Murdoch Christmas party attracts a who’s who of business, political elite

As singer Andy Williams liked to say, it is the most wonderful time of the year. And so it was for the 100-odd Australian media and business executives and politicians who attended Thursday evening’s annual Christmas gathering at the Sydney home of media scion Lachlan Murdoch and his wife Sarah.

So, who was lucky enough to receive the invite this year? It would be remiss of us to exclude the predictable suspects – former New York Post editor-in-chief Col Allan, Sky News boss Paul Whittaker (also a former editor of The Australian) and Murdoch’s neighbour (and chairman of News Corp Australia), Michael Miller.

Alan Joyce, Shemara Wikramanayake and Matt Comyn arriving at Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch’s Christmas party in Sydney.Credit: Louie Douvis

Also rubbing shoulders with the Murdochs were former PM Tony Abbott, Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn, Macquarie Bank chief Shemara Wikramanayake, ex-FFA boss David Gallop, Qantas head honcho Alan Joyce, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, Health Minister Brad Hazzard, fellow media scion Ryan Stokes and the chief executives of Australia’s top major sporting codes, the NRL’s Andrew Abdo and the AFL’s Gillon McLachlan. It was nice to see 2GB breakfast show host Ben Fordham was also mingling as the sun went down on the Murdoch’s Bellevue Hill residence, along with federal Liberal MP Angus Taylor and his wife Louise.

And what would a Christmas party be without defamation lawyer Sue Chrysanthou?

Then there were the predictable Sky News clan and stablemate of editors – Peter Stefanovic, Rita Panahi, Laura Jayes, The Daily Telegraph’s editor Ben English, The Australian’s editor-at-large Paul Kelly and national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas, and The Sunday Telegraph’s editor Mick Carroll.

As ever, there must have been a lot to catch up on – the potentially historic merger of the Murdoch family’s two companies, Fox Corp and News Corp; Murdoch’s defamation case against independent publication Crikey; or what the new government has on the agenda.

One thing unlikely to be discussed (at least above a whisper) is the recent abrupt exit of The Australian’s editor-in-chief, Chris Dore.

While we’re confident the room was filled with whispers about the former News Corp golden boy, we’re sure those in the know will keep their lips sealed. After all, it’s a sure way to get an invite for next year’s Christmas rendez-vouz.

Illustration: John Shakespeare

OH, AUNTY

CBD is confident that the denizens of ABC’s national HQ in Sydney are focused on the big picture, so we were a little taken aback at the outpouring of emotion over the imminent closure of their beloved cafe Auntie Knows Best on the ground floor of the broadcaster’s Ultimo complex.

A series of internal emails – leaked to CBD because we’re focused on the big stuff too – show ABC staffers, well, freaking out a little in response to the news that the Auntie Knows Best team had failed to win the new tender to run the in-house catering operation.

“Whaaaa, that’s ridic,” wrote one Auntie staffer in response.

“STOP,” added another.

In an ominous sign for Ita Buttrose’s management, already facing a mutinous mood among staff over the enterprise bargaining negotiations that are a bit of a train wreck, we detected the first stirrings of anti-closure activism in this reply-all effort. “Who can we ask why they didn’t get the contract this time?”

But it seems that some in the building were taking the news with stoic calm, with the famously cool-as-a-cucumber host of panel show The Drum, Ellen Fanning, suggesting that a nice cup of tea and a calm down might be in order.

“Enough of this,” Fanning wrote, “Stop the reply all.”

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

The Greater Cities Commission, nee the Greater Sydney Commission, is an ever-growing beast, having expanded its planning powers north to Newcastle and south to Wollongong.

But don’t expect it to go anywhere near Canberra, judging by chief commissioner Geoff Roberts’ apparent distaste for the nation’s capital.

“The famous urbanist Jane Jacobs said it takes 100 years to build a great city,” he told a conference on Thursday. “In the case of Canberra ... I won’t finish that sentence.”

The cliched Canberra-bashing gag garnered a trickle of laughs -- but it might be time for some new material.

Premier Dominic Perrottet had already fled the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s Boomtown summit by then, heading to yet another Parramatta light rail photo opp.

For a project that is still more than a year away from opening, the Parramatta light rail has had more announcements than we’ve had hot dinners. Is there some sort of election coming up?

BIG CHEESE

Looks like Maggie Beer Holdings is cooking with gas once again, after a tough couple of pandemic years, especially in the dairy market, so much so that the company is seriously re-thinking a decision to sell off its remaining dairy farm business.

High-end cheese maker Paris Creek Farms has been on the block since … but things had not been going as smoothly as they did with the loss-making St David’s Dairy, which was offloaded in September to Goulburn Valley Creamery.

A “highly conditional” and non-binding offer for Paris Creek has fallen over and MBH chief executive Chantale Millard, who will leave the business at the end of the year, told shareholders on Thursday that maybe the company should cool its jets on the sale.

Paris Creek’s sales are up 13 per cent on the same time last year and with MBH’s eight lines of cheese now accounting for 22 per cent of its sales - must be all those cheese and crackers the nation has been munching on - it might make a lot of sense to keep an in-house production capability.

MBH has re-invented itself as an e-commerce powerhouse with a $40 million acquisition of Hampers & Gifts and has sold a million bucks worth of chilled cheese and entertaining hampers since June, another reason to hang onto the posh cheese operation and maybe even wonder if St David’s should have been kept.

Food for thought for the incoming CEO, whoever they are.

Maggie Beer herself remains a director of the company, but the culinary legend her husband, Colin, sold the remaining 52 per cent stake in the business in 2019.

Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.