Brisbane Olympics boss Andrew Liveris the star at LNP MP Ted O’Brien’s fundraiser
The decision by Andrew Liveris to lend his stature as Olympics chief to Ted O’Brien’s ‘exclusive’ event for LNP donors could be controversial in both political circles and the Olympics movement.
Brisbane Olympics boss Andrew Liveris was the star attraction at an intimate event for federal Liberal National Party frontbencher Ted O’Brien’s fundraising program in a city wine bar cellar on Wednesday night, months out from the federal election.
The decision by Mr Liveris to lend his stature as Olympics chief to an “exclusive” event for LNP donors and their hand-picked guests could be controversial in both political circles and the Olympics movement, given his bipartisan role as president of the state government board charged with organising the 2032 Games.
Mr O’Brien, the member for Fairfax on the Sunshine Coast, invited members of his donor club, the Fairfax Network, to a “special event” in the private cellar room at Rothwell’s Bar & Grill in Brisbane’s CBD on Wednesday night, before Mr Liveris flew to Cairns for the organising committee’s board meeting on Friday.
LNP supporters pay $500 a year for membership of the Fairfax Network, entitling them to exclusive invitations to events, with proceeds poured into Mr O’Brien’s re-election campaign fund. The donors then pay extra to attend the functions, and to bring guests.
In an email to Fairfax Network donors, slugged “Momentum to the next election”, Mr O’Brien told members the event “will offer opportunities for networking and discussion in an exclusive private setting, and we expect it to sell out quickly”.
The drinks-and-canapes evening was organised by Mitchell Dickens, the LNP’s Sunshine Coast regional chair. Donors were asked to register guests who wanted to “hear more about the special projects and the exciting opportunities for business and investment” the Brisbane 2032 Games will offer.
Mr O’Brien was prime minister Scott Morrison’s “special envoy” for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, represented him on the successful bid team, and served on the organising committee with Mr Liveris as the PM’s proxy, until Anthony Albanese’s Labor government was elected in 2022.
The MP said it was not a fundraiser, but a networking event, and the guests were charged cost price to attend.
He confirmed the Fairfax Network was a fundraising program for his re-election campaign.
“I was delighted to host Andrew Liveris at a Fairfax Network event last night where he shared lessons learnt from Paris and his positive vision for Brisbane 2032,” Mr O’Brien told The Australian.
“Feedback from the Brisbane business community who attended the event was excellent. It was a networking event, not a fundraiser, as all tickets were charged on an at-cost basis.”
“As a former BOCOG director myself, and knowing Andrew doesn’t play partisan politics, I deliberately ensured the event was not political and extended the invitation beyond members of the Fairfax Network.”
Mr O’Brien provided The Australian with the written invitation, which describes “a special drinks & canapes event exclusive to Fairfax Network members and their guests”. He said of the 30 attendees, at least 21 were members of the Fairfax Network or their guests.
A Brisbane 2032 spokesman said: “Andrew was invited to speak at a networking event for a former Brisbane 2032 board director on the topic of the Brisbane 2032 opportunity and lessons from Paris 2024.
“Prior to accepting the invitation, event organisers advised the event was not a fundraiser and was open to guests outside their standard membership group.”
A senior political source said it was “not a good look” and they suspected Mr Liveris did “not know the full story” about the Fairfax Network’s fundraising purpose when agreeing to attend.
“Now that Mr Liveris knows the full story, I’m sure it’s something he regrets,” the source said.
“I trust (the organising committee’s) systems will be changed.
Mr Liveris was a bipartisan appointment by the Morrison federal government and the Palaszczuk state government to lead the Brisbane 2032 organising committee.
The former chairman and chief executive officer of Dow Chemicals, Mr Liveris has been an adviser to the Obama and Trump administrations in the United States, as well as the Morrison and Turnbull federal governments in Australia.
At the Paris Olympics in July, he asked Queensland political leaders not to make the Games a “political football” and give the community “whiplash” by changing plans about venues.
Last year, in an interview with The Australian, Mr Liveris said nuclear power from small modular reactors must be considered for the 2032 Games in order for organisers to make the event “climate-positive”.
Mr O’Brien, a vocal advocate for nuclear power, is LNP leader Peter Dutton’s spokesman for climate change and energy.
More Coverage
Might as well close it: Chalmers’ big call leaves fund without a future
It’s Jim Chalmers’ big chance to put his loopy ideas about ‘reinventing capitalism’ to become a ‘values-driven’ system into practice. Labor has never really liked the Future Fund because it’s a reminder of Peter Costello’s success.
Chalmers’ $230bn Future Funnel for favoured projects
Jim Chalmers is overhauling the investment mandate of the Future Fund to drive capital into Labor’s agenda, in a major shift in the role of the sovereign wealth fund established by the Howard government.