CPAC Australia is an offshoot of the eponymous US outfit,so you can see why a group of locals were excited to be off on a “pilgrimage” to Washington,DC,to join one of the parent company’s events and pretty much claim credit for the victory of the No campaign in last year’s Voice referendum.
Among the pilgrims were CPAC Australia founder and executive directorAndrew Cooper,one of his fellow directors Lyndal Maloney and a group of up-and-comers lucky enough to score a spot on CPAC’s “global explorers” program,among them CBD’s favourite young conservative activistBarclay McGain.
Cooper managed to get himself in a group photo with some prominent people,including Britain’s shortest-serving Prime MinisterLiz Truss,Nigel “Mr Brexit” Farage,formerDonald Trump White House political directorMatt Schlapp andSteve Bannon,the brains behind the 45th president’s 2016 campaign.
Now,in such exalted company,you wouldn’t blame Cooper for a slightly nervy start to his big address. Turns out that,according to him,Australia voted last year on a proposal for a third chamber of parliament that would have “veto powers” over the Senate and the House of Reps. Golly,who knew?
Fortunately,CPAC Australia chairmanNyunggai Warren Mundine,who had to miss the US pilgrimage for personal reasons,and friend-of-the-networkJacinta Nampijinpa Price,stepped in and,apparently,helped drive the “absolute smashing” of the Yes campaign.
Cooper closed his set with a plea for Farage – who’s been seen at CPAC Down Under before – to rescind his verdict that Australia is the “wokest nation on Earth”,with Cooper hoping we may have redeemed ourselves with that referendum outcome.
We can only hope.
YES,MAN
We’ll linger just a while longer on Voice referendum nostalgia.
Before last year’s vote,Sky News tough guyChris Kenny put in a lonely shift as the right-wing channel’s token Yes supporter.
So it was great to see Chris maintaining the rage on the weekend,rocking up to his colleagueSharri Markson’s Coachella-themed 40th birthday party on the Central Coast resplendent in a Yes campaign T-shirt,lining up for a snapshot with Markson and two other Sky performers,Paul Murray andErin Molan.
Kenny also had on a bandana-type affair up top,a look thatHerald writer and journalistPeter FitzSimons once made his own. Was Kenny ribbing his progressive cross-town rival and fellow Yes supporter?
“It was fancy dress ‘Coachella’ style,” Kenny explained. “I’m closer to Woodstock than Coachella so I just channelled my inner hippie and it was an ideal chance to wear a great T-shirt!”
Also at the “Festival of Sharri” were plenty of TV types,plus TreasurerJim Chalmers’ wifeLaura Chalmers.
LADS ON TOUR
BroadcasterAlan Jones,who strenuously denies allegations in the Heraldlate last year that he indecently assaulted several young men,has been off in London with no real clarity about when he’ll return to his online streaming channel ADH TV.
While in London,Jones is being helped out by his protégéJake Thrupp,who’s studying at King’s College thanks to Alan’s generosity. Thrupp seems to be living his best life in the UK.
CBD’s spies spotted the baby-faced wannabe conservative pundit in Cardiff for the weekend’s Six Nations rugby clash between Wales and France,alongside quite an intriguing crew.
There was former Victorian Liberal MPTim Smith,whose political career never quite recovered from the time he crashed his Jaguar while drunk driving. There wasWilliam Wright,the UK managing director of GovConnex,the Aussie tech start-up for political lobbyists planning an assault on Westminster. Rounding out the quartet wasTaylor Gramoski,a former staffer to ex-NSW premierGladys Berejikliannow chief of staff at Water UK.
No sign,however,of Jones,who ADH maintains will soon be back in Australia.
HOLDING FORTH
At a business summit hosted by our stablemates atTheAustralian Financial Review,author and former speechwriterLucinda Holdforthhad some sage bits of advice for Australia’s corporate leaders,arguing that those who surrounded themselves with “yes people” risked disaster when faced with hostile media interviews and Senate inquisitors.
How else to explain the spectacular self-immolation of Woolies boss Brad Banducci onFour Cornersrecently,or the halting performances of many a corporate leader dragged into parliament in the past 12 months?
Of course,Holdforth would know a thing or two about the dangers of saying no. The former speechwriter forAlan Joyce once wanted to write a tell-all book on her time handling comms for the flying kangaroo,including her First Class seat during the CEO’s decision to ground the entire fleet in 2011.
ButFighting Words,Holdforth’s manuscript,never saw the light of day. Qantas bosses weren’t keen on the whole warts-and-all book,and went to court to block publication after Holdforth threatened to “go guerilla” if the airline didn’t co-operate.
While the court battle would’ve been juicy,the two parties quickly reached a settlement,with Holdforth agreeing to publish a 30-page extract not mentioning Qantas.
Frankly,we wish she’d said no.