Tony Abbott’s dinner guest list balloons to more than 1000 people
The who’s who of Sydney and Canberra will be attending the tribute dinner for former prime minister Tony Abbott, with his guest list blowing out to more than 1000 people.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It seems everyone wants to farewell Tony Abbott or have been struck with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). In what is shaping up to be one hell of a party, the guest list of 700 for the November 7 tribute dinner has blown out to more than 1000.
To be held at Miramare Gardens in Terrey Hills — where the daughter of boxer Jeff Fenech recently held her wedding reception — The Sauce has been told that it has become a case of “who is not going”.
“We are having to move the tables a lot closer together,” an organiser said.
Among those joining PM Scott Morrison, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and a host of media advisers and commentators at the Alan Jones MC’d event include Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and barrister Margaret Cunneen SC.
The Sauce can also confirm former premier Mike Baird — and potential future Liberal Warringah candidate — has RSVP’d with the NAB chief customer officer dropping by after the bank’s post-results dinner.
Others going include Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor, who after a public row with Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore over an alleged doctored council document, is no doubt in need of a few stiff drinks.
Federal Liberal director Andrew Hirst, a former Abbott staffer, will be there, as well as his predecessors Brian Loughnane and Tony Nutt and chief-of-staff turned columnist and Sky host Peta Credlin.
BILL’S BIG BASH
Still on parties and Bill Shorten may have shifted to more modest digs after losing the Labor Party’s leadership but his parliamentary office was the place to be seen on Wednesday night.
Shorten’s bash apparently resulted in some sore heads on Thursday.
The Sauce understands more than 50 MPs and senators dropped into the soiree — a farewell party for political and media powerhouse Kathryn Conroy — over the course of the evening, including Tanya Plibersek, Michelle Rowland, Brendan O’Connor, Shayne Neumann and Richard Marles.
MORE FROM THE SAUCE:
Federal politics’ most unlikely smooch
Convicted fraudster almost joins the Liberal Party
Some MPs even decided to show off their dance moves on top of the furniture with greater success than former treasurer Joe Hockey who infamously broke a marble-topped table when dancing upon it the night Tony Abbott was rolled.
Sources say the music was so loud it could be heard in the office of Anthony Albanese, who didn’t make it down the hall to drop in on his predecessor.
YEAH, NAH
When West Tigers approached car tycoon Neville “Croaky” Crichton about helping the club out financially, the answer was no.
Those close to the Maserati mogul, rumoured to be worth about $400 million, did not find the response surprising. Crichton was an investor in the Mount Penny coal project, the subject of a 2012 NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption probe.
Following the inquiry, the NSW government said it would adopt ICAC’s recommendation for the licence to be torn up — and who
was the premier then? West Tigers chairman Barry O’Farrell.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission later launched action in the federal court against the directors of Mount Penny owner Cascade Coal, alleging bid rigging.
Despite the case being dismissed, a source close to Croaky says he has been left $5 million out of pocket. Thanks Barry.
GOT SOME SAUCE? Contact linda.silmalis@news.com.au, miranda.wood@news.com.au, or annika.smethurst@news.com.au