Banking on midwinter ball drama

Illustration: Rod Clement.

The rich tradition of drama at Canberra’s Midwinter Ball is set to star Westpac boss Brian Hartzer. Just as well he’s paid the big bucks.

Labor’s Tony Burke, in his ­capacity as manager for opposition business, yesterday threatened to use the banks as cannon fodder to test the government’s one-seat majority in the House of Representatives when Parliament resumes next week.

“Well, obviously the opposition can bring on a suspension of standing orders about the royal commission,” Burke said.

Assuming the 45th Parliament’s first day is consumed by pageantry, the opposition’s debut banking-themed suspension is likely to be after Question Time next Wednesday — a few hours before the Press Gallery’s Midwinter Ball.

Westpac is the National Press Club’s major sponsor. An annual outlay of towards $1 million includes a main table at the ball for Hartzer, lucky man.

Will Opposition Leader Bill Shorten weave the American-born bank boss into his traditional roast, reprising some of the lines he would probably have trotted out hours earlier in the green house? And will Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull take the opportunity to expand on the critique he made earlier in the year at Westpac’s 199th birthday?

It looms as the sort of reputational risk that would drive less seasoned corporate heads into a state of panic. Just as well Hartzer has a famously cool-headed team. Deep breathes.

Dinner dates

Ahead of the Press Gallery’s night of nights, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has tapped her extensive network seeking to outdo in the celebrity stakes her only credible rival: herself, last time.

Last year JBish raised $50,000 selling off a dinner in New York with her and her partner, David Panton, and Wolverine Hugh Jackman and his activist actress wife Deborra-Lee Furness.

To their surprise, the winning bidders were joined at dinner by the minister’s dear friend James Packer, his fiance Mariah Carey and Packer’s Nobu business partner, Robert De Niro.

Julie Bishop and friends at last year’s dinner.

This year JBish has upped the ante, offering a two-night extravaganza with her in Los Angeles. Also scheduled to attend is Packer’s great mate and movie-making partner Brett Ratner, who is also threatening to bring along “Hollywood stars”. Our money’s on Leonardo DiCaprio, whom Packer paid $17m last year for his part in a short film to promote Packer’s new Macau casino. And of course Packer, and Mariah, and her requisite entourage of humidifiers (to keep her vocals happy).

Bishop’s boss, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, hasn’t tried to compete, offering a tour of Parliament House, followed by a cup of tea, while Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and his deputy Tanya Plibersek are offering a morning jog and some muesli. It’s not clear if coffee is included.

Yahoo serious?

Media billionaire Kerry Stokes might need to step in to clean up the mess that his digital joint venture with US dotcom Yahoo has created in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Their churnalism outlet Yahoo7 is in serious hot water after a murder trial was aborted due to its coverage of the case, which was described by the judge as “just unbelievable”.

On Monday, his honour ordered the unfortunate young reporter involved, Krystal Johnson, to hop on a plane from Sydney and appear in his court immediately, if not sooner.

There was no sign of Johnson, who is on the 5am shift at the digital sweatshop, at the court yesterday.

No sign either of her boss, head of news Simon Black.

Yesterday evening, after myriad inquiries to Black, Yahoo7 CEO Ed Harrison and in-house flack Peri Wilson, an update came through from a spokesperson. “We are intending to appear before the court next Tuesday and out of utmost respect for the court, we think it best not to say anything publicly until that time.”

Now they’re cautious ...

Sailors becalmed

Not everyone would have noticed there was no wind at the Oatleys’ idyllic Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays yesterday.

Sailing was cancelled for the day, but champagne quaffing continued regardless.

The weather gave Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards a breather after being challenged across the start line in the first two races by Malaysian property mogul and sailing newbie, Mulpha International chairman Seng Huang Lee.

He’s on board his newly acquired big boat Scallywag — formerly Syd Fischer’s supermaxi Ragamuffin 100.

Leading his class in the two light-wind races held is apartment development supremo Ervin Vidor on his 64-foot yacht Charlotte. Hong Kong retailing billionaire Karl Kwok flies in today to take the helm of his beloved racing yacht Beau Geste for the rest of the week.

Audi chair Rupert Stadler enjoyed his first day on the island on board the Oatley family’s elegant cruiser Duchess, accompanied by Audi Australia boss Andrew Doyle, Hamilton Island’s ultimate boss Sandy Oatley and buckets of French champagne, followed by a no-expenses-spared dinner at Qualia.

Meanwhile at exclusive Hamilton Island Golf Club on adjacent Dent Island, fine wine was the order of the day, with top customers of the Oatley wine group treated to a commemorative Robert Oatley dinner, cooked by Guillaume Brahimi.

Circle of life

It’s what the baboon in The Lion King would call “The Circle of Life”: the Packers and Leckies sharing a meal in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Except these days there’s no gaming billionaire James Packer or former Seven and Nine boss David Leckie in sight. Social niceties are now the domain of the late Kerry Packer’s granddaughter Francesca and Leckie’s son Harry.

Last time a Packer and a Leckie met in public it almost ended in fisticuffs at Guillaume Brahimi’s Bennelong restaurant. But on the weekend at Sake in Double Bay it was all smiles from 21-year-old “Chessie”, who’s just back from a European summer jaunt taking in Spain and London, and Leckie’s son Harry, 18, having graduated from the prestigious Geelong Grammar last year.

Leckie and Packer, right.

The gathering wasn’t far from the Leckies Centennial Park family home, now up for sale and set to be auctioned in mid-September.

The Lang Road home is unmistakably Leckie, complete with larger-than-life, black-and-white head and shoulders portrait of an ageless Skye Leckie on the living room wall.

60 minutes of change

Meanwhile at Leckie and Packer’s old shop, the now Hugh Marks’-run Nine, the tumult continues at its flagship current affairs show 60 Minutes.

For now escapee Michael Usher remains part of the show’s marketing material, with two stories still in the can for executive producer Kirsty Thomson to roll out.

But in reality he’s on a short period of gardening leave before starting with Tim Worner’s shop in early October.

Usher will be followed out the door later this year by fellow reporter Allison Langdon, who will be off on maternity leave, opening up two reporting slots in the Willoughby cottage.

Word is that at this stage there are no plans to replace the pair, presumably as a cost-saving measure following enduring reporter Tara Brown and former producer Stephen Rice’s expensive foray into the Middle East child snatching trade earlier this year.

On the catwalk

Myer CEO Richard Umbers inspected his new spring/summer collection last night at Sydney’s Horden Pavillion.

Joining him to watch Jennifer Hawkins and the lithe gang strut the white runway were his chairman Paul McClintock, Aitken Investment Management’s Ellie Aitken, Twitter Australia boss Karen Stocks (who organised some clever 360 degree gadget just for the event) and Kerry Packer’s ubiquitous granddaughter Francesca Packer Barham, who we’re pretty sure came with Michael Bolton’s son.

Richard Umbers at the Myer fashion show.

As to what’s on trend this season? Oversize floral accessories, forehead sunglasses at night (if you’re Alex Perry) and black sequin dresses (if you’re Hawkins). Something for everyone.