An almighty row has broken out between National Press Club CEO Maurice Reilly and the fun-sponges in charge of events at Parliament House.
The dispute hinges on the service of alcohol during Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ post-budget address, slated for Wednesday in the Great Hall, and whether dignitaries can be trusted to appropriately manage their consumption.
Hosted by the National Press Club, the annual lunch draws a crowd of several hundred VIPs to Canberra, often including the prime minister and members of cabinet. Traditionally, two bottles of vino are left on each table so folks can refresh themselves during the telecast, when the waiters aren’t available.
Never previously an issue, some sour-mouthed bureaucrats now have concerns over the practice in light of the Jenkins review, which probed parliament’s boozy work culture (prompted by the alleged assault of Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins). Thus the NPC was informed over the weekend that wine bottles can’t be left on tables during Chalmers’ address; no less than a department secretary was engaged to deliver this bitter news.
“The Department of Parliamentary Services is no longer in a position to leave bottles of wine on tables for service at events,” wrote top banana Rob Stefanic, in an email that found its way to Margin Call. “I have conferred with the Presiding Officers who concur with our position. I hope that you appreciate our position – it is important that we are an exemplar of excellence with regard to responsible service of alcohol.”
The irony, of course, is that when then Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins addressed the NPC in November there were wine bottles on every table. She didn’t make a fuss about it.
A compromise put to Reilly was that guests be offered a “top up” of their preferred beverage prior to the start of the televised proceedings, and then to make the drink last until the waiters return about an hour later.
But Reilly wasn’t happy with that at all. He described the DPS edict as a “debacle” to NPC president Laura Tingle and other board members, vowing to address the “risk management analysis” in a meeting on Monday. That’s understood to have failed.
His displeasure is justifiable. The event is a formal lunchtime event, not a piss-up. It’s relatively short at 90 minutes, and the two bottles of wine made available would equate to one, maybe one-and-a-half, glasses per person.
It’s worth considering exactly who might even be at risk on this occasion. Those down to attend include deputy prime minister Richard Marles and very possibly Anthony Albanese, along with ministers, members of parliament, their staff, department secretaries, company CEOs, Indigenous representatives, lobbyists and senior journalists. “In effect they (DPS) are saying that they do not trust (them) to consume wine in a responsible manner for a luncheon event that is effectively 90 minutes, of which 60 minutes is nationally telecast,” Reilly said.
As for the top-ups offered by Stefanic, Reilly said the wait staff would already have their hands full with the demands of the table service: “Their staff are not up to this added task. Most are temp staff except for our staff.” Comment was sought from the NPC.
Recruitment row
Looks like Tim Reed, president of the Business Council of Australia, is back to square one in his search for a successor to replace CEO Jennifer Westacott. That’s after his board horrendously mishandled an opportunity to recruit Kate Pounder, CEO of the Technology Council of Australia, who’s now formally knocked back the BCA’s offer. No surprise there after the way she’s been treated.
As Margin Call reported last month, Pounder had been short-listed as one of two candidates and received almost unanimous support from the board, all but ensuring her appointment. That’s until one director allegedly halted the recruitment process at the eleventh hour and suggested former NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres for the role instead. Our money’s on Westacott for making that blunder, given the cordial relations she built with Ayres while he was a NSW cabinet minister in the Berejiklian and Perrottet governments.
Owing to this detour, the BCA tried to name-check Ayres in Canberra, including with the prime minister’s office, the treasurer’s office and other stakeholders outside of politics. The result ranged from shrugs of indifference to lukewarm interest to outright howls of disapproval. That’s to be expected, of course – Labor’s in the midst of a political renaissance and Ayres, despite his moderate leanings and willingness to make a deal, is still a stalwart of the Liberal Party.
Pounder, by comparison, is married to Andrew Dempster, a policy wonk in Albanese’s office. An industry lobby trying to establish a stronger negotiating platform with a Labor government might have spent more time considering the value of that useful credential.
Thus it’s no wonder Pounder rejected the role. She was sidelined by a board that tried to do better and then came crawling back in a most unedifying fashion, with a renewed offer, claiming she had their support all along.
Imagine the confusion, and awkwardness, with Pounder’s own board at the TCA, chaired by Tesla’s Robyn Denholm, who sent a note to her own directors recently informing them that Pounder is, in fact, staying. This wouldn’t have even been necessary if the BCA had been discreet enough to keep its recruitment private.
As to what the BCA does next, who knows? Former WA Labor treasurer Ben Wyatt has apparently ruled himself out, and the shambolic nature of the recruitment suggests whoever is chosen will already know they’re a third or fourth choice. At this point, who’d even want the job? Ayres was contacted but didn’t provide a response.
“The board is still working through the process to appoint a new CEO,” a BCA spokeswoman said.
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