By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
As soon as news surfaced of a possible royal visit in October, the jostling began for a piece of King Charles III.
Yes, there was horsey jostling between Neil Wilson, chair of the Victoria Racing Club, and Peter V’landys, chief executive of Racing NSW, to land King Charles and Queen Camilla on their respective pieces of racing turf. That issue was decided when the King’s cancer diagnosis left no room in the royal program for Melbourne, or anything not deemed a worthy royal cause (e.g. the nags).
Cheers to that: King Charles and Queen Camilla will seize “opportunities” to meet and greet Australians, but not to “walkabout”.Credit: PA
But CBD can reveal there’s been a bit of vice-regal jousting over the question of where Rex will lay his royal head each night.
As this column previously reported, the King’s private secretary Sir Clive Alderton undertook advanced reconnaissance in June, meeting NSW Governor Margaret Beazley in Sydney.
The purpose of the visit was to discuss hosting arrangements for the monarch, who simply does not do hotels (not even the Australia Suite at the Intercontinental, beloved of US presidents).
Governor-General Sam Mostyn Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald
The Gothic revival turrets of the governor’s residence Government House at Mrs Macquarie’s Point is suitably regal, despite the party boats hooning around the harbour, we are sure you will agree.
But the royals also had a rival offer from Admiralty House, Sydney residence of Governor-General Sam Mostyn, next door to the prime minister’s official residence (and possible wedding venue) Kirribilli House.
Now CBD hears that despite the delicious potential of some Ma’am to Ma’am tension, between the great houses serving Her Excellency the Honourable Samantha Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, a detente was reached. It has been decided, as is protocol, Admiralty House will host Charles and Camilla next month.
Searching with difficulty for an official response from anyone, we eventually heard back from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra.
The official reply to our polite queries? An on background, not for attribution “no comment”.
IN THE CROWD
SPOTTED: Tabcorp chief executive Gillon McLachlan at the Pullman Hotel in Albert Park last week where he watched Jason Mallia (9-0, 5 KOs) win on points against Ben Horn (6-8, 1 KO) to be crowned Australian welterweight champion. Wait, readers, are you still there?
Gill was a guest of renowned artist and former boxer (and Asher Keddie spouse) Vincent Fantauzzo last Thursday night. A mates thing, you understand.
Just as well, as the whole thing was sponsored by Tabcorp rival PointsBet. CBD was delighted to see another Fantauzzo guest supplying the fish out of water vibes as he mixed it with the bros – Melbourne’s celebrity-loving rabbi, Gabi Kaltmann.
NAME CALLING
Readers with the stamina to follow politics will note they are hearing more and more about “The Greens Political Party”.
Weird, as the official name of the party which holds a record four seats in the House of Representatives is simply “The Greens”.
But Labor types increasingly refer to their progressive frenemies as “The Greens Political Party” – a highly-researched-with-focus-groups bit of True Believer-speak intended to signify that the Greens aren’t crunchy environmentalist tree-hugging do-gooders, but a cynical political operation just like the ALP.
Its use is a surefire barometer of just how cranky Labor are with the Greens. And boy are they cranky. After their 2022 election success, the Greens started getting uppity. In your face Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather (or “hyphen” as Labor types deride him) relishes getting under the government’s skin. Just last week the Greens helped to stall Labor’s housing package.
Max Chandler-Mather, aka “Hyphen”Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
And so, unsurprisingly, references to the “Greens political party” are at an all-time high. The clumsy nomenclature has burst out of the question time bubble (where the Prime Minister seems to utter it daily).
Last Tuesday, speaking to a few hundred powerful CEOs at the Business Council of Australia annual dinner, Anthony Albanese had a crack at “the Greens Political Party”. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher used the term on social media site X that day. It’s an ALP policy that Liberals like Paul Fletcher don’t mind appropriating.
An early federal reference was uttered by Albo himself back in 2013. Makes sense. The PM has always hated the Greens, not least because for a time, they posed a plausible challenge to his Sydney inner west electorate of Grayndler, even prompting local paper The Daily Telegraph to run a “Save Our Albo” campaign.
Senator Ian MacDonald in fine form during Senate estimate hearings at Parliament House.Credit: Andrew Meares
But CBD’s press gallery veterans pointed to a reference coming from a 2012 Christmas Party invitation sent by then Greens leader Christine Milne, who noted that it was “the Greens political party if you listen to Senator MacDonald”.
But the reference to the former Liberal Queensland senator Ian MacDonald famous for his rudeness is not the first rodeo.
In Victoria state Labor MPs competing against the minor party in Melbourne’s inner north used the attack in parliament back in 2004. And at a campaign event in Northcote in 2010, former premier Steve Bracks said: “The Labor Party stands on its own credentials. What the Greens political party does is up to them.”
Environmental campaigners brushed off the sledge. Outside the campaign launch, Bracks was greeted by a dozen Greens protesters calling for an end to brown-coal power stations and duck hunting.
Can Victorian Labor claim the points in this political origin story? Reader assistance in this matter is welcome.
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