By Noel Towell and Kishor Napier-Raman
During the darkest days of the pandemic, many an excitable type convinced themselves that Dr Nick Coatsworth, the telegenic former deputy chief medical officer, rather fancied taking a seat in the parliament for the Liberal Party.
The speculation was not lost on Coatsworth – it’s still all over the internet, after all – but at least he’s got a sense of humour about it.
Dr Nick Coatsworth.Credit: Jamila Toderas
Last weekend, the national jawline addressed the Young Liberals’ annual ball at Brisbane’s W Hotel – see why people talk? – where Coatsworth told attendees that his speech definitely wasn’t a preselection pitch, flashing a grin at the crowd.
The doctor was quick to confirm to CBD that it was indeed a joke, and he wouldn’t be contesting any preselections.
“I was very happy to accept the invitation because it’s important to speak to young engaged people on all sides of the political spectrum,” the good doctor said.
Coatsworth also managed a few cracks at ABC health guru Dr Norman Swan, with whom Coatsworth does not always see eye to eye, especially when it comes to COVID.
Coatsworth didn’t escape the function before being cornered by anti-vaccine Coalition senator Gerard Rennick, chair of parliament’s unofficial Facebook Uncle caucus. We hear it was a good-natured chat, but having been on the receiving end of a few Rennick rants in our day, CBD can confirm that the senator isn’t shy discussing his, well, unorthodox, opinions.
The night’s formal proceedings brought a changing of the guard among the party’s youth wing, with Dimitry Palmer, staffer to NSW Treasurer Matt Kean, handing over the presidency to Queenslander Darcy Creighton, who used to work for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
The evening ended with 17 young Libs stuck in an elevator for 90 minutes en route to the after-party at the Sixteen Antlers rooftop bar. Happily, they were extracted just before the bar tab ran out.
SHOPPING AROUND
Just last month, former David Jones boss Mark McInnes was the unbackable favourite to be the next bum on the hottest seat in Australian retail: CEO of Myer, DJ’s ancient rival for the dollars of the nation’s aspirational classes.
But it all came to nought after McInnes’ famed talents behind the cash register were snaffled up by Brett Blundy’s investment operation BBRC, which – between its stakes in Lovisa, Accent Group, Best & Less and Victoria’s Secret – could also be said to own a shop or two.
Looks like McInnes, who also had a successful 10-year stint at the helm of Solomon Lew’s retail operation Premier Investments, has got a busy little period coming up.
The Toorak mansion – five bedrooms, plus swimming pool and tennis court – he bought back in 2017 with his wife Lisa Kelly has gone on the market, with McInnes’ agents tipping it’ll fetch between $19 million and $21 million.
The “retail rainmaker” and his wife paid $12.3 million for the Stonnington Avenue pile six years ago, proving once again that you’ll never lose money in postcode 3142.
Not that we’d know much about that.
McInnes told us on Wednesday that he had no intention of moving to Sydney, where BBRC is based, for the new gig – just in case you were wondering. “Melbourne is our home,” he told CBD. Good call.
STOCK BOTTOM
We’re not sure why, but investment websites – stock-pickers, share market analysts, all of that – have gone from being so hot to so-not in what seems like a very short period.
But they were definitely de rigueur back in 2022 when ASX-listed financial services group Sequoia Financial moved on a group that included the sites ShareCafe, Informed Investor and Corporate Connect Research in a takeover worth $5.1 million.
But the deal had gone sour after just 15 months, with chief executive Tim McGowen out of the business amid a dispute with Sequoia over payments McGowen and other staff claimed were due to them as part of the takeover deal.
Amid a good deal of acrimony, McGowen and others were reportedly offered just 40 per cent of the 3.2 million shares in the merged business they claim to have been owed, with Sequoia insisting that revenue targets agreed at the time of the acquisition had not been met.
Now the matter has landed in the courts, after, it seems, the positions have been reversed.
Sequoia now reckons that McGowen owes it money – $3.5 million – and has lodged an action this week in the Victorian Supreme Court to try to get it, alleging breaches of the share purchase deed agreed between the parties as in March 2022 as part of the takeover.
McGowen has not yet lodged a defence and neither he nor Sequoia responded on Wednesday to a request for comment, so we’ll just have to keep you all posted on this one.