Dan stands firm on presence at Lindsay Fox’s 86th birthday after IBAC probe questions credibility
The Premier says he’ll “leave it to others” to decide whether it was appropriate to attend Lindsay Fox’s birthday bash just hours after his credibility was called into question.
Confidential
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Premier Daniel Andrews says it is up for others to decide if it was appropriate to attend a lavish birthday function hours after the release of a damning misconduct probe into his government.
But he said he did not write the guest list when quizzed why no women were at the event.
Speaking on Thursday, Mr Andrews would not be drawn on whether it was appropriate to attend billionaire Lindsay Fox’s 86th birthday party hours after Operation Daintree had been published.
The IBAC probe identified misconduct and improper influence by senior advisors in his government, and found he and ministers had some responsibility for their staffers actions despite the politicians stating they did not recall key details.
“I’ll leave it to others to work out what looks good or otherwise, I’m not really concerned about that,” Mr Andrews said.
The Premier said he didn’t know if any women were at the party but admitted he hadn’t seen any while he was there.
He said Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had also attended, although none of them had worn a ceremonial kilt as other attendees had.
“The invite list was not put together by me,” Mr Andrews said.
“It was held at the National Gallery, let’s be clear, it wasn’t held at some venue where women are not allowed to go.
“If it had I wouldn’t have been there.
“But who gets invited to a birthday party is normally the province of the person who’s celebrating their birthday.”
Mr Andrews said he wasn’t a “great one for parties” but if he had a birthday it would “obviously be very different group of people”.
“I might invite all of you (the media),” he said.
“You never know.
“I was there to celebrate a fantastic Victorian and to do it at the National Gallery of Victoria where that family are donating $100m towards the building of a new gallery.
“I thought that was very, very important.”
The Premier joined an impressive list of sports stars and industry titans to celebrate Mr Fox’s 86th birthday on Wednesday, just hours after batting away questions on the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission report.
The Premier is known to be a close friend of the Fox family.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and golfing great Greg Norman were among the big names to join Mr Andrews at the star-studded lunch in The Great Hall.
Many of the who’s who kept in theme with the kilts or casual dress code for the lunch.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton made his entrance just before 1pm while Mr Albanese and Mr Andrews arrived a few hours later.
Fox turned up with his son David ahead of his 130-odd guests — none of whom appeared to be women — with LIV golf boss Norman walking in flanked by Fox’s other son Andrew and his children in kilts.
Bagpipes were playing for guests as they arrived.
Eddie McGuire wore his family’s Scottish tie while many including businessman Gerry Ryan wore tartan pants.
Other guests stepping out of luxury cars included St Kilda president Andrew Bassat with avid Saints fan and actor Eric Bana, radio king Ross Stevenson, footy legends Neil Roberts and Kevin Sheedy, former Premier Jeff Kennett, catering dynamo Peter Rowland, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, businessman Lloyd Williams, developer David Deague, former IOC president John Coates, Anthony Howard, husband of Victorian Governor Linda Dessau and rich lister Solomon Lew who laughed and said “I’m not that famous” to waiting photographers.
Carlton president Luke Sayers was also spotted among the arrivals.
Retired Geelong premiership captain Joel Selwood and forward Tom Hawkins made a late entrance holding a cardboard box.
Poet Rupert McCall read out a poem he wrote in tribute to how Fox built his empire with friends toasting the billionaire with top shelf scotch.
McGuire said all the dignitaries in attendance paid tribute to Fox.
“Everyone who was there (was) speaking so well and warmly of Lindsay,’’ he said.
“But the one factor that comes through always is his friendship and how staunch he is with people. To be part of that room and to be part of his family which he makes you feel you are, is a wonderful thing. He’s a great Melburnian, to have lunch today in an area where his family has just donated $100m for the future of art … go down the road, the hospital, there’s $100m there. This a guy who came from the streets of Melbourne and never has forgotten that and keeps giving back.”
Many of the rich listers, business identities, sports stars and socialites invited to the lunch were among the heavy hitting crew that joined Fox’s $5m cruise last year for his 85th birthday.
This year’s birthday lunch is a less lavish affair, at the NGV, to which the trucking magnate donated $100m last year.
On board the cruise last year with Lindsay and wife Paula were the likes of business leaders Solomon Lew, Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and John Gandel, and Linfox board members Bill Kelty and Simon Crean.
Norman is back in Australia for his LIV Golf tour event in Adelaide this weekend.
Fox sure knows how to throw a party.
When he turned 70 he put on a three-day celebration at the Sydney Opera House, and when he turned 80 he chartered a luxury liner and invited about 400 guests – including former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, Joe Hockey, Lloyd Williams, Norman and Forrest – for a cruise from Athens to Venice. Celebrations concluded in an extravagant fireworks display in Venice.
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