It’s birthday or bust for the statuesque Pratts

Peter Nicholson Margin Call cartoon for 02-02-2016. Version: (650x366) COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications. Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.

When the late Richard Pratt celebrated his 60th in 1994, his Raheen mansion in Melbourne hosted a legendary bash for 300 nearest and dearest and he was given a very special artwork by sculptor Peter Corlett.

For more than 20 years, that life-size bronze of the late billionaire has sat at Raheen’s entrance. It will now be joined by a second Corlett of Pratt’s widow Jeanne, a gift yesterday for her 80th.

Last year there was talk the milestone would be marked with parties in Melbourne, New York and Tel Aviv.

Instead she celebrated with morning tea for 30 people — just close family and best friends.

While there was champagne on hand, Jeanne herself drank tea as she told the group reaching 80 was more of an achievement than a cause for celebration.

Other than the statue, her best gift was a book compiled by her three children Anthony, Heloise and Fiona, featuring birthday greetings from the biggest names in all facets of her life, from the Visy manufacturing behemoth to the Carlton Football Club and theatre non-profit The Production Company.

Names in the book included Malcolm Turnbull, Daniel Andrews, Paul Keating, John Howard, several former prime ministers of Israel, Zandra Rhodes, Edward de Bono, Cherie Blair and Barbara Bush.

Not very appealing

Fairfax Media’s Antony Catalano has abandoned his appeal against a drink-driving conviction.

Domain boss Catalano, who is spoken of as a possible CEO once the Greg Hywood era passes, was due in Melbourne’s County Court for a two-day hearing starting on Thursday.

Catalano filed the necessary paperwork on Friday.

The Cat has about 10 months to go in the passenger’s seat after a magistrate took his licence for 16 months in early August.

Cops pulled Catalano, red-eyed and stinking of booze, over in the Victorian seaside playground of Sorrento in the wee hours of March 10, 2014.

After complaining of chest pains and refusing to be breath-tested until attended to by medics, Catalano blew 0.08.

The chest pain story was very similar to one heard in a previous case where the Cat was cleared.

Stopped in East Melbourne in 2012, the twinges sent him to hospital, where a blood test revealed an alcohol level of 0.09.

One good turn ...

The Electoral Commission’s annual donation data dump shows why former PM Tony Abbott was so keen to jump on the RAAF plane to visit keen Liberal supporter Paul Marks.

TA copped flak last year after flying to in Melbourne for Marks’ birthday shindig.

Million-dollar-man Marks gave $925,000 in 2014-15.

This followed a similar wad from him and his brother, former ALP candidate Samuel Miszkowski, the year before.

But this time around there was no money from Marks’ iron explorer Nimrod Resources, which gave $500,000 in 2013-14.

Its accounts show the generosity helped push Nimrod to a $2m loss.

Giving till it hurts

Hospital king Paul Ramsay was so staunch a Liberal he gave from beyond the grave.

Billionaire Ramsay died on May 1, 2014, but his private Paul Ramsay Holdings gave the Libs $125,000 five months later.

Other big-name — but living — Liberal donors included Ros Packer ($100,000), Alan Jones ($15,000) and Harold Mitchell ($100,000) — although the latter said he tries to balance out his giving over time. “In my head I am firmly apolitical,” he said.

Both sides now

It seems the “mystery man” who gave $850,000 to Labor last time around has switched sides.

Eyebrows soared last year after the mega-donation from Zichun Wang, the deputy GM of Ever Bright Group, which builds flats in Melbourne’s leafy burbs.

He gave a Chinese address housing retired party hacks.

But this time around EBG dropped $200,000 to the Libs — and gave a local address at Melbourne’s Rialto tower.

Also Lib-giving was developer Jiandong Huang ($100,000). He paid Richard Gu $60m for Footscray’s Kinnears Rope Factory site in 2014.

Slaters’ refund?

With Kevin Rudd busy running for UN Secretary General, ALP cash from the Chinese community is down — although it did get $150,000 from Gu and $200,000 from East Brighton man Jianping Fu. There was also $25,000 from Slater & Gordon. Will the ailing firm want it back?

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