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Will Glasgow

Anning pursued by liquidator

Cartoon: Rod Clement.
Cartoon: Rod Clement.

Former publican-turned-pollie-turned-national-disgrace Fraser Anning has shamelessly dealt himself into the Christchurch tragedy.

All the while, the 69-year-old independent senator for Queensland takes a notably less eager approach to resolving his personal financial affairs.

Queensland Senator Fraser Anning.
Queensland Senator Fraser Anning.

Margin Call can confirm that Anning continues to evade liquidator Alan Scott, the Adelaide principal of BRI Ferrier, who has been appointed as the external administrator of the senator’s troubled trading business, Gazelle Rentals Pty Ltd.

In seeking to rake in money to pay Gazelle’s creditors, Scott has repeatedly written to Anning’s people seeking documentation relating to assets that had been sold out of the business.

That’s gone on since the middle of last year, with Scott last week again writing to the Queensland senator requesting information.

There’s still been no answer from the former hotelier, who received 19 below-the-line votes and entered the senate after One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts (who received a relatively huge 77 below-the-line votes) was dismissed from the senate because of his British citizenship.

The contentious Gazelle Rentals Pty Ltd vehicle doesn’t feature on Anning’s scant statement of interests to the Senate.

At last count the enterprise — of which the former One Nation politician remains a director and shareholder — had debts of almost $209,000.

Most of that money is owed to the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, via its subsidiary ABL Nominees Pty Ltd, which in its attempt to get its money back at the end of 2017 sought to have Anning declared bankrupt.

That action, which had it been successful would have ruled the right-winger out of taking up a seat in the parliament, was dismissed.

The only allusion to the unhappy situation is in the “liabilities” box of Anning’s interests form, which notes a “Confidential Deed with ABL Nominees Pty Ltd”.

Anning’s disclosure form shows he still has some supporters.

The former publican’s ­contacts at the Australian Hoteliers Association gifted Anning a $650 mini bar last year, plus another more than $2000 worth of booze.

Will they be as generous this year?

Lounge lizards

Alan Joyce’s Qantas has already begun considering the future of its perks for Fraser Anning.

As Margin Call revealed yesterday, Joyce’s airline is reviewing Anning’s membership of the most exclusive club in the country: the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge.

Qantas yesterday refused to comment on the situation.

But we can confirm that Anning’s Chairman’s Lounge membership is now under review, following the senator’s comments on the weekend after the terrorist attack in Christchurch.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke.

Qantas — which is chaired by AFL president Richard Goyder — invites all 76 senators and 150 members of the House of Representatives to be Lounge members, along with the CEO class and the odd celebrity.

It’s one of the most effective lobbying rackets around.

But it has not been without its complications in Australia’s 45th parliament.

Before their current Anning troubles, the disqualification of politicians such as former One Nation senator Rod Culleton required earlier, discreet revoking of access.

To the great relief of current and former banking CEOs, Culleton — who in late 2016 eyeballed former ANZ boss Mike Smith in the Chairman’s Lounge — is no longer a member.

Day in court

The future of Andrew Thorburn’s former chief of staff Rosemary Rogers should become a little bit clearer this morning as magistrate Vivien Swain will outline the next steps in the NSW Police’s alleged criminal case against her in Sydney’s Downing Centre.

Rogers — one half of an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud ring run out of Thorburn’s office — is expected to follow the criminal proceedings in the local court from the $3.8 million house she bought in Melbourne in late 2017 and in which she is living on strict bail terms.

Yesterday, Rogers was listed along with her husband Anthony Rogers on a matter in Sydney’s Supreme Court.

That related matter, brought by the NSW Crime Commission, concerns the freezing of her $6.2m property empire, as well as two boats, a boat trailer, a Range Rover and three bank accounts with her former employer NAB.

Yesterday, that Supreme Court case was adjourned until June 24.

There is not expected to be a final hearing on the confiscation of the Rogers’ assets until the criminal proceedings in the local court against Rosemary Rogers have been completed.

Rosamond fronts up

Meanwhile Helen Rosamond, a good friend of Rogers, will appear before a separate magistrate in the Sydney local court this morning over her involvement in the alleged multi-million NAB fraud.

Rosamond is currently on strict bail at her Potts Point terrace.

On the other side of the harbour, the executive services firm Human Group that Rosamond ran — and which is alleged to have funnelled more than $4m of benefits and perks to Rogers in return for
$40m of contracts with NAB — has shut its offices in North Sydney.

New tenants replaced the Human Group last November, the month before the NSW Crime Commission first ordered the freezing of Rogers’ assets — and four months before Rosamond was charged with more than 50 bribery and corruption offences.

Life’s a beach

In a better place is Rogers’ former boss Andrew Thorburn.

The famously energetic former NAB boss has got his $1.04m farewell cheque, a new beard and a new status on LinkedIn: “Currently resting …”

Don’t expect Thorburn’s equanimity to last for too much longer.

Andrew Thorburn
Andrew Thorburn

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/margin-call/anning-pursued-by-liquidator/news-story/147356095ddd6794f8a35d97399d7d94