable Adelaide Adonis, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, is on a mad dash to the Republic of Azerbaijan. His mission? To turn his fire hose of charm on climate leaders at the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change and persuade the 30,000 delegates from 197 nations to anoint Adelaide as the host of COP31 for November 2026.
South Australian premier Peter MalinauskasCredit: Getty Images
Yes, the world’s leading hot-air conference might generate $500 million in economic benefits to the state. But it’s not like COP31 is going to generate the sort of excitement that Mali (as local folk call him) got for securing the AFL Gather Round for four years. I mean, ex-AFL star Billy Brownless drove a busload of fans from Melbourne to Adelaide for a footy-fest publicity stunt. Who will they get to do that for COP31? Adam Bandt?
CBD last encountered Malinauskas at the MCG at the AFL Commission lunch during the grand final. As we reported at the time, he was dragged away by Damien Walker, chief executive of SA’s Department of Premier and Cabinet, to close a secret deal the state had been working on for months. As Victorian state opposition sports spokesman Sam Groth later remarked to the SA political smoothie: “What are you going to try and steal from us next?”
What indeed? Now CBD has the answer.
“He stitched it up on the spot that day with Paul Dainty to get Katy Perry to Adelaide for one show,” our spy told CBD.
CBD didn’t hear back from Dainty TEG, but a glance at tour listings shows that Perry, who was at the MCG as the grand final entertainment, has now sold out four shows at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre next June. We restate: what is he going to try and steal from us next?
Gathering of the mongrels
Sport brings people together. How else to explain the extraordinary gathering of business and political creatures with sporting mongrels at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame gala.
And when we say “mongrels” – don’t blame us. It was the term used by the organisation’s chairman John Bertrand, who told assembled guests how he had always found AFL great Ron Barassi a perfect gentleman while realising he was a competitive mongrel underneath.
Dawn Fraser at Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Credit: Getty Images
Guests could not help but be awestruck by the assembled greats at Crown on Monday night, including Dawn Fraser, Ken Rosewall, Steven Bradbury, Raelene Boyle, Dean Lukin and new hall of fame inductees Sally Pearson and Mick Fanning.
Members of the Fox, Gandel and Grollo families all had tables. CBD spotted ex-Labor government minister Martin Pakula, now Australian Grand Prix Corporation chair, hosting a table and seated next to Sam Groth.
And head of Seven sport Chris Jones, recently in the news for poaching a bunch of football commentary talent from Nine, switched seats to sit next Nine’s head of sport Brent Williams. Old colleagues, you see.
While Fox Sports’ Steve Crawley hosted Croc Media boss Craig Hutchinson, who has been at the centre of the footy media shakeup.
Alas, the organisation’s patron John Howard was a late scratching due to illness.
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