Amber Harrison lets fly at old boss as Seven case returns to court

Illustration: Rod Clement.

Former Seven West Media executive assistant Amber ­Harrison has struck back while her one-time boss in London, Justin Homewood, has gone on holiday in Mexico after he launched a ­nuclear attack Down Under.

Harrison, who is at the centre of the workplace sex and bullying scandal engulfing Seven boss Tim Worner, has rejected allegations made against her by Homewood that she says are the result of “a very long grudge” after the pair “had a fling” 16 years ago.

Justin Homewood.

Amber Harrison.

Harrison told Margin Call yesterday that she had a brief workplace relationship with Homewood, the founder and managing director of bathroom fittings company The Water Monopoly, where she worked as a temp for four months in 2001 when she was 24.

“Homewood and I had a fling. It ended. Quite clearly, he has held a very long grudge. I’m guilty of poor choices in men,” Harrison told us.

Homewood has alleged that thousands of pounds went missing during Harrison’s time at his company, including booking unauthorised travel out of London before she disappeared from the group.

Homewood was yesterday unavailable for comment. An employee at The Water Monopoly in London said Homewood was on holiday in Mexico and would not return to London until April 18.

However, his accountant Jennie Staunton said last night from London that she could “categorically deny there was any personal relationship between him andAmber Harrison”, despite him being uncontactable in Mexico.

Harrison says her old boss was aware of and authorised the travel arrangements, which enabled a quick exit after their liaison was discovered at a work Christmas party.

Homewood, who previously told The Australian his “moral compass” urged him to speak out in the Australian media 16 years after the alleged theft, did not reply to our questions sent by email about the relationship, its demise or the travel.

Seven West commercial ­director Bruce McWilliam told us yesterday that neither Seven West Media, its associate Seven Group Holdings nor any representative of billionaire chairman Kerry Stokes had had any contact with Homewood and/or any of his employees or representatives at The Water Monopoly.

Bruce McWilliam.

McWilliam also said that neither Seven West, Seven Group or representatives of Stokes had paid for any information concerning Harrison’s time at The Water Monopoly or provided any other benefits in return for information.

Saga over courts

Staying in the Harrison-Seven orbit, but moving along from the former boss Justin Homewood, who by his own account broke into former employee Harrison’s house in London.

Seven’s sex-expenses-and-governance troubles return to the Supreme Court today where Justice John Sackar will share his thoughts on whether their bitter legal case should migrate to the Federal Court, as was requested by Harrison’s star lawyer Julian Burnside.

Seven’s team — overseen by Kerry Stokes’s chief legal tactician, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s former business partner and author of unprintable emails Bruce McWilliam — is expected to oppose the request.

Seven argues the case is about a dispute over a contract and should remain in the Supreme Court in Sydney.

The billionaire-backed media empire also argues it would be more convenient for its legal team to hear it in Sydney rather than Melbourne.

Team Amber, meanwhile, wants the case in the Federal Court where Fair Work Act cases are heard. Team Amber says the dispute is about the workplace culture at the media company.

Sacker will share his thoughts today.

Then on Friday, April 28 — by which time Homewood will be back at work in London after his Mexican adventure and Sydney Swans director Tim Worner will presumably have not attended another two of the AFL club’s home games at the Sydney Cricket Ground — the Federal Court’s Mordecai “Mordy” Bromberg will oversee a case management in Melbourne.

The saga continues.

Clearing up matters

Former Queensland Labor premier Anna Bligh made her conference debut as the boss of the Australian Bankers’ Association yesterday.

That gave us the perfect opportunity to clear up a few outstanding matters.

First, why on earth did Shayne Elliott’s ANZ not attend the debutante ball NAB boss Andrew Thorburn threw to welcome Bligh and farewell the man she replaced, Steve Munchenberg?

“I think it’s always important to avoid conspiracy theories,” Bligh began.

Anna Bligh.

ANZ’s non-attendance at the Thursday night cocktail function reignited industry rumours that it wasn’t just Treasurer Scott Morrison’s office that took issue with ABA chairman Thorburn’s closely guarded appointment.

As it happens, there was a less conspiratorial explanation.

“Shayne Elliott was hosting, in Melbourne, a two-day workshop for his top 200 senior leaders,” Bligh told us.

That just about clears that up.

To happier subjects, like how last month at an Adele concert in Sydney — at ANZ Stadium, of all places — Morrison and Bligh had their first meeting since the former Labor leader was appointed the big bank’s chief lobbyist.

How was the corporate box catch-up?

“It was very, very warm. In fact the Treasurer joked with me and said, ‘Should we take a selfie?’” Bligh said.

Sadly, they didn’t.

And how was the English pop superstar? “Terrific.”

Strutting Matt

Apart from ANZ’s unusual recent behaviour around Bligh, the other bit of gossip at Michael Stutchbury’s festival of banking and wealth was how much like his boss CBA’s retail banking head Matt Comyn seemed as he prowled the stage proselytising on “financial wellbeing in a digital age”.

Matt Comyn.

Many watching Comyn roam confidently — without notes, microphone affixed to tie — wondered if the ambitious fellow had been taking public speaking lessons from his direct report Ian Narev, the child actor turned CBA chief executive.

The 41-year-old Comyn — who studied aviation at the University of NSW — is, of course, right in the mix to replace his boss.

Rob Jesudason, weeks ago elevated from his gig as CBA’s international head to the role of chief financial officer, is also on the internal shortlist.

Narev — who will celebrate his 50th later this month, not at the Opera House like his already 50-year-old Westpac counterpart Brian Hartzer — is now six years into the gig, meaning he’s likely into the second half of his time running Australia’s biggest bank.

Wonder if CBA chairwoman Catherine Livingstone — whose speaking style is more schoolmasterly than TED Talk — was as impressed as many in the crowd by Comyn’s strutting address?