Nothing like the whiff of a surplus to lure Australia’s corporate predators and industry chieftains back to the Canberra watering hole. If for nothing else, they turned up to try needle Jim Chalmers for a slice of the $4bn worth of loot suddenly available.
There was, however, a noticeable shortage of firepower – the billionaires, the bank bosses, the mining chairmen, the political snoberati – to fete the Treasurer’s first budget since the quick-and-dirty number that he hacked together in October.
Those who made the pilgrimage were seemingly divided into competing political classes, split between a seated event ($5000 per ticket) at the Hotel Realm and a standing event ($1500) at the National Press Club a few minutes down the road.
At the NPC, a B-team of Labor backbenchers and assistant ministers, led by Ed Husic, hosted the strategists, the pollsters, the agents of influence.
Many trickled into the venue from a soiree held in Labor senator Deb O’Neill’s office in Parliament House, attended by about 40 people, among them Australian Banking Association chief Anna Bligh and an entourage of dudes from the Financial Services Council, led by CEO Blake Briggs.
He was seen having a good old chat with Westpac’s government relations guru Lucas McKay.
O’Neill is clearly having a good week. She put up a scalp for guests to admire in her office – a news article trumpeting Tom Seymour’s resignation from PwC on Monday. That was a product of some damning emails she obtained through the parliament, prompting Seymour’s exit and her own calls for a clean-out of the partners.
Parliament itself crawled with lobbyists throughout the day. Seen about the halls were Simon Banks and John-Paul Blandthorn of Labor favourite Hawker Britton. DPG Advisory’s Ben Oquist commandeered a table at Aussie’s cafe and was seen squiring Fortescue’s Eva Hanly around ahead of an anticipated announcement on funding for green hydrogen.
Former Labor communications minister Stephen Conroy was also in the house, but only in his capacity as chairman of TG Public Affairs.
Undoubtedly the main event was supposed to be the Realm function hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, earlier seen looking comfortable doing laps around Aussie’s in her activewear. Bligh, fresh from O’Neill’s office, was an early arrival for the formal sit-down dinner, and it says enough that she was one of the highest-profile figures in the room until Anthony Albanese walked in with Richard Marles about 8.15pm. Bill Shorten followed soon after. ACTU secretary Sally McManus was staying at the hotel but insisted she wasn’t party to any functions.
Former Labor senator Graham Richardson arrived late with his wife and wasn’t shy about showering praise on the Treasurer. That’s to be expected, of course. “I’ve always been a great fan of Chalmers. I think he’s a star. It’s a budget that doesn’t punish the little people and does help plenty.”
Working the crowd was former Labor minister turned lobbyist Joel Fitzgibbon, Indigenous businessman and commentator Warren Mundine, Linfox’s esteemed company emissary Ari Suss and Technology Council of Australia chief Kate Pounder, fresh from rejecting a job offer from the Business Council of Australia.
Christine Cupitt, CEO of the Council of Australian Life Insurers, cut a striking figure walking into the event with Peter Yates, chairman of AIA Australia. No sign, however, of CALI co-chair and AIA chief executive Damien Mu.
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