Aussie-born foreign minister’s mega payday after TikTok backlash

An Aussie-born foreign minister – who resigned after backlash to a TikTok post by his daughter linked to King Charles’ coronation – is now set for a mega payday.

Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong with Aussie-born PNG foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko during a visit there.

An Aussie-born foreign minister – who resigned after backlash to a TikTok post by his daughter linked to King Charles’ coronation – is now set for a mega payday.

Australia’s ties with its closest neighbour Papua New Guinea are so tight its foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko was born in Melbourne and owns a luxury home in Brisbane.

He resumed the foreign minister role in January this year after resigning from the position in May 2023 after blowing up over backlash to a viral TikTok post by his daughter Savannah discussing luxury shopping during the trip to London. She had accompanied him to the coronation as part of the PNG delegation.

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Justin Tkatchenko resigned after blowing up over backlash to a TikTik post by his daughter.

Mr Tkatchenko is now on the verge of a major payday out of Brisbane, with a home he bought in 2011 for $1,1m in billionaire Clive Palmer’s neighbourhood, Fig Tree Pocket, set to go under the hammer.

The property – which the Tkatchenkos extensively renovated – was last listed for sale during the early days of the pandemic in 2021 with a price tag of $3.895m before it was withdrawn from the market.

The stunning Fig Tree Pocket has been extensively renovated since it changed hands in 2011.

The pool house created with a full kitchen, bathroom, gym and barbecue zone.

He and wife Catherine – whose landscaping venture PNG Gardener saw them mingle with some of the biggest movers and shakers in that country – have made the property into a luxurious six bedroom, four bathroom stunner with a special entertainment pool house.

Its lush gardens now include a custom built orchid nursery, aviaries, a water fountain, plus a resort style entertainment oasis where the pool house has a full kitchen, barbecue, bathroom and gym beside a stunning pool and spa.

The Tkatchenkos run a gardening and landscaping business and turned their eye for external detail to the home.

The home has a classic open feel throughout.

The home, which is on a 2,467sq m block of land, has been listed for auction by Ayrton Lim and Reuben Packer-Hill of Ray White Toowong. It will go under the hammer on Monday November 18 at 6pm during in-room auctions at Rivershed in Howard Smith Wharves.

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Originally published as Aussie-born foreign minister’s mega payday after TikTok backlash