By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
A squabble among barristers of the Victorian Bar was not so much the jousting of the finest legal minds in the state, but more akin to a kinder playground dispute over access to Paddle Pops.
Readers, it is time once again for the annual elections for the barristers’ governing body, the Bar Council.
Rishi Nathwani, SC, Jessie Taylor and Gavin Silbert, SC.Credit: Various
It all started when Rishi Nathwani, SC, (who acted for Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo in the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants) took to LinkedIn to drop the news that he would not vote for any members of one proposed election ticket, which he criticised for a lack of women and diverse candidates.
That provoked an immediate, sharp response from barrister Lana Collaris about diversity of thought and various controversies, including a proposed creche.
Nathwani pointed out the Bar was damaged by recent commentary from some members which some commentators had described as racist.
Enter former chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert, KC, a member of the ticket, who had previously railed against “virtue signalling” welcome to Country acknowledgments.
“No one who knows me could describe me as racist,” Silbert harrumphed.
He then said Nathwani, who previously practised in Britain, was “doing well for a recent arrival from the old dart”.
The dispute turned to the fallout from the Lawyer X police informer scandal.
Barrister Jessie Taylor, another Gobbo lawyer, said any suggestion the Bar should advocate for the prosecution of individual barristers in the aftermath of the Lawyer X case “is nuttier than a sackful of squirrel poo”.
“And you must know it.”
After CBD’s inquiries, the post mysteriously vanished.
Aunty’s annual scorecard
Whoosh! The government tabled the ABC annual report late on Tuesday catching a few on the hop.
Tony Armstrong on the cover of the ABC annual report for 2024.
The cover star of the annual report is none other than Tony Armstrong, who last we heard had quit his post at ABC News Breakfast and had headed for the Byron Bay hinterlands for some downtime. Tonaaayy, as he is known on the Instagram, maintained a gnomic silence when CBD got in contact to ask about his plans – which the ABC has been insisting involves hosting an unnamed program in the new year.
The report was the usual story of softening ratings and large executive salaries. Managing director David Anderson is heading for the exit, but collected $1.16 million, including super and benefits, while head of content Chris Oliver-Taylor trousered $672,744 and head of news Justin Stevens $556,626.
But P226 caught our eye. It was the number of highly paid ABC staff who aren’t key management personnel or senior executives.
The national broadcaster employs 151 staff whom it is paying more than $250,000. And the highest staff member who is not key management personnel nor an executive earned $562,570. A nice little earner – but for whom?
Creativity boost
The government has appointed the well-regarded arts supremo Katrina Sedgwick to the ABC board for a five-year term, replacing efficiency reviewer Peter Lewis.
Katrina Sedgwick joins the ABC board.Credit: Luis Ascui
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Sedgwick would provide a “strong creative boost”, and noted her appointment would increase the ABC’s diversity (meaning it has appointed someone from outside Sydney). Rowland’s supplied bio noted Sedgwick is chief executive of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, and has previously run the Adelaide Film Festival and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and had held board positions at Back to Back Theatre, Chunky Move and the Art Gallery of South Australia. Oh, and she was ABC head of arts.
What the bio didn’t note: Sedgwick played Sarah McKillop in 48 episodes of 1980s Network 10 soapie E Street.
We guess with Ita Buttrose (former panellist on Ten’s daytime talk show Studio 10) leaving the ABC as chair, the national broadcaster had to welcome a former staffer on an even more iconic Network Ten program. Diversity representation in action.
Foz the uncancelled
CBD recently revealed that former socceroos captain-turned human rights crusader Craig Foster had been cancelled by Sydney Grammar School.
Audience with the Foz. Sydney Grammar students will hear from Craig Foster at a NSW State Library talk.Credit: Rhett Wyman
The $40,000-a-year institution wouldn’t answer questions about whether Foster’s strident criticism of Israel played a part in its decision to can a planned lecture, but made vague noises about the “wellbeing” of the school community.
But now it looks like Grammar boys will get a chance to hear from Foz after all. A group of concerned parents have booked out a room at the NSW State Library for a talk next month.
Foz said on the socials he would be discussing his pet topics of multiculturalism and social cohesion. Although we’re hoping someone also asks for his hot take on how to fix Man United.
Within a day, the event was oversubscribed, and the organisers have doubled capacity and added a live-stream option. Looks like someone at Grammar better google the Streisand effect.
Stewart spills the teal
Former British Conservative Party MP turned hit podcaster Rory Stewart, currently in Australia for a tour, hit the Sydney Opera House this week, with pollies from both sides of the aisle gathering to watch.
Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell: The duo behind the The Rest Is Politics podcast.Credit: Facebook
Stewart, who was beaten to the Tory leadership in 2019 by Boris Johnson, spent the evening offering withering assessments of the former British PM, who is also set to grace these shores soon, as CBD revealed.
In fact, Stewart, who was sharply critical of Brexit and populism, seems to have veered so far from his few remaining Tory colleagues in Westminster that he described himself as a teal on Tuesday night.
Rory’s The Rest is Politics podcast, co-hosted with Tony Blair’s former spinner Alastair Campbell, is a runaway success, rumoured to earn the pair about £100,000 a month. But it’s Campbell who remains the bigger drawcard for local pollies, who scrambled to meet him during his Australian tour this year.
That included NSW Premier Chris Minns, who had a meet and greet with the inspiration behind Malcolm Tucker in Westminster satire The Thick of It. He hasn’t met Rory.
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