By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
For a while, it looked like the humble office Christmas party was under threat. Two years of COVID-induced paranoia around having fun were followed by a cost-of-living crisis and mass layoffs in sectors such as tech, which led some companies to decide a big, extravagant bash might be a bad look.
But for those lucky enough to land an invitation to a private do held by Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar last December, the Christmas party never went away. Farquhar managed to get US rockers The Killers – in Sydney for an Australian tour – to come out of their cages and play a private set, with local electronic meme lords Bag Raiders a handy support act.
Brandon Flowers of The Killers performs in Sydney in December.
Atlassian wouldn’t comment on the whole extravagance, which we hear was a private party held by Farquhar, but attended by plenty in the employ of the local tech unicorn. And while those in the know are tight-lipped about the price, it can’t have been cheap given a similarly exclusive Killers show held by Liberty Financial in Melbourne last year cost around $3 million.
That all seems like a lot of dough just to hear Mr Brightside, but it’s a mere drop in the ocean for Farquhar, who is the recent owner of Australia’s most expensive house after spending $130 million on a 19th century Point Piper mansion late last year.
IT’S THOMSON TIME
Parliament House in Canberra has a way of drawing people back. But even we were surprised to see disgraced former Labor MP Craig Thomson – someone who’s been in the news a bit over the years, what with one thing or another – catching up for coffee with a few mates in the big house last Friday.
Thomson wouldn’t tell us who he was in town to meet, but we doubt it could be anyone on the Labor side. After all, it’s been nearly a decade since he was expelled from the party.
Whatever Thomson was up to in Canberra last week, it was clearly important enough for the former MP to take time out of his busy schedule of appearances in Central Coast courtrooms, as he faces state and federal criminal charges over alleged COVID support payment and visa migration frauds, plus another over allegedly breaching an apprehended violence order.
ROCKPOOL RETURNS
It’s widely believed that corporate Australia swings back into gear after the Australian Open, and proving that truism is the return of CBD power lunches.
Last Friday, at Sydney’s Rockpool (because those of a certain stature have no imagination on matters culinary), former prime minister John Howard was spotted dining with NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts and Tony Abbott’s former chief business advisor Maurice Newman, a bloke best known for once claiming the United Nations was using climate change to create a new world order.
Witnesses described Howard as looking energetic and friendly, and he no doubt had plenty of advice on political longevity for Roberts, whose electorate of Lane Cove faces a real teal threat at the state poll next month.
The trio were briefly interrupted by former NSW Labor premier Morris Iemma, proof that at Rockpool, political allegiances are left at the door.
STALE AYRES
Meanwhile, spare a thought for former NSW deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres, a man who has no time for lunch. Ayres, who resigned over his role in the John Barilaro affair but was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent review, was spotted putting up A-frames all alone right next to a Labor event in his ultra-marginal electorate of Penrith.
You’d think a former minister battling to hold a key seat would be able to gather a few volunteers. Apparently not.
DEAR DIARY
We love that ministers in NSW are forced to make their diaries public. It certainly makes for some interesting reading. In the most recent set of disclosures, from October to December, we learn that Corrections Minister Geoff Lee held just six meetings, substantially less than any of his colleagues. Still, an improvement on the five he had in the previous quarter. No comment from his office.
Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello, who like Lee is departing at the March election, was far busier, even managing to pursue some of his own interests. Dominello met with crypto.com to discuss Blockchain technology – the self-confessed geek has recently got into the dangerous world of cryptocurrency investing. He also had time for a group called the Responsible Metaverse Alliance.
But our favourite meeting was between the oafish Transport Minister David Elliott and representatives of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), who had an introductory catch-up in October.
Elliott seems a lonely cage-fighting fan in Dominic Perrottet’s government. Labor leader Chris Minns recently promised $16 million to lure UFC events to Sydney, a pledge widely pooh-poohed by other Liberal ministers, who clearly lack the tastes of 20-something straight men.
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