By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
CBD loves a good arcane political schism.
And the latest comes not from a bunch of dirty lefties, but the freedom freaks over at the Libertarian Party (formerly the Liberal Democrats) who are on the brink of civil war over a logo.
Thanks to a 2022 High Court decision that followed decades of objections from the Liberal Party, the Liberal Democrats were forced to change their name to the Libertarian Party. But choosing a new logo has become a fraught exercise.
Some senior Libertarians including NSW upper house MP John Ruddick wanted to put the rebrand to a vote. But in behaviour more reminiscent of a bloated Canberra bureaucracy, the federal executive resisted and instead hired a Brisbane marketing firm called New Word Order to run focus groups and come up with a snazzy new look.
On Sunday, we got a sneak peek, a map of Australia with random lines coming out of it, plus a series of posters with weird fonts and all lower-case captions. The response was lukewarm, at best.
“It reminds me of Jehovah’s Witnesses literature,” Ruddick told CBD.
The MP reaffirmed his calls for the party’s leadership to hold a vote on the redesign. Former Howard government MP Ross Cameron, who’s now president of the NSW division (dubbed the democracy division by those in the Premier State) agreed, telling CBD that denying members a say was exactly the kind of behaviour that drove him away from the Liberals.
But south of the border, Victorian Libertarian MP David Limbrick took a different view, noting that “when you get 10 people in a room discussing their favourite colour, you get 10 different opinions,” and telling us the party’s volunteers had consulted widely with members.
“I would urge the nine people in the room who didn’t get the colours they want to refocus on defending the rights of Australians.”
Party president Anthony Bull told CBD the process had been the most consultative in its history, noting that rebrands weren’t traditionally voted on by members. As for whether the logo stays:
“The assets are still being developed. We stand by the research, and we stand by the new branding, which will be rolled out shortly,” he said.
And once that’s all sorted, the party can get back to the big ideological issues, as Cameron so eloquently put it.
“In truth, I’d rather be arguing over the real philosophical questions, like why Paul Keating is right about AUKUS, or why we shouldn’t be spending another cent on the war in Ukraine,” he said.
LABOUR PAINS
Last week, the beleaguered restaurant industry got just what every beleaguered industry needs: a new lobby group. The Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association, which is not to be confused with the pre-existing Restaurant and Catering Association, has the added star-power of celebrity chefs Neil Perry and Luke Mangan.
It’s also already asking people to work for free, which ain’t a great look in an industry rife with wage theft. In a LinkedIn advertisement, the ARCA was looking for unpaid “Association Volunteers”. That’s one way to avoid paying the award!
Meanwhile, the new upstart group is helmed by Wes Lambert, a former boss of the rival Restaurant and Catering Association. That organisation is in the doldrums, struggling with depleted staff, and the $1.8 million in debt accrued under the leadership of Lambert, who’s no doubt hoping for a better run at the ARCA.
BLING RING
Fast fashion jewellery retailer Lovisa, where the bling is inexpensive but the chief executives are not, has traded its boss in for a cheaper version.
Victor Herrero has been running the chain, part-owned by Brett Blundy’s BB Retail Capital, since 2021, but his $30 million pay deal last year, making him the second highest paid ASX CEO, prompted an investor revolt, for the third year running.
But markets were told on Monday that Herrero will stand down in 12 months and that his remuneration for his remaining stint behind the till at Lovisa will take quite the haircut, with the Spaniard earning a touch under $2 million for the year, although his multimillion-dollar long-term bonuses, which will vest in that period, should be some consolation.
Replacing Herrero in 2025 will be John Cheston, chief executive of Solomon Lew’s pencil case chain Smiggle, in a talent-poaching exercise that has not gone unremarked by observers of the sector.
Cheston’s remuneration package at Lovisa will be handy, no question, with the new boss to earn $2.35 million a year, which he could double with annual performance bonuses and long-term incentives potentially adding more than $7 million over his first three years in the job.
But even if Cheston nails his KPIs and trousers those bonuses, he’ll still be earning less than a third of what his predecessor took home last year.
Neither man was talking on Monday, but Blundy told the markets that he was “pleased” with the new arrangements.
Investors, not so much though. They sent Lovisa’s shares crashing nearly 10 per cent on the day.
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