By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
NSW Governor Margaret Beazley’s dislike of boat parties on Sydney Harbour is well documented. Beazley, and her husband Dennis Wilson, who live rent-free in the neo-Gothic revival mansion that is Government House in the Royal Botanic Garden, have been a source of frequent noise complaints about boozed up punters ruining the ambience of their taxpayer-funded lifestyle.
Here’s the thing about boat parties though. Everyone hates them, until they’re actually invited aboard. And according to photographic evidence, Her Excellency seemed to have a marvellous time at the party boat wedding of philanthropist Tom Snow, scion of the billionaire family that owns Canberra airport, and his husband Doug Pengilly.
“How many heads of state are this cool??” was Snow’s caption, accompanying an Instagram story featuring Beazley holding the mic.
In a subsequent post, Snow wrote that he was “honoured” that the Governor could join their wedding, “especially on such short notice”.
“What an amazing fun individual,” he wrote.
Just as long as she’s on your boat and not on the shore. We asked Her Excellency for a comment and her staff sent us a list of official engagements which didn’t include the wedding so we’re guessing this means she attended in a private capacity.
PEAK INSANITY
If you loved former prime minister Tony Abbott’s 2013 page-turner Battlelines or couldn’t put down Abbott, the Defining Speeches, then we’ve got exciting news.
Looks like the Manly Mauler is putting his elegant pen to paper once more, and if the way the Speedo king has been talking is any guide, this could be his most eye-catching literary effort yet.
During a recent appearance on the Triggernometry podcast, hosted by right-wing Russian-UK commentator and comedian Konstantin Kisin, Abbott revealed he had begun working on his next book, working title; Peak Insanity.
But if you’re expecting a behind-the-scenes look at Abbott’s madcap two years in the Lodge – and there is so much about that crazy ride we’d like to know more about – you’re gonna be disappointed.
No, we’re afraid it sounds like Tony wants to traverse subject matter that won’t be unfamiliar to anyone who’s been paying attention to our man these past few years.
“The climate cult, the gender fluidity push, magic pudding economics, the cultural self-loathing that appears to afflict the best countries in the world,” he told Kisin.
“Crazy things are happening everywhere, in fact one of the books that I would like to write, and have tentatively begun, I have given the working title to Peak Insanity, because I think that is something we’re on the verge of.”
Former prime minister Tony Abbott says he is working on a new book.Credit: YouTube/KSF
We’ll wait for the movie version.
ACCOUNT ON ME
We weren’t expecting a barrel of laughs when the Institute of Public Accountants got together for its annual national congress at Sydney’s Four Seasons on Thursday.
However, with the Tax Practitioners Board, the outfit that sprung consulting giant PwC in its nefarious confidential tax information activities leading to the biggest business yarn of the year, as well as Labor Senator Deborah O’Neill both due to speak, there was some anticipation around.
The PwC scandal was the biggest business story of the year.Credit: Martin Ollman
We couldn’t begrudge the board’s chairman Peter de Cure his restrained pat on the back for himself and his colleagues over the PwC affair.
“I think the TPB has performed very well,” he said. But we were intrigued to note that he wouldn’t say much else about the matter because the board is not done with the consulting giant, with “further investigations” underway.
We also got a fascinating glimpse into the mysterious ways the organisation goes about performing its wonders, with de Cure divulging the board was increasingly turning to tech, with “automated tools” deployed to detect dodgy accountants and picking up on “key indicators”.
Seems obvious when you think about it, but it turns out that a big red flag is a tax practitioners’ non-compliance when dealing with the ATO on their own affairs, according to de Cure.
Deborah O’Neill spoke at the Institute of Public Accountants conference.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Good. To. Know.
As for O’Neill, well, she was a bit of a fizzer, we’re sad to report.
The NSW senator beamed in from Canberra’s Parliament House but didn’t have time to deliver any of her trademark PwC fireworks, in between voting on Labor’s key water bill and another, unspecified piece of legislation.
PARLY PARTY
Silly season is a busy time for the inmates of Parliament House, who are treated to many a free piss-up during the final sitting weeks of the year.
Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese both had press gallery drinks scheduled for the same night, until a late change.Credit: Joe Armao
But in recent times, the major parties have been doing their best to cool down the “Lads on Tour” culture that infects Canberra during sitting weeks, hoping to avoid any unsavoury, politically damaging incidents.
Thursday night was supposed to be a busy one for the press gallery, until Anthony Albanese’s office postponed the prime minister’s drinks at the Lodge until next Wednesday, owing to the inclement weather lashing the capital this week. You’d think the prime minister’s abode could deal with rain, but this is Australia after all.
That avoided an awkward scheduling clash with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s brief press gallery drinks, scheduled for an hour and fifteen minutes on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, Albanese made a surprise appearance at the Labor all-staff sitting week meeting on Wednesday usually led by chiefs of staff to thank the troops for their hard work and give the usual spiel about the importance of a long-term Labor government.
Given the state of recent polling, those Labor hacks will be glad to see the back of this year.
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