Victorian Liberals’ missing $1.5m a lost cause for conservative tycoons

Illustration: Peter Nicholson

It’s more a case of who didn’t give money to the Victorian division of the Liberal Party in the year that saw $1.5 million disappear from the party coffers, which new party president Michael Kroger alleges was at the hands of his predecessor Damien Mantach.

AEC records show a who’s who of major corporates and millionaires chipping into the conservative cause ahead of last year’s state election.

That money now appears lost, just like the vote.

Corporate donors likely to be less than happy with the administrative tenure of Ocean Grove-based cafe operator Mantach include James Packer’s Crown Resorts, which gave $28,000, the Grollo family-controlled Grocon which gave $13,500, cancer stick makers Philip Morris (in for $14,000) and finserv outfits comprising Nick Moore’s Macquarie, Westpac, IAG, Deutsche, Alliance and NAB.

Also chipping into the chaff bag were Frank Lowy’s Westfield, gambling house Tabcorp — a political bet that didn’t pay off — Origin, Energy Australia, Woolies, BlueScope, Asciano’s suitor Brookfield, SingTel Optus, the Kirby family’s Village Roadshow and rich lister Alf Moufarrige’s serviced office outfit Servcorp.

Flushed individuals who thought their funds were going to the party included Australia’s richest QC Allan Myers, who gave $25,000, Rupert Murdoch’s nephew Geoffrey Handbury, who threw in $20,000, the Myer family’s Martyn Myer, in for the same amount and Chaddy half-owner John Gandel via his Gandel Group ($11,000).

Arnold Bloch Leibler, whose Leon Zwier worked pro bono for Bill Shorten at the union royal commission, also gave, but probably won’t be helping Mantach with any legal issues.

Packer to the rafters

James Packer may be busy with his new gig as Mariah Carey’s roadie, gazing adoringly on as his songbird warbled to a packed house in Israel this week, but back home his Bondi bachelor pad is being put to good use.

Spies on the Icebergs terrace swear it was new Crown chairman Rob Rankin spotted wandering the beachside streets the other day, sparking speculation Rankin is camping out at Stage Door Jimmy’s place when in town. If the former garage site is being used as an executive crashpad, will Packer charge the casino house rent? Or will the accom costs form part of the $10m a year he proposes Crown pay his private ConsPress (in addition to his own $10m salary), to tap his private executive talent?

National insecurity

While the corporate watchdog continues to comb over the events and voting at the AusNet annual meeting last month, the security-minded spooks at ASIO might enjoy some light reading from The Philippines concerning the company’s major shareholder State Grid of China.

Along with Mac Bank’s Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets global fund, State Grid is bidding for Mike Baird’s $9 billion TransGrid electricity company.

AusNet has also expressed interest in Baird’s sell-off, but State Grid and fellow shareholder Singapore Power voted against letting it issue fresh equity to pay for any bid.

State Grid has a major stake in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

But the government there has expelled 16 Chinese experts working at NGCP, with Philippines Energy secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla pointing to security concerns.

Already the Macquarie/State Grid tie-up is under scrutiny from our spies and the FIRB.

“If we are paranoid about it, I am not sure why Australia and the others are not,” Petilla said.

Amid all the controversy, Nick Moore can only be lamenting the exit of his trusted, long-standing infrastructure banker Jim Miller, who left the bank this year just as it was set to advise the MIRA/State Grid tie-up on its NSW ambitions.

A sage word from an old hand right now wouldn’t go astray.

Wrong brother

Margin Call hounded the wrong Bassat brother yesterday — it’s Andrew at Seek, not AFL commish Paul. And the snafu that had analysts on the Seek earnings call screaming for more questions wasn’t Andrew’s fault either. Apparently an analyst put his phone on mute, meaning no one could hear his questions.

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