By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
The two biggest news stories in town walked into a bar on Tuesday night.
Former Australian Financial Review Rear Window columnist Joe Aston’s new book on Qantas, The Chairman’s Lounge, had been generating headlines before even hitting the shelves, with revelations that Anthony Albanese had lobbied the airline’s former boss Alan Joyce for flight upgrades, sending the prime minister into days of damage control.
Generating headlines: Joe Aston at his book launch. Credit: Wolter Peeters
Hours before Tuesday’s book launch, this masthead published an investigation detailing allegations of widespread sexual harassment, exploitation of female staff and rampant drug use at hospitality empire Merivale’s venues. It meant that Hemmesphere, the Merivale-owned cocktail bar that hosted proceedings, made for a slightly awkward choice of venue.
Back in 2013, Justin Hemmes, the billionaire Merivale boss, put on a generous bar tab for his mate Aston’s star-studded 30th-birthday bash at the Ivy. It isn’t just the politicians getting freebies, after all. Hemmes, who is not accused of any misconduct or wrongdoing, wasn’t on the guest list for his mate’s other big milestone on Tuesday, but did show up.
Those game enough to watch Aston in conversation with Fin Review editor James Chessell included a cross-section from the top echelons of business, the media, politics and sport.
In the throng, CBD spied Qantas tormentor Senator Bridget McKenzie, Tabcorp director and former NRL boss David Gallop and ex-Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan. Also spotted before proceedings were board member at Crown Melbourne and Hawthorn Football Club Ian Silk and former Fairfax boss Greg Hywood.
The queue at the bar would’ve made Joyce proud.
Bad views day
Following Tuesday’s bombshell Merivale investigation, chief executive Justin Hemmes told staff he was “devastated” by the allegations of wrongdoing at his venues published by this masthead.
But whatever the impact on Merivale, with its dominance over Sydney’s culinary and nightlife scenes, we doubt much damage will be done to Hemmes’ charmed life.
Justin Hemmes told staff he was “devastated” by the allegations of wrongdoing at his venues.Credit: AFR
The Hemmes family owns the $100 million Hermitage mansion in Vaucluse, with some of the most pristine views of Sydney Harbour money can buy.
Those views got just that little bit more pristine after someone vandalised a few trees on the foreshore walk beneath the Hemmes’ mansion. CBD is trying to find the culprit.
The tree-vandal scandal was a mystery to Hemmes, who we hear was alerted to it by the neighbours six months ago and had nothing to do with it. The good folk at NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service are still busy investigating. Or so we thought. They directed us back to Woollahra Council, who in turn directed us back to … the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
By deadline the mystery remained unsolved.
On-time departure
Joe Aston’s book on Qantas hit the shelves at the worst possible time for both an airline trying to shed the “embattled” tag earned during its 2023 annus horribilis, and a prime minister trying to escape political attacks over his $4.3 million clifftop home purchase.
But as Albanese was scrambling to respond to revelations that he’d liaised with former Qantas boss Alan Joyce to receive flight upgrades worth tens of thousands of dollars, the airline was reminding its staff about the importance of integrity.
On Monday Qantas sent an internal memo informing employees that they would be required to complete a course on “acting with integrity”.
The online course, which they were told they were required to undertake by April 30 next year, is centred on “managing the risks associated with gifts, benefits and hospitality”, as well as conflicts of interest. Well then.
“The course will provide guidance on identifying and evaluating ethical dilemmas, considering the consequences and making informed and ethically sound decisions,” the memo said.
While CBD understands the staff assignment was planned long before the release of Aston’s book, clearly nobody at Qantas clocked the optics of pressing ‘send’ right when the headlines about political favouritism were kicking off yet again. The cockpit and cabin crew still seem woefully out of sync.
In the stars
It’s been an eventful six-month tenure for the Seven Network’s new-ish news and current affairs boss Anthony De Ceglie, who got up on Tuesday in front of a room full of journalists at the Melbourne Press Club and addressed the question he figured they would all want answered.
Well, one of them, given the many controversies the experienced newspaper editor and TV newbie inherited when Seven proprietor Kerry Stokes appointed him to the role from his post editing The West Australian newspaper and producing countless provocative and memorable front pages.
De Ceglie was left to deal with a slate of redundancies and controversies over harassment and bullying, a mass reshuffle of executives, not to mention introducing Mark Humphries’ humorous The 6.57pm News segment into the evening bulletin.
But it was the astrology segment he started, part of the master plan to try new things and attract new audiences, that was front of mind.
“For those who care, my star sign rating for today is supposed to be three stars, so I think that bodes OK,” De Ceglie told the assembled throng.
He neatly sidestepped difficult questions about Seven’s newsroom culture, saying it was before his time and actions speak louder than words.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.