Margin Call federal election 2019 special: Empty tarmac at Essendon for Labor’s reception

Does packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt have the political kiss of death?

Australia’s richest man strode into trucking billionaire Lindsay Fox and property developer Max Beck’s Hyatt Place hotel at their Essendon Fields precinct expecting a party.

Instead he got an early night.

“I only came to this one because they invited me,” Pratt, worth $13.14 billion on The Stensholt List, declared to Margin Call on Saturday night as he did a 9pm runner via a side door of the 18-month old airport hotel.

“I would have gone to the Liberal one too, popped in, but they didn’t ask me.”

Back in 2016, Pratt had journeyed to Sydney for what was supposed to be a celebration of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Instead Pratt, who had been one of Turnbull’s biggest donors, had to wait until the small hours to witness that excruciating election night speech.

It’s a good thing Pratt — sporting casual slacks and a Prada zip-up — is pragmatic.

“We will work with whoever the government of the day is,” the Visy Industries chief told us.

As for Beck, who is worth almost $700 million, he spent most of the evening in his hotel’s restaurant, breaking bread with friend and accountant to Melbourne’s uber rich Joe Bongiorno.

Being similarly discreet was Shorten’s friend and pro-bono lawyer at Arnold Bloch Leiber Leon Zwier.

Labor organisers had been expecting up to 1,000 supporters in the hotel’s Australian Room, which was lit red and festooned with balloons.

The decorations made for one of history’s more exuberant wakes.

Labor reception in pictures

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At the end of last week Margin Call was told a clutch of Shorten’s billionaire mates were planning to join the celebration, with Beck and Fox said to have offered up their airport for an anticipated fleet of private jets.

As it eventuated, the tarmac remained clear.

Chloe Shorten’s old school mate Kimberly Kitching, now a Labor senator for Victoria and close confidante of the shattered Member for Maribyrnong, took on hosting duties.

Kitching moved between well wishers and the adjacent operative bunker, as the numbers turned against her colleagues.

Shorten’s investment banker twin brother Robert Shorten, who votes in Josh Frydenberg’s Kooyong, was an early arrival in business suit and red tie.

AustralianSuper boss Ian Silk arrived later with Fin Review columnist Jennifer Hewitt. The $150bn man attempted to keep a low profile — not an easy task when you sport corporate Australia’s most recognisable moustache.

Also along was mental health advocate Patrick McGorry, Labor lobbyists from Hawker Britton Simon Banks and Neal Jones, former Melbourne University Press boss Louise Adler and husband Max Gillies, deputy chief of Melbourne-based law firm Maurice Blackburn (Shorten’s old shop) Felicity Pantelidis, and Olympian and short-lived Labor senator Nova Peris.

Local youth advocate and activist Les Twentyman and renegade retired Catholic priest and community worker Father Bob McGuire took turns pressing their causes with billionaire Pratt.

As things turned the room thinned.

There were hugs, tears and cries of “shame”.

Labor’s forgetful former member for Batman David Feeney consoled himself with white wine as the those who remained morosely waited for Shorten’s concession speech.

By then returned but shattered Member for Gorton Brendan O’Connor had arrived, along with deflated national party president Wayne Swan.

Meanwhile Victorian Labor Premier Dan Andrews, who was stonkingly re-elected just six months ago, slipped in the front of the hotel with wife Catherine to be welcomed by operatives and proprietor Beck, who is close to the state leader.

Andrews — no ally of Shorten’s — was said to have texted confidantes that the federal result was a “shit show”.

Labor’s national secretary Noah Carroll can expect much more feedback along those lines.

At least the James Boag was cold.

Labor reception in pictures

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