It was,we were told “an annual partner meeting,” and a chance to “connect in person to discuss our strategic priorities and reinforce the culture and values of the firm”.
So what then are we to make of the photos emerging from the get-together showing a bunch of Deloitte types having a wild old time,as disco lights flashed and a janky cover band belted out bangers to a braying crowd of partners?
Deloitte staff let their hair down at the firm’s “partner’s retreat” in Adelaide last week.Supplied
There was even a bloke crowd-surfing across what appears for all the world to be a mosh pit,but Deloitte’s official spokespeople wouldn’t comment on all that,saying they had nothing to add to their statement from last week. The “not a party” one.
Now,CBD ain’t the fun police and we firmly believe in the inalienable right of all Australians,boss or not,to get loose on the company dime.
But there’s a time and a place for such shenanigans,and against a backdrop of public anger at the big four’s taxpayer-subsidised extravagance,and Deloitte CEOAdam Powickhimself admitting to the Senate that he’s overpaid at $3.5 million a year,it all seems a little cringe.
Some things are best left for a boy’s trip,and not a company retreat.
We gave Powick a shout on Tuesday to ask if he had fun with his colleagues in Adelaide. We haven’t heard back.
ON THE BEER
Something we have heard is another big name from South Australia who popped into the Deloitte gathering – theme:Bold and Ambitious – for a pep talk on eating well from none other than pioneering Aussie food guruMaggie Beer.
We mentioned yesterday that the state’s PremierPeter Malinauskas also addressed the get-together. Sounds like quite a few days,all told.
JOYCE WORDS
Alan Joyce’s early retirement will still be haunted by nightmares of Joe Aston of our stablemateTheAustralian Financial Review’sRear Window column. We’re loath to pump up our competitors,but Aston made Joyce’s final months in charge utterly miserable,with a constant series of drive-bys on the embattled chief executive and his (mis)management of the airline.
When Qantas now-CEO-designateVanessa Hudsonwrote to the paper complaining the column “got some big numbers wrong,” the shots didn’t stop. When Joyce and Qantas chairRichard Goydercomplained to the paper’s editors that the attacks were too personal,things only intensified. Qantas responded by sooking even harder – pulling access to theFinfrom its lounges.
Hardly the only reason for Joyce’s early departure – a torrid final few weeks have included allegations by the consumer watchdog it sold tickets for “ghost flights,” accusations it pressured the government to give it a competitive advantage,plus that whole business about Albo’s son getting access to the Chairman’s Lounge.
But the constant stream of hit pieces surely may have made Joyce’s decision to go early more appealing. And they certainly fired up theFin’s core readership.
CONSTANCE CONTACT
In May,former NSW transport ministerAndrew Constancenarrowly lost out toMaria Kovacic for the Liberal Senate spot vacant following Jim Molan’s death. On Tuesday,he was in the public gallery for Kovacic’s first speech,alongside former North Sydney MPTrent Zimmerman. Former NSW treasurerMatt Kean watched from the floor,as did Opposition LeaderPeter Dutton.
Perhaps Constance is just a good loser who’s gotten over it. Perhaps also,the former minister whose Senate preselection loss came a year after failing to win the lower house seat of Gilmore for the Liberals,just can’t bear the FOMO of not being in federal parliament.
NACC CHAT
News on Tuesday that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is now in receipt of 813 “referrals” – in just two months – of alleged,suspected or just imagined instances of corruption,forces us to face the fact that dobbing to the NACC is a full-blown craze.
But something like 40 per cent of complaints received so far have failed to make the cut,leading us to believe that maybe some people have got a little carried away.
If this goes on,disputes over car parking outside federal buildings might trigger referrals and failure to use the toilet brush properly in Parliament House facilities could end up before the NACC. If all this becomes a national preoccupation,language will have to evolve,and CBD is here to help.
“Mate,I’m gonna NACC ya!” could fit seamlessly into the national vernacular.
“Oh,you better believe that’s a NACCing,” might be a fitting expression for something that’s crying out for a dob-in.
“You’re bleeding NACCed,me old beauty!” might suffice when the commission’s investigators pinch the collar of suspected wrongdoer.
CommissionerPaul Brereton might in time become known as the NACC Daddy – or the Daddy NACC,if you’d rather – if the poor man makes it through the early blitz of NACCings (see,it’s easy) arriving at his door.
BAD PRESS
Few tigers are as toothless as the Australian Press Council. It took the watchdog two years to find a savage,nasty editorial inThe Australianattacking the “work habits and hubris” of ABC journalistsLouise Milligan and Sally Neighbour was “inaccurate and unfair”.
The editorial,titled “Greatest enemy of truth is those who conspire to lie” was found to have caused substantial offence and distress without a sufficient public interest justification,and lacked fairness and balance.
After a process Milligan described as “wearying,” theOz did have to pay the tough penalty of having to publish the council’s verbose ruling in print and online. While there’s a note pointing to the adjudication on the editorial,the whole thing remains online. We’ve felt slaps on the wrist that were harder.
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