By Stephen Brook and Samantha Hutchinson
Actor Bryan Brown brought some star power to the corridors of Parliament House on Wednesday as the star of 1988’s biggest film Cocktail (the actor’s finest performance, FACT) joined Screen Producers Association representatives to lobby for an extension to JobKeeper as the industry continues to be crushed by COVID social distancing rules. And for a catch-up with his former Two Hands cast mate Perin Davey, now better known as Nationals senator for NSW.
Bryan Brown and Scott Morrison.Credit: Illustration: John Shakespeare
But Brown’s presence wasn’t the only event lifting spirits. Education Minister Alan Tudge hit a milestone on Wednesday, turning 50. A giant balloon arch mounted outside his office by some enthusiastic staffers inside the Liberal ministerial wing indicated he was in the mood to party. But if only that were the case. “I am trying to pretend that my birthday is not happening,” he told CBD.
Perhaps he should follow the lead of first-term MP Katie Allen. The paediatric allergy specialist turned 55 and marked the occasion with a hefty looking lemon-meringue tart in her office with staff.
Meanwhile, the National Press Club’s last-minute cancellation of Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ appearance due to her sudden hospitalisation forced a quick pivot in the kitchens. The club’s chef offloaded to the public all the West Australian champagne-poached rock lobsters prepared for the event – at the bargain basement price of $10 a pop. By 1.30pm they had sold out – that’s 220 crustaceans snapped up in 72 minutes. Silver linings.
Due diligence
Major embarrassment (yet again) at Stonnington Council, which lowered its flags to half-mast to honour a convicted sex offender.
Father Andrew Papadimitropoulos, who served as a priest at the St Catherine’s Church in Epping Street, Malvern East, died earlier in the month.
Councillor Alexander Lew, a keen supporter of flag initiatives, proposed lowering the flags at Malvern Town Hall and Stonnington Civic Centre, to mark the passing of Father Andrew, who was priest at St Catherine’s for 44 years, while his funeral was under way on the weekend.
But the priest was also a convicted sex offender. The Age reported in 2002 that the Greek Orthodox priest was sentenced to two months’ jail after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting a 17-year-old female parishioner. He had apologised to the young woman and confessed to his congregation.
All this was unknown to councillors and staff at Stonnington, which apologised to members of the Greek Orthodox community and will review its new initiative to honour local community members by lowering the flag.
“No one in council was aware of this history at the time the decision was made and we are deeply sorry for any hurt we have caused,” a spokeswoman said.
Most unfortunate as Lew is a principal solicitor for the Office of Public Prosecutions. It looks like council will have to tighten up its due diligence (Google, anyone?) before it rushes into honouring more local citizens.
Legal brief
Supreme Court Justice Tim Ginnane is expected to hand down his judgment in the case of former state Labor cabinet minister Marlene Kairouz within weeks. Kairouz is doing her best to lay waste to the ALP after launching legal action against 26 high-ranking Labor MPs and executives, claiming the party was unlawfully pursuing her. This was after administrators charged her with a string of branch-stacking offences and referred her to the internal disputes tribunal. Kairouz has been represented by John Karkar, QC, regularly judged one of the country’s leading barristers.
Her solicitors are Cornwall Stodart, where Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching once cut her teeth. But it’s her choice of solicitor that is raising eyebrows. He is Jarrod Munro. And in 2003-2004 he was the senior vice-president of the Maida Vale branch of the Western Australian Liberal Party.
Asking the questions
Ambitious NSW senator Andrew Bragg isn’t showing any signs of letting up in his assault on the super industry. Earlier this month he took the fight to the ABC.
In his sights, respected ABC finance presenter Alan Kohler, whose vast portfolio career has included a long stint as the ABC 7pm news voice of finance, and more recently, a commentary gig at Bruce Guthrie’s industry super backed news outlet, The New Daily.
Bragg has previously criticised Aunty for releasing next to no detail on a content-sharing deal with The New Daily struck last year. But he’s also got concerns about Kohler’s side gig, given widespread concerns that The New Daily is a propaganda outlet for the super industry, Bragg’s bete noir. The senator fired off a volley of questions to managing director David Anderson suggesting a conflict of interest.
“You know I question the integrity of this publication. It is hardly an unbiased news journal,” Bragg said of the Daily. “Given the ABC charter to be fair and balanced I question Mr Kohler’s link to industry super and challenge whether this constitutes impartiality – especially in the murky commercial deal between the ABC and The New Daily.”
(The New Daily is not the only link between long-standing mates Kohler and Guthrie. In 2019 Kohler’s finance reporter son Chris married Guthrie’s journalist daughter Susannah. Cute, huh?)
On Friday, Anderson hit back. “Mr Kohler’s integrity and objectivity of his journalism on ABC platforms has been beyond reproach … the conflicts you suggest do not arise.”
Anderson will be fronting Senate Estimates in the coming months. Bragg says he’ll be waiting.
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