A crack squad of political operatives were spotted at newsworthy Miznon restaurant on Tuesday night.
The gang consisted of ex-prime minister Tony Abbott, former Labor MP Michael Danby, Abbott’s former chief of staff and Sky News host Peta Credlin, ex-Liberal Party federal director and Credlin husbo Brian Loughnane and former Victorian Liberal president and man about Melbourne Michael Kroger. The diners were seated upstairs at a big table near the balcony, which is pretty much top desk.
The Israeli restaurant in Hardware Lane was targeted on July 4.Credit: Aaron Francis
The Israeli restaurant has been at the centre of a new storm in recent weeks. As this newspaper has reported, the Hardware Lane venue is part-owned by Shahar Segal, who until recently was spokesman for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The foundation, an Israel and US-backed aid distributor in Gaza, has been widely criticised after hundreds of Gazans have died while trying to collect food.
On July 4 the restaurant was stormed by activists who turned over tables, scuffled with staff and caused alarmed diners to flee. This led to four arrests and widespread condemnation, not least as it happened on the same night as an arson attack on a synagogue and cars being torched at a company that forms part of the supply chain for Israeli fighter jets.
Since that night, it appears bookings for Miznon have swelled.
“The restaurant was buzzing, it’s full,” one source told us.
Danby, who’s spent much time lately whacking Labor over its treatment of Israel, organised the shindig as a show of solidarity with the restaurant.
At one point he proposed a toast, while the conversation – no prizes for guessing here – ranged from Israel to the Middle East and the Orange One.
At one point the gang was overheard declaiming when they realised CBD was on to them. Kids, our spies are everywhere!
Football and fashion
Spotted: Tabcorp chief executive Gillon McLachlan, bounding onto a Collins Street tram, heading towards Marvel Stadium, about 4pm Tuesday.
The former AFL chief executive, who is fighting to stop paying country pubs fees to host the company’s betting terminals, was carrying a copy of a book about the Western Bulldogs, wearing funky shoes and a jacket described as “sports floral”. First his top hat and tails look for Royal Ascot in mid-June, now this!
Florals for winter, in Melbourne of all places … that really is groundbreaking.
Going their separate ways
Just last year, colourful Liberal Party identity Teena McQueen was at Mar-a-Lago celebrating Donald Trump’s electoral triumph alongside her boss, Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart, and Nigel “Mr Brexit” Farage, the betting markets’ pick for next British prime minister.
Former Liberal Party vice-president Teena McQueen (left) with Gina Rinehart and Nigel Farage at Trump’s election watch party.
McQueen, a regular talking head on Sky News’ after-dark programming, joined the Hancock Prospecting payroll in 2022 as a group principal policy adviser to the executive team, and has since acted as a kind of Robin to Rinehart’s Batman, travelling with the boss to Florida last year and hanging out at Trump’s estate for the long victory celebrations.
But no more. CBD hears that McQueen is out of her role at the Hancock Prospecting family. Rinehart’s normally helpful team issued a swift “no comment” in response to our queries.
McQueen told us she would be taking some time off for family issues.
“She’s still a very good friend and wonderful person,” McQueen said of her billionaire pal.
McQueen is a former federal Liberal vice-president, who at the time of her hiring by Rinehart was subject to a gag order by the party following a train-wreck appearance on the ABC’s Q&A.
McQueen has managed to outlive the ABC program, which was euthanised a few months ago, and has recently made a name for herself through some fairly full-blooded interventions in various WhatsApp groups.
When broadcaster Alan Jones was charged with indecent assault offences last year (which he denies and is contesting), McQueen sprung to action, telling a Liberal group chat that the whole thing was “absolute bullshit”.
More recently, she told another group chat that a petition calling for gender quotas in the Liberal Party was “disgraceful”. Although, as this column reported, someone calling themselves “Teena McQueen” did sign that very same petition. Those crazy Liberals!
Freed from the admittedly loose and gilded shackles of Hancock Prospecting, we can’t wait to see what Teena says next.
Melbourne’s fantastic four
Local government may generally lack the perquisites afforded their state or federal counterparts. But four lucky councillors from the City of Melbourne are bucking this trend at an estimated cost of $81,800 to the ratepayer.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece along with councillors Kevin Louey, Phil Le Liu and Gladys Liu (the former Federal MP for Chisholm) are all set to enjoy business class plane amenities en route to an upcoming “business mission” in China and Japan this September. Business class seats on a business mission. But of course.
The aim of the trip? To promote trade and investment opportunities that might benefit Melbourne.
But with itinerary highlights including a river cruise on the Haihe River and a visit to the picturesque Pukou countryside, one wonders whether some time may also be reserved for more touristic endeavours.
We noticed that the meeting agenda seemed to specify that a singular councillor would be selected for the mission. The aforementioned group of four will be happy to hear that this was later amended to the plural.
“How good is Melbourne! We have three Chinese-Australian Councillors representing Melbourne on a North Asia Business Mission,” Reece said in a statement (which CBD noted aptly omitted his own cultural background).
Luckily councillor Rafael Camillo managed to lay down the law at last night’s Future Melbourne Committee meeting. At least that saves this columnist from doing the job.
“This is not a holiday … This is work,” Camillo instructed his fellow councillors. “I think the tone in the room is a little bit like some people are getting freebies … This is serious business.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.