Super man not impressed by Malcolm Turnbull tinkering

Illustration: Jon Kudelka.

To go by his facial expression as he read the Friday papers at his local cafe Fratelli Paradiso, Paul Keating is no fan of the Turnbull government’s retrospective changes to superannuation.

No surprise there. Keating legislated compulsory super­annuation in 1992 when he was prime minister. It’s his baby.

A certain white-hot fury was hard to miss by fellow breakfasters at the Pott Point cafe.

While his anger for now remains private, we sensed the Ghost of Keating in Bill Shorten’s budget reply speech on Thursday night.

“Every single superannuation holder can now only guess what Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison will do next,” Shorten said. “This is a matter of principle for us.’’

We understand Mark Latham helped out — with some success — on Shorten’s successful 2014 budget reply. This time around, it sounds like Keating may have offered some advice.

Post-politics post post

Michael Ronaldson has picked up his first gig in his life after federal politics.

The former Victorian senator is the latest addition to reappointed chairman John Stanhope’s Australia Post board. His three-year term was announced yesterday, the day after chief postie Ahmed Fahour appeared before senate estimates in Canberra. Ronaldson will take a seat in the postman’s Melbourne boardroom on 111 Bourke Street. There he will join AMP director Holly Kramer (who, as of next week, could replace the mysterious Simon McKeon and become the financial giant’s first chairwoman) and former Liberal National Party president Bruce McIver .

So, expect to hear about “jobs for the boys” from Bill Shorten’s troops on the $89,500-a-year appointment. There has been much speculation about a foreign posting for the former veterans affairs minister. Italy was suggested. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to juggle his parcels duties, and seven board meetings, with life overseas. But it seems unlikely.

Springborg sprung

Tim Nicholls is the new opposition leader in Queensland, following an LNP spill yesterday.

Things look grim for Springborg’s chief of staff Jake Smith, who many in the new administration think is too welded to his old boss.

Don’t be surprised to see Smith moving interstate should he want to continue life as a political staffer. If Smith does, will he also move his extensive collection of historical menus, which include imperial dinners hosted by Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm, King Ludwig of Bavaria and Richard Nixon?

The outlook is much brighter for irrepressible lobbyist and accomplished fundraiser Santo Santoro, a long-time friend and mentor to Nicholls. It looks to us like he’s back big time.

Bill lord of the Realm

We’re a bit over them really, but a brief note on the latest post-budget functions. Bill Shorten threw his budget reply after-party at Hotel Realm in Canberra on Thursday night.

Despite our best efforts, ALP national secretary George Wright wouldn’t let us in.

“No media,” Wright said, politely but firmly.

Before we slunk away back to public bar we spotted a healthy crowd of business lobbyists.

There was Seven’s Bridget Fair, The Star’s Chris Downy, Res Publica’s Gabriel McDowell, Foxtel’s Bruce Meagher, QBE’s Kate O’Loughlin ... So, pretty much the same group as at most of the week’s budget parties.

Still, it’s as good a sign as
any that the upcoming election is not beyond the Labor Party’s reach.

Overcast at Suncorp

It will not be a happy Mother’s Day weekend for many in the media team of Michael Cameron’s Suncorp.

On Friday, Mary-Jane Bellotti’s corporate affairs team was told it will to lose almost one third of its staff. The team currently numbers 65.

There has already been major flux in Suncorp’s corporate affairs team since Bellotti became its executive general manager. Four direct reports have left since her appointment in February 2015.

It’s not yet clear whether future rounds will also be timed with major family holidays. But if we were employed by Cameron, we’d be getting nervous as Father’s day approaches in September.

Turnbulls’ double act

For the second time in recent months, the Turnbulls were the star guests at rival business lunches in Sydney. Honestly, can they co-ordinate their diaries?

Malcolm Turnbull was the star attraction at a Liberal fundraiser on Friday at federal director Tony Nutt’s preferred Sydney venue, the Sofitel Wentworth.

Among the gathered were Crown director Helen Coonan, Liberal matriarch Katherine Greiner, television’s Ita Buttrose, Chi-X Australia chief executive John Fildes and on the head table with the Prime Minister, poultry billionaires Bob Ingham and his son Robbie.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Trade minister Steve Ciobo and NSW Premier Mike Baird all turned up to hear former Nat MP Peter McGauran on MC duties.

McGauran used the opportunity to reveal to the 500 guests that he wants to be “reincarnated” as Mike Baird.

Meanwhile, at the Westin, Lucy Turnbull addressed a function put on by Ken Morrison’s Property Council of Australia.

The diary clash, we’re told, was a legacy of the budget being brought forward a week.