Facing a difficult time in the polls, Victorian Labor has been likened to an out-of-form cricket team in need of a few runs and a smattering of wickets.
Former state secretary Chris Ford may have some words of wisdom after reporting freakish results in his post-politics amateur sports career.
Former Victorian state secretary Chris Ford is reporting freakish results in his post-politics amateur sports career.
Last month Ford took 8-37 playing for Foster B division in the Leongatha and District Cricket Association, and followed it up with a 6-40 haul the next week.
Local media described the figures as “incredible”. They came amid speculation that Ford could be lured back into the Allan government to help boost its fortunes after last year’s cabinet reshuffle.
Moses enters legal dogfight
On Monday, the legal profession’s equivalent of an 800-pound gorilla wandered into a case that all began with a tiny dog.
The gorilla in question is top silk Arthur Moses, SC, a former president of the NSW Bar Association now better known as the boyfriend of former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian. The dog in question is Oscar the cavoodle, whose owner, barrister Gina Edwards, successfully sued Channel Nine’s A Current Affair for defamation, and is now locked in a protracted dispute over legal costs with her former firm Giles George, run by prominent solicitor Rebekah Giles.
Arthur Moses is the latest lawyer with a role in the costs spat linked to a million-dollar cavoodle.Credit: Janie Barrett
Last year, Federal Court judge Michael Wigney awarded Edwards $150,000 in damages after finding that Nine, owner of this masthead, had depicted her as a “dog thief”. A subsequent dispute between Edwards and her former lawyers – which began with a lawsuit over whether the $1.1 million in legal costs Nine owes her should be paid to the court directly – has dragged on for months, with the firm now retaining Moses to act for it in the ongoing legal dogfight.
Gina Edwards and Oscar the cavoodle after she won her defamation case against Nine.Credit: Janie Barrett
As CBD recently reported, Edwards made allegations from the bar table that Giles had attempted to coach her as a witness during last year’s defamation trial, a claim Giles George denies.
She’s also made a complaint to the Law Society of NSW alleging Giles didn’t follow legal professional rules in relation to the costs agreement. More recently, Edwards has sought leave to appeal an order made by Wigney that Nine pay the lump sum legal costs directly to the court.
In the latest episode, Moses fronted a case management hearing before Wigney in the Federal Court on Monday, during which the judge ordered the parties into mediation with the hopes of reaching an agreement. The parties also agreed that Edwards’ team of barristers, led by CBD regular Sue Chrysanthou, SC, could be paid their share of the costs, about $686,000 all up.
We last encountered Moses leading the legal team for former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith in his failed defamation case against this masthead, which culminated in Federal Court judge Anthony Besanko finding the Victoria Cross recipient had committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Now, Moses has been dragged into a costs spat over a million-dollar cavoodle, a far cry from the defamation trial of the century.
CASH STASH
Self-described “hyper-vigilant” and “boring” fund manager Marcus Padley insists he isn’t predicting financial armageddon by going 100 per cent cash in his brand-new Marcus Today Strategy Portfolio, which has about $10 million in retail investors’ money.
Marcus Padley’s new fund has gone 100 per cent cash, one month after launching.Credit: Louie Douvis
Padley is an ABC regular, founder of the Baby Boomer-focused Marcus Today newsletter and a stockbroker of more than 40 years.
“The job now is to time the bottom,” Padley recently wrote. “With 100 per cent cash, we have all the power. We can now sleep at night without taking any risk and wake up hoping the equity markets collapse.”
Alas, some of the responses on LinkedIn have been more brash than crash. “Rebound now a certainty,” said one. “To have 100 per cent in cash is just crazy,” added another.
Not so wise
Long before he was nicknamed the LinkedIn lecher, an entrepreneur called Richard White was called forth to defend his business, WiseTech. WiseTech, a market darling, was accused by short seller J Capital of overstating profits and shielding subsidiaries from audit scrutiny.
White’s trainwreck interview with ABC show The Business in 2019 is now being used as media training for what not to do.
The interview was marked by frequent interjections from a woman off-camera, who at one point told interviewer Elysse Morgan that she didn’t understand the issues at hand.
Richard White, founder of WiseTech. Credit: Bloomberg
When Morgan asked whether accounting giant KPMG had audited WiseTech’s subsidiaries, White said, “Yes, I believe they have. No. Sorry. Let’s do that one again, sorry.”
To which Morgan responded: “I’m sorry. You have agreed to an interview. There’s only so many times I can re-ask questions.”
White explained the topic was out of his area of expertise, which was running a software business. And after recent negative headlines and board turmoil, WiseTech shares remain about three times higher than at the time of this interview.
With Kieran Rooney
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