Midwinter Ball: a guess who’s coming to charity dinner?

Peter Nicholson Margin Call cartoon for 01-10-2015. Version: (Original) 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.

Organisers of Canberra’s all-star Midwinter Ball are hoping Malcolm Turnbull is more benevolent than some of his prime ministerial predecessors when it comes to honouring historic charity commitments.

This month’s leadership coup has left at least one richie up in the air after bidding $10,707 at the press gallery shindig to win breakfast with PM Tony Abbott.

Gallery president and Sky News silver fox David Speers has asked if Turnbull will honour the pledge but is yet to hear back.

It is understood previous new PMs haven’t been so helpful, with at least one recent winner getting a post-coup refund.

Turnbull also offered dinner at his Canberra penthouse with wife Lucy as an auction item, fetching $8700. The winner’s now had the Canberra version of a first-class upgrade.

In New York this week, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop hosted dinner at Robert De Niro’s Nobu with Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness. The auction winners were Perth acquaintances of the minister, listed Mineral Services chair Chris Ellison and wife Tia (worth $482 million) and property developer Nigel and Denise Satterley ($310m).

They got a little more than they paid for, with Crown’s executive-at-large James Packer and Mariah Carey there, as well as De Niro and Bishop’s partner David Panton, whose property interests pale against the Perth moneybags.

Muffins and Utopia

Our PM will thrust open his snap summit, no, meeting, in Canberra today, where a Tarago-load of thinkers will debrief on their versions of Utopia.

Amid muffins and drip coffee, Business Council boss Jennifer Westacott will fly solo (chair Catherine Livingstone is unavailable), while Innes Willox will rep AIGroup.

No one from the opposition got an invite, so ACTU secretary Dave Oliver and president Ged Kearney will fly labour’s red flag.

Treasurer ScoMo was playing the whole thing down, as was the PM’s office (“I think we’ve blocked out a couple of hours”).

Minister Chris Pyne and new cabinet entrant Michaelia Cash were invited, but don’t look like they can make it. No matter, “the policies remain the same until they change”, she declared.

Privates on parade

If three PMs in five years is churn, what about Eric Beecher’s Private Media?

Gloom abounds at the Crikey butter factory, which has seen off its third boss in as many years, Jason Kibsgaard.

He follows former Dolly editor Marina Go, gone back to glossy empire Bauer, and Amanda Gome, who scarpered to Fairfax and then ANZ.

Amid cost-cutting, hands-on chair and 30 per cent cent owner Beecher will now officially run the show and deal with Private’s ever-expanding list of minorities.

Recent capital raisings took in book publisher Allen & Unwin, former Age boss Stuart Simson and HSBC, which holds a mystery 2 per cent on trust.

They join earlier backers including late publishing legend Peter Isaacson, Media Watch host Paul Barry and Melbourne Film Festival boss Amber Sloan.

Harvey stumps up

If Gerry Harvey’s nags don’t salute this weekend, the retail billionaire can always fall back on his role as unofficial fifth banking pillar.

For years, Harvey and wife Katie Page have been lending to the listed Harvey Norman, but this year he’s doubled the amount to close to $80m.

“From time to time I’ve got money and I’ve got to park it somewhere,” he said. He says his finances “float around a bit”.

As he looks to Derby Day, Harvey’s Royal Descent is to race in Sunday’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, while two other ponies, Sovereign Nation and Real Time, also go around in Melbourne this weekend.

Blundy hopeful

Float hopeful Baby Bunting has warned that the economy could dip into recession, but that’s not a concern for billionaire Brett Blundy as he asks punters to risk a market meltdown amid his Aventus IPO. But Singapore-based Blundy finds himself tangling with ex-treasurer Joe Hockey’s border force, FIRB.

In between forcing Chinese billionaires to give up their Point Piper piles, FIRB will have to find time to review any attempts by Aventus to buy more retail real estate, now that one-third owner Blundy lives overseas.

In his second go at floating the trust, Blundy has pledged to hold on to his 30 per cent stake until at least annual results next year, when he will be able to cash in half — or the whole lot if Aventus shares take off.

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