Coffee and agendas in Aussies cafe at Parliament House

Illustration: Rod Clement.

Pity the baristas at the Canberra coffee house Aussies as the 45th parliament, and its coterie of lobbyists and hangers-on, returned yesterday.

Our ever-hopeful regional television CEOs yesterday gathered at the same table in the Parliament House coffee shop they spent so much time at during the 44th parliament.

Carnival cruise ship CEO Ann Sherry.

Prime’s Ian Audsley, who was checking his emails on his phone — again — was next to WIN’s Andrew Lancaster, who was checking his emails on his phone — again. With a new Labor communications spokeswoman (Michelle Rowland, who has replaced Jason Clare), and a new crossbench, their media reform purgatory con­tinues.

Southern Cross Media’s Creina Chapman — another of the media-reforming entourage — tapped out for a while to catch up with her former colleague from the Joe Hockey office, Gemma Daley, who is now a senior member of PM Malcolm Turnbull’s media team.

Ian Narev’s CBA troops were in a networking pincer movement: former Nationals Party federal director Andrew Hall (now CBA’s executive general manager of corporate affairs) was chatting with the current Nats director Scott Mitchell and former Nats leader Mark Vaile, now chairman of coalminer Whitehaven.

Meanwhile Hall’s colleague Kate Abrahams (CBA’s general manager of group communications) was on a separate table, talking to The Guardian. Points for effort.

Also keeping the baristas busy was the Carnival cruise ship CEO Ann Sherry, who found Anthony Albanese’s long-lost father in Italy. You can read all about that and other Albo secrets in Telling It Straight, the new bio by Karen Middleton (also at Aussies) that will be launched by former PM Bob Hawke in Parliament House tomorrow. Good get.

Wright man for the job

“How about George Wright?” the Aussies coffee collective wondered on yesterday’s news that the Labor national secretary, who almost led Bill Shorten to the Lodge, was off to Andrew Mackenzie’s tartan-clad Big Australian, BHP Billiton.

Labor national secretary George Wright, who is off to BHP Billiton. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch.

It’s what some described as a “brave appointment”.

Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff Peta Credlin has taken on a new role with James Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian.

Not that BHP hasn’t been here before. One of Wright’s predecessors as national secretary, Geoff Walsh, made the same journey — back in BHP’s Marius Kloppers era (aka the time soup forgot).

And one of Wright’s predecessors as BHP’s head of corporate affairs (a position with a turnover similar to the contemporary Australian prime ministership) was David Epstein, Kevin Rudd’s former chief of staff.

For all the ALP’s tough on business campaign theatrics, there’s an army of former Labor apparatchiks in senior gigs in corporate Australia.

Epstein is now at Optus. The boy wonder who replaced him as Rudd’s chief of staff, Alister Jordan, is diligently climbing the pole at Wesfarmers.

The Perth conglomerate also has former WA Labor premier Alan Carpenter as an executive. Paul Keating’s former press secretary Mark Ryan has been in Frank Lowy’s Westfield empire for decades. Julia Gillard’s former COS Amanda Lampe is at hearing aid behemoth Cochlear.

And, of course, there is Wright’s predecessor as ALP national secretary, Karl Bitar, who works for gaming billionaire James Packer, along with fellow Labor numbers man Mark Arbib.

The former Sussex Street gang have been joined by Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff, Peta Credlin.

However badly Wright’s BHP appointment was received in the Coalition’s more partisan corners, it was nothing on the heartburn Credlin’s appointment caused team Turnbull.

It seems in the era of the 45th parliament, anything is possible — once you leave.

Staffers bounce back

One of the tricky bits about being a crossbench senator is filling the office without a major party behind you, churning out ready-made staffers.

Glenn Druery, aka “the Preference Whisperer”.

Derryn Hinch — of his eponymous Justice Party — has recruited from the offices of the felled independents who went before him

In the Human Headline’s office are former Tony Windsor adviser John Clements, minor party specialist Sarah Mennie (who worked first for Nick Xenophon, then for Ricky Muir) and — most interesting of all — Glenn Druery (aka “the Preference Whisperer”), who is a senior adviser. At the beginning of the last parliament, Druery began as Muir’s chief of staff — but left after a few months. Sounds like the plan is to stay around a little longer.

Bid for Bishop

By late afternoon yesterday and with only about 24 hours to go until tonight’s black-tie press gallery Midwinter Ball, bidding was still slow for charity auction items offering direct access to our nation’s leaders. Who’d have thought?

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. Picture: Mark Stewart.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop would be crossing her exquisitely manicured fingers that she tops the $50,000 she raised last year, this time around offering a two-day extravaganza with herself, a mystery Hollywood star and James Packer’s Insta-mate Brett Ratner in Los Angeles.

When we last checked, bidding was at $25,800.

Offers for dinner with leading press gallery lights was going for an amount just shy of that which a punter was prepared to pay for morning tea with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ($6400).

A mind and body experience (fancy speak for a run and some porridge) with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and his deputy Tanya Plibersek was fetching $5100 — some distance ahead of lunch or dinner with the Nats’ Fiona Nash, which was last night priced at $3050.

Gretel’s 50th bash

Billionaire Gretel Packer celebrated her 50th birthday with a party last night at celebrity chef Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant in eastern Sydney’s Woollahra.

Gretel Packer at her 50th birthday party. Picture: Jonathan Ng.

Among the guests were mother Ros Packer, and Gretel’s children Francesca, 21, Benjamin, 18, and William, 10, and Gretel’s financial adviser Will Vicars.

Andrew Upton, Cate Blanchett and Francesca Packer attending Gretel Packers's 50th. Picture: Adam Yip/The Australian.

Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett and husband Andrew Upton arrived with the young “Chessie”. Gretel is on the board of the Sydney Theatre Company, where the couple until last year were co-artistic directors.

Just ahead of midnight, the Packer party moved to Gretel’s home on Fairfax Road in Bellevue Hill. The birthday girl chose a simple sleeveless black dress for the event, while her mother also wore black.

Brother James Packer was in Israel on business and sent his apologies.