It’s all for the good of the party

Rod Clement

Some good news for party people. After the historic cancellation of Christmas drinks at Kirribilli House, invitations are on the way for two alternative summer parties at the Prime Minister’s secondary official residence.

Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull are hosting a New Year’s Eve Party at the historic harbourside mansion.

The perch on the picturesque edge of Sydney’s lower north shore will have an excellent vantage of the fireworks and — if guests bring binoculars — views of the even more spectacular ratepayer-funded party that Sydney Mayor Clover Moore will be hosting across the water on the Opera House’s northern boardwalk.

The Turnbulls’ party will be a modest affair compared to the indestructible Moore’s bacchanalian knees-up, which this year has the theme “Allure” and is budgeted at more than $750,000.

Increasingly extravagant New Year’s Eve parties — and grumbling by people not invited — have become a feature of Moore’s reign since she took over the amalgamated City of Sydney from, of all people, Lucy Turnbull in 2004.

The Turnbulls will host again at Kirribilli in January, on the non-invasive weekend before Australia Day. That summer reception should feature many of the business captains, billionaires and party heavies who have gathered at Christmas drinks past.

Out of respect to the distressed federal budget, we gather the spread at that party also won’t be too lavish. After all, it’s only a Prime Ministerial do — not a Sydney Council function.

Meeting of minds

There were some noteworthy attendees joining Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull on the head table at Sydney University’s Great Hall on Saturday night at the gala dinner to mark two historic occasions: the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Australian Republican Movement and the nearly 50th anniversary of Malcolm’s performance in the same sweaty sandstone hall as “Edgar” in an unabridged four-and-a-half hour performance of William Shakespeare’s King Lear.

On the PM’s right-hand side was one of billionaire James Packer’s right-hand men, Rob Rankin, chair of listed gaming giant Crown Resorts and CEO of Packer’s private Consolidated Press Holdings.

It was a good way for the republican Rankin to keep an eye on one of his boss’s many interests. Packer donated $250,000 to the ARM earlier in the year.

In further good news for ARM chairman Peter FitzSimons and his republican bean counters, on the PM’s left were Scott Farquhar, billionaire co-founder of software darling Atlassian, and his wife Kim Jackson. Farquhar even shelled out a few thousand at the raffle for the “Declaration of Desired Independence” Fitz organised for last Australia Day.

On the other side of the table next to Lucy was Qantas boss Alan Joyce and partner Shane Lloyd, while up the head of the table were fellow power couple Eureka Capital Partners executive chairman Roger Massy-Greene and Belinda Hutchinson, the Sydney Uni chancellor who opened the venue especially for the occasion and was seated metres away from Ardent Leisure CEO Deborah Thomas.

Inghams wing it

It’s not just host-with-the-most John Symond who is overweight with Sydney eastern suburbs prestige waterfront real estate.

While Symond continues to look for a buyer to shell out more than $100 million for his Point Piper palace, a bit down the prestige property table is chicken fortune heir Robby Ingham and his former model wife Sarah Ingham, who are selling their oceanfront Tamarama place.

Early this year the former Oxford Street, Paddington, high-end fashion retailer Ingham flogged his redundant Glamorama abode on Gaerloch Avenue, overlooking Tama surf club, but the deal has fallen through.

So now the couple are having a second crack at offloading the pad, this time with a near $15 million price tag.

It’s all so that the Inghams can get on with life in the new monster home they have created on Kenneth Street on the Bondi to Bronte walk.

The Inghams paid $5.8m some years ago for the site, with plans then approved by council for a $6m-plus development there, demolishing existing flats in favour of a five-storey home with pool and parking.

Ingham is one of four children of billionaire Robert Ingham, who sold his poultry empire to Ben Gray’s TPG in 2013. The business has just been floated by the private equity firm, in what was a scaled-back affair amid turbulent market conditions.

This is Gray’s last week at the private equity giant before he sets off for nine months gardening leave and then sets up his new shop, late in 2017, where many wonder if — despite the denials — departing Macquarie banker Robin Bishop will join him.

Change of jockeys

Speaking of departing Macquarie bankers, Michael Burn resigned over the weekend from his other gig as chair of Vic­toria Racing Club, a role he’d held for more than five years.

The Macbanker said, in a statement the VRC put out on Saturday, that he’d been contemplating stepping down for some months.

“I’m also mindful that recent events could lead to perceptions of tension between my role at the club and my professional responsibilities as a banker,” Burn added.

That tension in his role in the Macquarie-led Pacific Consortium, which is trying to prise the annuity-style lotteries business from Harry Boon’s Tatts, while leaving Tatts’ wagering and gaming businesses and endangering Tabcorp’s rival $11.3bn merger.

As we noted last week, it was hardly an endorsement by Burn of the future of the punt.

Weirdly, despite supposedly contemplating it for months, Burn didn’t mention his plans to step down at the VRC’s annual meeting, which was held in the Flemington Committee Room on Friday afternoon.

Nor did he mention, or was he asked, about any conflict of interest.

Burn instead met privately with his fellow VRC board members later on Friday where they decided that director Amanda Elliott — the second ex-wife of former Liberal Party president and businessman John Elliott — would become the acting chair, effective immediately.

It’s now up to Elliott’s VRC board to decide whether to hold an extraordinary general meeting to fill the vacancy left by Burn and formalise Elliott’s, or someone else’s, position as chair. Surely they won’t limp on with acting appointments for a full 12 months until the next AGM?

Pay your way

His factional friend Bill Shorten may enjoy freebies from some of the best legal minds in the land, but former AWU boss Cesar Melhem has to pay — or does he?

Melhem, now a Victorian upper house MP, spent ýesterday morning in the Melbourne Magistrates Court fighting a bill from his former advisers, Mills Oakley.

And, like many things involving the right of the ALP, Chinese restaurants are involved.

While Shorten enjoyed the services of a flock of legal eagles — including supersolicitor Leon Zwier and former Federal Court Judge Ray Finkelstein — for nix during Dyson Heydon’s Trade Union Royal Commission, Mills Oakley wanted $6000 for their advice in the run-up to the star chamber hearings.

Melhem reckons he shouldn’t have to pay because he had an all-you-can-eat deal with the law firm for advice on slush fund Industry 2020.

Counsel for Mills Oakley, Mark Lapirow, said the TURC advice was extra and likened Melhem to a bloke who goes to a restaurant and orders the fixed price buffet, followed by a glass of port, and is surprised to be charged for the nightcap.

“Being a legal practitioner is not like running a Chinese restaurant,” beak Ross Maxted cautioned.

Unlike running the ALP Right?