David Gonski keeps rare company

Illustration: Rod Clement.

What were ANZ chair David Gonski, the broker suing his bank, Angus Aitken, and the Labor senator leading the charge for a royal commission into his bank, Sam Dastyari, doing together yesterday?

Having lunch at corporate Sydney’s preferred Japanese diner, Azuma.

While they were in throttling distance, they weren’t exactly on one table. Gonski was in his preferred alcove, lunching with former Hoyts CEO Peter Ivany.

On a neighbouring table was Aitken, just over from Dastyari, who was lunching with former Labor powerbroker and now James Packer-lieutenant Karl Bitar.

Also in the lunch crowd was NSW Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, whom Premier Mike Baird has entrusted with the enormous Ausgrid privatisation — the one that’s on the skids thanks to her federal Liberal counterpart, Scott Morrison.

Azuma is a handy distance from Berejiklian’s handsomely remunerated advisers on that complicated transaction — Matthew Grounds’ UBS and James McMurdo’s Deutsche Bank, who are trying to navigate through the FIRB fog to complete the roughly $10 billion transaction in time for next year’s budget.

In case Pauline Hanson is curious, yes, Dasher was knocking back a beer with his sashimi snack pack.

Also worth noting was the post-lunch conversation between Aitken and Dastyari. Wonder which bank that odd couple were talking about?

Bell swings in

Lawyers for Shayne Elliott’s ANZ were busy in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday as its ­battle with broker Angus Aitken drew into its fifth month.

Aitken’s former boss at Bell Potter, Colin Bell, had been asked by the bank via subpoena for the colourful Aitken’s employment records.

It is understood his record at The Australian Golf Club was not required. X-rays of Bell’s ­jewels have also not been asked for — yet.

Also finally agreed on this week is a hearing date. Put August 28, 2017, into your diaries. Circle it in red. Underline it. That’s when — over two weeks — the Supreme Court will hear Aitken’s defamation suit against ANZ over the fallout from his email in May to clients questioning the appointment of investment banker Michelle Jablko as ANZ’s new chief financial officer.

It’s not clear what detail Aitken’s Bell Potter file will include about his controversial exit from the broker amid the Jablko saga.

Also of keen interest to Elliott are the gritty details relating to Aitken’s enforceable undertaking at the end of last year with ASIC over his dodgy trading in Ten shares.

ANZ has great hopes on that front, although it’s worth noting Bell backed Aitken all the way in that unfortunate scenario. Also, septuagenarian Colin has never seemed to us to be terribly interested in things HR.

Meanwhile yesterday, talks between ANZ and one of its other legal nemeses, Pankaj and Radhika Oswal, continued in the 101 Collins Street office of ANZ’s lawyers Freehills. Regrettably for aficionados of corporate litigation, their settlement is on track to conclude by the court’s Monday deadline.

Love Liberals style

There is no love lost between former prime minister Tony Abbott and the king of the NSW Liberal moderates, Michael Photios.

Abbott’s fury over Photios’s hand in Malcolm Turnbull’s ascension last September remains as raw as the ex-PM’s thighs after an ironman event, as evidence by Four Corners two episodes ago.

At least the two have a sense of humour about the grudge — or so it seemed at a fundraiser at harbourside spot Pyrmont on Thursday night for Abbott’s sister Christine Forster, the Liberals’ candidate for lord mayor in next month’s Sydney Council election.

Abbott spoke first. Pointedly, he noted the attendance of Photios, “the most powerful man in the NSW Liberal Party”, which got a massive laugh, pierced by yells from the crowd of: “Just hold a plebiscite!”

Abbott also praised his sister’s inclusive platform, which would make use of her team’s talents. The wannabe Turnbull cabinet minister noted that it’s “not a good thing” when politicians don’t have a job in the team.

Photios was on stage later to run the night’s raffle, which included a surf-and-coffee with the Member for Warringah.

“And if Tony likes you, it might turn into lunch, it might turn into dinner — who knows?” the effervescent Photios speculated, as Abbott watched on with wife Margie and mother Fay in the crowd.

It’s just one big happy family in the NSW Liberal Party.

Setting sales

Wind, rain or earthquakes would not deter corporate types and celebs from the Oatley family’s Hamilton Island Whitsundays resort this weekend.

The annual Hamilton Island Race Week is enjoying its 32nd year, in a heady mix of money, celebrities, business and fine food courtesy of car sponsor Audi and its Australian chief executive Andrew Doyle.

A record 246 racing yachts and luxury cruisers will take part in daily racing, held in between sipping 3000 bottles of Piper-Heidsieck, gallons of Wild Oats wine and 106,000 bottles of beer stashed on the island for the week.

The festival is the first since the death of Oatley family patriarch Bob Oatley.

So this year the billionaire Oatley family’s chairman and Bob’s son Sandy, along with granddaughter and Oatley brand manager Nicky Tindill, will host. Cooking duties on the white beaches and luxury lawns of Qualia are in the expert hands of chefs-to-the-stars Guillaume Brahimi, Matt Moran and Shannon Bennett.

Adding to excitement will be the arrival from Rio on Friday of the Australian Olympic sailing team’s medallists, including landlocked Laser gold medallist Tom Burton, 470 silver medallist Mat Belcher and wizard coach Victor Kovalenko.

Topping off the VIP week will be the Germans. The global board of German-based Audi, led by chairman Rupert Stadler will be along to schmooze top dealers and clients.

Many Australian multi-millionaires will join them on the water duelling in their expensive toys, including Nant whisky baron Ken Batt on maxi Ragamuffin, Tasmanian professional gambler Phillip Turner on Alive, and apartment development supremo Ervin Vidor on Charlotte.

Mark my words

Between us, things could have gone better for banker finally turned chief executive Craig Drummond in his inaugural results outing as the boss of Medibank Private.

Having missed out on the top job at National Australia Bank to Andrew Thorburn, Drummond this year jumped from the four pillar to the CEO’s office at our privatised health insurer. And yesterday the former NAB CFO finally lived his dream — overseeing his long desired debut results presentation as the boss.

Sadly, the moderator on the Medibank conference call was less prepared for the big day. The fledgling chief executive was introduced as “Mark Drummond”. Ouch!

“I’m not sure who Mark is,” Craig told listeners. Best not tell him, but that would never happen at a four pillar.