Bruce Hales is a businessman who once sold office furniture before realising how much more lucrative it was just to sell religion.
“Elect Vessel” of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church Bruce Hales (front left),preaching in the United States.
His followers have a bunch of names for him:the Man of God,the Elect Vessel,the Paul of Our Day. They say of him that he is “so close to the Lord Jesus that he can feel his heartbeat”.
As such an ethereal being,Hales takes great pains to avoid being photographed. So it caused huge agitation within his little sect when,in the wake of on a company run by some of the church members,our colleagues recently published the first fresh photograph of Hales seen in decades.
There he is,preaching,surrounded by his white-shirted colleagues – all blokes,not a woman in sight. They refer to themselves as the “saints”,but if that’s what heaven looks like,we at CBD are delighted to be going to another place.
Anyway,the appearance of the pic has generated feverish discussion within the Brethren about how it came to be in the hands of reporterMichael Bachelard. Text messages obtained from one such internal debate suggest we offered – wait for it – $1 million for it.
Now,Hales might well be,as the Brethren believe,the Minister of the Lord in the Recovery of the Truth,but he’s worth nothing like that. We can reveal exclusively that the photo came to us from a disgruntled member of his flock. Gratis.
And we wouldn’t have paid a cent for it.
Gatto’s gala
The list of entertainment and sporting luminaries thatMick Gatto has convinced to spruik his autism charity continues to grow.
Mick Gatto in June 2022.Getty Images
In addition to his long and well-documented career as an industrial relations mediator and debt collector,the controversial Melbourne identity also helps run the charity Equal Access For Autism,which was founded by Gatto and his wife,Cheryl Gatto.The couple have a grandson who is on the spectrum.
Gatto’s career transition to philanthropy has continued to surprise CBD. For someone with a chequered past,he seems to have no trouble recruiting famous types to support his charitable efforts. This year’s autism gala,held at the weekend,was no exception.
Mick Gatto and John Setka.John Shakespeare
CBD heard that celebrity chefGeorge Calombaris catered the event and was seen mixing in the crowd. Lamb man,meat lobbyist and former AFL starSam Kekovich was also present.
BarristerRobert Richter,KC,was seen posing for a pic with Mick,as was ousted Liberal MPMoira Deeming,currently embroiled in legal action against Victorian Opposition LeaderJohn Pesutto (perhaps she could get Mick on board to negotiate a settlement).
Pictured with Moira and Mick was defeated Liberal candidateMichael Piastrino,who unsuccessfully challenged then-premier Daniel Andrews in his seat of Mulgrave.
Nine legend Peter Hitchener sent a video endorsement.
Gatto told CBD they’re still counting how much was raised over the course of the evening,but he reckons it was well over $1.5 million from ticket sales and more than 20 sponsors.
Construction union bossJohn Setka’s CFMEU was among the sponsors. Many have endorsed the charity on social media too:broadcaster and columnist forThe AgeWaleed Aly, AFL greatNicky Winmar,Olympic legend Dawn Fraser,and Kiwi boxerSonny Bill Williams have all plugged the charity on Instagram.
“We’re moving ahead in leaps and bounds,” Gatto said,“and we’re leaving a legacy so we do make a difference and do help autistic people and their families.”
SURPRISE FOR OVERLAND
Staying with matters Melbourne underworld-related,former police chief commissionerSimon Overland testified in drug lordTony Mokbel’s appeal on Monday,and even he was surprised by some of the revelations.
Put to him on Monday by formidable interrogatorJulie Condon,SC,representing Mokbel,that at one point about 130 – yes,you read that right,130 – members of Victoria Police knew the super-secret identity of supergrass barrister Nicola Gobbo,Overland was shocked by the number.
Mokbel is challenging his conviction over drug trafficking offences,arguing in front of NSW Supreme Court judgeElizabeth Fullerton that Gobbo’s role as an informant contaminated his case.
Former police commissioner Simon Overland.Jason South
This was Overland and Condon’s exchange:“I think at some stage there’s about 130 Victoria Police members who know of[Nicola Gobbo’s] real identity. Do you accept that?” Condon put to Overland.
“I’m surprised by that number,but I accept it.”
Far be it for this column to understand the intricacies of confidential human source management in the midst of an underworld war,but as Condon also highlighted,the whole point of having super-secret confidential sources is that they remain super-secret and confidential.
“The idea was to keep the number of people who knew the identity source to as small as possible a number,” Overland told Condon.
“And did that happen with Ms Gobbo?”
“Well,no,unfortunately it didn’t,” he admitted.
Mokbel’s appeal over drug trafficking offences has been dragging on for two months,unearthing fresh revelations about one of the worst episodes in Victoria Police history.
The revelations are expected to continue next week as police legal bossFindlay McRae and JusticeJohn Champion testify.
McLACHLAN’S SECOND ACT
Who said Australia doesn’t believe in second chances for the cancelled? In May 2022,actorCraig McLachlan abruptly dropped a defamation case againstThe Ageand theABC over a 2018 investigation alleging he indecently assaulted and sexually harassed female performers during a stage production ofThe Rocky Horror Show.
McLachlan’s capitulation came on the 10th day of a hearing before the NSW Supreme Court,leaving the Gold Logie winner on the hook for about $2 million in legal costs.
Now,he hopes for a return to the limelight,signing with Markson Sparks,the agency run by celebrity managerMax Markson,father of News Corp’sSharri Markson.
In a release describing McLachlan as a “triple threat” and “icon of the screen,” Markson notes that the actor recently starred in the 2023 season of Seven’sSAS Australia. It isn’t the first time that network has helped give McLachlan a new life.
Craig McLachlan arrives at the NSW Supreme Court in 2022.Louise Kennerley
In 2020,the actor was acquitted of criminal charges related to his conduct onThe Rocky Horror Show. The next year,he gave a tell-all interview to Seven’sSpotlight – the program now synonymous with unedifying chequebook journalism thanks to recent evidence before the Federal Court inBruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Ten.
Meanwhile,as Markson plans to take McLachlan back to the lofty heights he once scaled,the actor’s name is still being dragged through the courts.
Last year,formerRocky Horror co-starChristie Whelan Browne,a co-defendant in the aborted defamation case,sued the theatre company Oldfield Entertainment,alleging sexual harassment by McLachlan. The matter is still before the courts.
“You can’t quell talent of that magnitude;whether it be at London’s West End,or starring on stage or screen here in Australia,Craig will be back and sooner rather than later,” Markson said.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories,analysis and insights..