Pauline Hanson shows Ralph Babet the ropes.John Shakespeare
It was an exciting enough show for it to be standing room only in the press gallery. Exciting enough for Queensland PremierAnnastacia Palaszczuk and her TreasurerCameron Dick (whose brotherMilton Dick is the new speaker) to make the trip south.
So too for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s entourage – partnerJodie Haydon,sonNathan Albanese and family friendMick Godfrey – to show up.
But two of parliament’s glamorous new teals,Monique Ryan andKylea Tink,were late to their first ever question time – the latter by 15 minutes!
Things must’ve been duller in Senate question time – CBD spotted two members of the red chamber’s “Facebook brain caucus”Pauline Hanson and the United Australia Party’sRalph Babet wandering the corridors when they should’ve been in the chamber. The One Nation leader seemed to be giving the newbie a tour of the House.
Meanwhile,Opposition LeaderPeter Dutton’s shadow ministerial media team finally sat down together,but more than one flack raised a despairing eyebrow at the threadbare talent assembled.
The long years in opposition are a hard sell to most except the most starry-eyed Young Liberals who make up a chunk of the new class of staffers,but among them are a few notable names. Veteran journalistBrett McCarthy,the editor ofThe West Australianfor nine years after more than two decades with News Corp,is doing media for shadow workplace relations ministerMichaelia Cash.
News Corp veteranGerard McManus – whose storied career with the tabloids in the press gallery even earned him a contempt of court conviction for refusing to reveal a source’s identity – is back with shadow infrastructure ministerBridget McKenzie,for whom he was chief of staff until her sports-rorts-related dumping from the ministry in 2020.
There’s also a family connection among opposition ranks. Dutton staffersHayleyandGenevieve Morrisare the twin daughters of formerJohn Howardchief of staff and Barton Deakin chairmanGrahame Morris.
A Nu hope
More bad news for Australian tech outfit Nuix on Wednesday,with the company advising investors of company secretaryMichael Egan’s departure and general counselBrianKrupczakis to be replaced byIllona Meyer,joining from pharma giant Boehringer Ingelheim.
What wasn’t announced was that Nuix’s executive vice president of the AmericasEthan Treese has also gone,as well as the head of the company’s – very important – engineering operation,Paul Keen.
The departures follow warnings of dismal set of results for the 2021-22 financial year:earnings,profits and contracts values all sharply fell compared to the previous year. About the only thing going up was lawyers’ fees,to fund multiple high-profile legal actions the company faces.
It’s not all bad news. Australian Ethical Investments is keeping the faith,spending another $640,000 or so on another million Nuix shares at about 64 cents on July 19,on top of $29 million the fund has spent since last June. That latest tranche was worth $570,000 on Wednesday.
Amid all of this,Nuix CEOJonathan Rubinsztein is keeping his eyes on the bigger picture,predicting the company’s new purpose statement – “being a force for good,by finding truth in the digital world” – would provoke a “vigorous debate internally about what is good and what is truth”.
He then proceeded to share a meandering post on the nature of truth written by his 19-year-old daughter.
No doubt. We reckon they’ll have plenty of other things to talk about too.
Otter force
As chairman of the joint chiefs of staff,Mark Milley is the most senior officer in the US army,and no doubt familiar with all manner of highly sophisticated military technology. But while in Sydney,the top general reacted with a sense of wonder after encountering “Otter,” the transcription app journalists at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel were using to record his press conference.
He even wanted to have a turn,speaking intoFinancial TimesreporterDemetri Sevastopulo’s phone. One of Milley’s posse of advisers was less impressed,pointing out the app’s vulnerability to Chinese snooping.
Milley didn’t seem bothered by this,even though minutes earlier,he’d warned reporters China wanted to “bully and dominate” the Indo-Pacific.
De-tealification
The impending retirement of Vaucluse MPGabrielle Upton means the race is on for the NSW Liberals to find a candidate to represent some of Sydney’s most exclusive real estate.
In an area most vulnerable to a teal heist,there’s broad consensus the Liberals need a female candidate. Which is why Tuesday’s Liberal women’s mid-year lunch at Sydney’s women’s club – the first such event in two years – served as an unofficial launch for the preselection campaign.
Upton,along with all four prospective successors the party’s state vice-presidentMary-Lou Jarvis,Woollahra mayorSusan Wynne,former TV presenterKellie Sloane (once approached to run as a teal) and Coalition for Conservation chairCristina Tolacko,were in the room.Daisy Turnbull,once considered a candidate,wasn’t around and we hear is likely out of contention.
Unlike the party’s fractious federal preselections this year,candidates want things to be civil and productive. Good luck.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley..