By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
Every October, the gods seem to smile on Peter “Showbags” V’landys.
Within just a few dazzling spring weeks, the NRL Commission chair and Racing NSW chief executive gets to host both a grand final and the Everest, the $20 million race he is desperate to turn into a bigger deal than the Melbourne Cup, much to the chagrin of our self-important southern neighbours.
But this Saturday’s edition of the Everest is likely to be upstaged by the far more important question of the Voice to parliament referendum.
No problem for V’landys, who displayed all his trademark confidence when CBD came calling on Monday, even suggesting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese knew exactly what he was doing when he selected the date for the vote.
“The reason they put it on that day is because the prime minister was hoping it was an omen that in 2019, a horse won called Yes Yes Yes,” V’landys said.
But the Sydney supremo – whose spat with interstate racing authorities over a whole bunch of things, not least the non-Group 1 status of The Everest, Australia’s richest race, is anything but light-hearted – laughed off the notion that Saturday’s referendum might hurt turnout at Royal Randwick, where he expects a 45,000-strong full house.
“It would have no impact at all because two-and-a-million have already voted and booths open early in the morning … and I noticed the Electoral Commission was telling people that if they’re going to the Everest, there are going to be booths nearby,” V’landys said.
But local Labor MP and active Yes-campaigner MP Matt Thistlethwaite won’t be among the punters at the track, planning instead to spend the day on the hustings in a last-ditch effort to get the Voice over the line.
But he did encourage locals turning up to vote Yes at Kensington Public School on Doncaster Avenue across the road from the track.
HARD LANDING
In name alone, the Senate Select Committee into Bilateral Air Service Agreements sounds like a total snooze-fest.
But the inquiry, triggered by the Albanese government blocking Qatar Airways’ request for extra flights into Australia, provided us with no shortage of entertainment – from footage of Qantas executives squirming in the Senate, to an endless stream of juicy titbits detailing how the national carrier flexed its influence in the corridors of power.
And it also showed how our independent, frank and fearless public servants were roped into helping the government kiss the Qantas ring. In responses to questions on notice, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet revealed its bureaucrats had helped provide “factual background on Qantas” to Anthony Albanese’s office ahead of a private farewell dinner hosted by former chief executive Alan Joyce for select politicians in the Parliament House members’ dining room in August.
Albo’s attendance was reportedly brief, and you’d think given his close relationship with Joyce, he wouldn’t need lanyard-toters helping come up with dot points on the former boss’ career.
That wasn’t the only time the department helped out that special relationship. They also worked on a speech Albanese delivered at Qantas’ 100th birthday gala dinner in March this year, where Kylie Minogue entertained a star-studded gathering at the Sydney Airport hangar.
In particular, the department revealed it had sent a draft speech to the Prime Minister’s Office days before the address which included this killer line:
“I was the minister responsible for aviation for many years. I learned whenever there’s a crisis, you pick up the phone and Qantas will be there.”
We wouldn’t be in a hurry to admit to that one either.
Meanwhile, answers submitted by Virgin show it beating its bigger rival in the transparency stakes. The Bain Capital-owned airline confirmed that two of its employees – namely corporate affairs chief Christian Bennett and government relations general manager Todd Reynolds – had Parliament House access passes.
Sponsorship for the Virgin boys came from former Liberal minister for failing upwards Alan Tudge, and Labor MP Graham Perrett.
ON YOUR MARKS
ABC chair Ita Buttrose’s decision not to seek reappointment when her terms ends next March means time is running away from the Albanese government in its race to find a new top dog at the public broadcaster.
Given Aunty’s years of indifference to anyone under the age of 60, it’s CBD’s hope that the government goes for a dose of fresher blood. And while that’s a view even Ita seems to share, the names in the mix thus far look just a little pale, male and stale.
As this masthead has reported, Gilbert + Tobin founder Danny Gilbert, a key backer of the Yes campaign, looks an early frontrunner. Also in the mix is former News Corp Australia chief executive Kim Williams, famed for a spectacular falling out with Lachlan Murdoch, and being the late Gough Whitlam’s son-in-law.
Both were part of the (all-male) shortlist, along with former Fairfax boss Greg Hywood, presented to the Morrison government when it was trying to replace Justin Milne in 2019. Those names were ignored when Ita become captain’s pick.
Another fella whose name has started getting tossed around is former Nine chief executive Hugh Marks, although he was in no mood to entertain CBD’s speculative imaginations when contacted on Monday.
As far as female contenders go, both former PM Julia Gillard and ex-Queensland premier Anna Bligh have the right Labor bona fides. But this doesn’t at all seem like Gillard’s style. And anyone serious about the job is wisely keeping their cards close to their chest right now.
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