Push to bring back Antony Catalano at Fairfax Media

Illustration: Rod Clement.

Life has become even more ominous for Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood and his chairman Nick Falloon after billionaire Alex Waislitz’s stunning intervention.

The fraught situation turns on the sudden departure four weeks ago of former Domain chief Antony “The Cat” Cata­lano.

Domain chairman-turned-executive chairman Falloon’s fingerprints are all over the precipitation of that event and its subsequent handling, including the provocative decision to not thank Catalano for his more than four years of toil at the group in the January 22 ASX statement that announced his departure.

There has been speculation — denied by Fairfax — that ­Hywood’s position is closer to bemused billionaire investor Waislitz, who yesterday afternoon told The Fin that Falloon should stand down as chairman of Domain.

Brazenly, Waislitz also canvassed the restoration of The Cat.

“Could he come back? I’m not sure. Would he come back? I’m not sure,” Waislitz told The Fin’s John Stensholt.

Waislitz — who had his good friend Catalano along at his 60th birthday in Melbourne on Saturday — made it clear he was not impressed with Falloon’s handling of the summer surprise.

“I think wiser heads should be involved. Other directors of the boards of Fairfax and Domain should get involved in the discussion. Take the emotion out of it. Take some of the egos out of it,” Waislitz told The Fin.

Antony Catalano, Alex Waislitz and Jon Adgemis Picture: Aaron Francis

Would those “wiser heads” include Hywood’s shiny dome?

The Cat was, of course, Hywood’s most famous hire. He was also Hywood’s direct report for more than four years, not to mention his close friend.

Hywood also led the roughly $105 million acquisition of Catalano’s suburban property play MMP in 2011 — probably the most successful decision of the Fairfax CEO’s almost eight- year reign.

It’s not clear what Hywood’s personal views are about Falloon’s subsequent decision to set up a cultural review of Domain (for which Hywood, don’t forget, had ultimate responsibility until November’s float), following the sex-and-drugs allegations made by unnamed sources in Fairfax’s Financial Review (of which Hywood was once editor).

Some have noted he could have reason to be worried.

His view is clearer on the paper’s decision to run a picture of his son Tom Hywood in its Domain “boys club” spread. Not ideal.

Meanwhile, Catalano is said to be furious. Expect to hear more from his defamation lawyer Mark O’Brien in the not too distant future.

With all that going on is it any wonder Fairfax-and-Domain’s spin doctors Sue Cato and Brad Hatch wouldn’t let non-Fairfax journalists — including Margin Call — anywhere near Hywood after Fairfax unveiled its results.

Cato and Hatch also decided to go in-house only after Falloon unveiled Domain’s results on Monday. The pair aren’t short of things to be worried about right now.

Ticket to ride

The Turnbull government’s Revenue Minister, Kelly O’Dwyer, and Treasurer Scott Morrison were in O’Dwyer’s electorate of Higgins yesterday to talk about tax, small business and the usual stuff about the perils of a Bill Shorten government.

And their backdrop? A business partly owned by the Liberal Party’s chief fundraiser Andrew Burnes and former treasurer Joe Hockey. It’s a small world!

Actually, the business is called Helloworld Travel.

O’Dwyer teed up the visit with local businessman Daniel Addicoat, a Helloworld Travel franchisee.

For the media opportunity, the pollies were strategically positioned in front of a huge Helloworld corporate banner, which splashed the $600 million listed franchisor’s branding across the media landscape.

It was magnificent free publicity for Helloworld boss and 26 per cent shareholder Burnes, who since mid-2015 has been the Liberal Party’s honorary federal treasurer, which aside from a bit of contra advertising is an unpaid extra-curricular activity (one plainly spelled out in Burnes’s Helloworld director bio).

The millionaire’s wife Cinzia Burnes is also an executive director on the Helloworld board, which is chaired by Myer’s executive chairman Garry Hounsell.

The Burneses’ stake in Helloworld is worth almost $150m thanks in part to the clever group last year landing a lucrative whole-of-Australian government travel contract to manage its accommodation services.

Also on the register is Burnes’s good mate and our man in Washington, Joe Hockey.

According to the Helloworld annual report, Hockey is the group’s 20th biggest shareholder, with 215,784 shares or 0.18 per cent of the registers, now worth just over $1m. And that was before the O’Dwyer-ScoMo ad blitz.

Backing Barnaby

Don’t expect NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro to do like WA Nationals leader Mia Davies and call for federal Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce to step down.

While Barilaro hasn’t been shy about sharing his opinions on the federal Coalition’s leadership, the NSW Deputy Premier won’t be taking a #metoo approach on this one.

“The Deputy Premier supports Barnaby,” a spokesman for Barilaro told Margin Call yesterday.

Also don’t expect Barilaro to take the lead on the national “bonking ban” discussion. As he made clear in an interview with The Northern Star, Barilaro is leaving that to his Premier, Gladys Berejiklian.

“I will look forward to seeing what the Premier wants to do in that space,” Barilaro told the Northern Rivers regional paper.

While the Nats leader says he is looking forward to an update, Margin Call hears other offices in Macquarie Street are less enthusiastic.

As he waits on his leader’s call, Barilaro has plenty to keep himself busy. There are the Nats leadership duties he wrested off his once friend Troy Grant, his pick ‘n’ mix of portfolios (regional NSW, skills and small business), electoral work in his marginal seat of Monaro and preparation for his next interview with Alan Jones.

Or is that just a Christmas tradition?