Second-time lucky for simple Symond

Peter Nicholson

Will the bride wear white when multi-millionaire Aussie John Symond weds former model and mother-of-two Amber McDonald in Point Piper on Saturday?

A hundred or so of the couple’s nearest and dearest will gather at Aussie’s Wingadal Road mansion to witness the fellow divorcees’ nuptials.

The wedding follows a year-long engagement after Symond proposed aboard his luxury yacht (over a roast dinner and with both in their PJs) on Valentine’s Day.

McDonald is the daughter of one-time bankrupt property developer Bruce McDonald and ex-wife of Patrick Keating, the only son of former Prime Minister Paul Keating.

The pair, who split in 2011, share two children — Avalon and Slade, who now live with Aussie John, 68, and their mum, 44, in his harbourside mansion.

Keating’s moved on too, quickly fathering a son Jax to fashion stylist Penny Hunt — but the pair split shortly after — with Keating now believed to be keeping a low profile offshore.

There will be little time for the newly weds to enjoy a honeymoon.

Hot on the heels of their wedding will be the 15th Anniversary Silver Party raising money for the Sydney Children’s Hospital, which the newlyweds will host at home (still solely in Aussie John’s name and mortgaged to Westpac) at the end of the month.

Watch this space

Forget the Rolex, the only Swiss watch former PM Tony Abbott wears on his wrist these days is a TAG Heuer given to him by his staffers on the eve of his victory over Kevin Rudd at the 2013 federal election.

Fake or otherwise, he didn’t need any of watches handed over to him, Ian Macfarlane and Stuart Robert in a plastic bag by Chinese noodle squillionaire Li Ruipeng in June that year.

Macfarlane and Robert each dutifully disclosed the “fake” Rolexes in their Register of Members Interests in July 2013 while the 43rd parliament was still on foot, but Abbott’s disclosure is no longer on the public record.

He didn’t file the gift from the billionaire to the register until August 2 that year via a note that was received by the office on September 27, but which appears to have been returned to Abbott’s office because the parliament by then had been dissolved.

By the time the 44th parliament was up and running, the PM had a (genuine) TAG of his own, the Rolex had been returned and so a subsequent disclosure of gifts by the then PM shows no mention of the fancy watches from the Chinese businessman.

If you look at the register, it just never happened.

Sweet and sour

But there was no watch for Li’s former business partner Greg Roberts, who says the noodle magnate owes him “hundreds of thousands of dollars”.

Roberts and Li were planning to set up a fund into which Chinese richies could tip money so they would qualify for an Australian investment visa.

Li was supposed to bring in the millions using his Chinese connections.

“It never happened — he’s the great pretender,” Roberts said.

As part of the deal Li was also supposed to buy shares in a company called Wealthsure Custodians, but Roberts said he failed to deliver and he was considering legal action.

He said he hadn’t seen Li for 10 months, but thought he was operating out of the Gold Coast’s glitter strip when not travelling overseas.

Margin Call couldn’t find Li, but Roberts said that back in Guangzhou Li’s family really does have lots of money (and a noodle factory).

“When I was there he had a Rolls Royce with an 888 number plate and all that shit,” he said.

Agile watchdog

ASIC boss Greg Medcraft has jumped on PM Malcolm Turnbull’s innovation bandwagon, flashing his credentials at every opportunity — you’d think he wanted a second term running the corporate watchdog.

Yesterday in Canberra for Senate Estimates, Medcraft engaged with Senator David Leyonhjelm, who complained
he was having difficulty with emails sent by Medcraft’s minions to renew his company registrations.

Leyonhjelm was concerned about late fees

Medcraft asked the pollie if he’d be interested in switching to direct debit. “Innovation in Senate Estimates!” Medcraft chortled. “We’re agile, flexible and digital.”

[e-mail]
[e-mail]