Ardent Leisure CEO Deborah Thomas misses council meetings

Illustration: Peter Nicholson

The restructure of Ardent Leisure looks to be taking its toll on rookie CEO Deborah Thomas in her other role as an elected representative of the good people of Woollahra, where she’s serving out her last of four years as a councillor.

Thomas has managed to turn up to just half of council meetings so far this year — that’s three out of six — as she’s often in the US for Ardent’s bowling biz Main Event.

And since the start of this financial year she missed more than a third of meetings held, being noted in minutes as having been granted a leave of absence.

Apparently now, as Woollahra fights to save itself from NSW Premier Mike Baird’s council amalgamation agenda, wouldn’t be the right time to trouble the doughty folk of Double Bay with a by-election.

“She has already flagged she does not intend to re-contest the upcoming council elections because of her full-time role as CEO of Ardent Leisure, but would like to continue to the end of the term to fulfil her commitments as best that she can,” a spokesman said.

Thomas’s meeting track record follows in the great tradition of ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft, who took leave from the council after landing the top regulation gig in 2011.

Negative hearing

It would have been totes awk at home last night for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

PM T and his Treasurer Scott “Jobs and Growth” Morrison spent much of yesterday trashing the credibility of the Grattan Institute’s report on negative gearing, with PM T even posting a lengthy essay on his blog to “clear up some misconceptions” promoted by institute boss John Daley’s report.

“I have a great deal of respect for John Daley and the Grattan Institute, but on this occasion they have it wrong,” PM T told his followers.

“Unfortunately, the paper is littered with factually incorrect statements, claims that are unsupported by evidence and direct contradictions. And its economic analysis in many places leaves a lot to be desired.”

How uncomfortable then behind closed doors for dear leader, whose wife Lucy is a director of the think tank, alongside BHP boss Andrew Mackenzie and John Elliott’s old mate and Taverner Group head Peter Scanlon.

Also on the board is broadcaster Geraldine Doogue, who happens to be filling in for Fran Kelly on Radio National breakfast. Yesterday she grilled ScoMo on negative gearing, extensively citing the Grattan Institute paper.

Submarine scandal

PM T, Defence Minister Marise Payne and South Australian frontbencher Christopher Pynes were all smiles as they grinned into the glare yesterday to gift a $50bn submarine deal to French outfit DCNS.

But those grins could be wiped out by a French probe into DCNS’s role in alleged bribery of Malaysian PM Najib Razak.

French prosecutors are investigating whether Najib was bribed as part of a $US1.2bn deal in which Malaysia bought subs from DCNS in 2002.

The bribes were allegedly paid by Bernard Baiocco, an exec at DCNS part-owner Thales, to Razak Baginda.

Razak admits to receiving €30m, but denies paying any official and insists it was a “legitimate agreement”.

He and two of Najib’s bodyguards were tried for the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006 — he got off, but the bodyguards were found guilty and one, Sirul Azhar Umar, is now in Oz immigration detention.

All this comes as Najib bats away allegations he’s looted $US1bn from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which yesterday defaulted on billions in debt.

Lest they forgot

Dedicated federal member Sarah Henderson was up at 5.15am on Anzac Day serving the good people of marginal seat Corangamite, attending dawn service in surf resort Torquay.

And she went to three others on the solemn day.

We told you yesterday how her senior adviser Richard Troeth was dispatched to the morning service on Monday at the Anglesea sub-branch of the RSL, rather than Henderson herself. You’ll remember Troeth wasn’t there when he was called to the mic by the master of ceremonies to read PM T’s Anzac message, forcing a hasty change in proceedings.

But Henderson’s office (where the phone went unanswered on Monday, no doubt because all staff were on the road) tells us that’s because the RSL president’s watch was running eight minutes fast.

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