The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China takes a pretty hawkish stance on foreign policy,but is generally a broad church – late Labor SenatorKimberley Kitchingwas a founding member,and it draws from both the Labor and Liberal sides of politics. Now,it counts Greens among its ranks,with Victorian SenatorJanet Rice joining this year,which we’re told is consistent with her concern about China’s treatment of Uyghur and Tibetan minorities.
Andrew Hastie ... still a member and headed to Washington DC.Brook Mitchell
Tasmanian Greens leaderCassy O’Connor is also a member,and given IPAC is co-chaired by one-time Republican presidential hopeful “little” Marco Rubio,and includes very conservative Liberal SenatorAlex Antic,well that’s some true bipartisanship.
More curious was the absence,on IPAC’s website,of shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie, a founding co-chair of the organisation barred from entering China back in the days when people could do that for his strong criticism of Beijing.
Apparently,it’s all an error – Hastie is still a member and is headed to the organisation’s conference in Washington DC next week with an Australian delegation drawn from across the aisle:fellow LiberalJames Paterson (an IPAC co-chair),along with Labor’s Deb O’Neill andPeter Khalil.
Strategic Moves
Speaking of China hawks,there have been a few movements at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute,the Lockheed Martin and US State Department-funded think tank so influential in shaping the Morrison government’s thinking toward Beijing.
The organisation’s director of defence,strategy and national security,Michael Shoebridge,brother of new Greens SenatorDavid Shoebridge,finished up last week after a four-and-a-half-year stint.
And since the election,David Wroe,a former senior media adviser for then-foreign ministerMarise Payne and an erstwhile defence and national security correspondent for this masthead has joined as strategic communications director.
He’s the second Payne alum to jump over to ASPI,following her old chief of staffJustin Bassi who was appointed executive director by the former Morrison government earlier this year.
There’s been a bit of movement in the “Lobby Land” end of the Canberra bubble too. Liberal-aligned government relations powerhouseCrosby Textor has added two refugees from the last government to their stable –Talitha Try,a former senior adviser to Scott Morrison,who worked forAngus Taylor andBronwyn Bishop has joined as a senior manager. Shadow health minister Anne Ruston’s policy adviserMadeleine Church has also joined up.
Tony keeps winning
While the Sydney Swans reached an AFL preliminary final after a gusty win over reigning premiers Melbourne on Friday night,former blood turned hotshot ABC sports presenterTony Armstrongalso had a good weekend on the paddock.
Benke
A few months after collecting his first Logie – for outstanding new talent,sparking fevered speculation of a move to commercial TV – Armstrong is celebrating a Bellarine footy league premiership with his team Barwon Heads after the Seagulls knocked over their rivals from Torquay in the grand final on Saturday.
ABC News Breakfast made quite a deal of Tony being out on the town and hard to find after his Logie win – he was on annual leave from his hosting duties,let the record show – and it was equally unclear on Sunday if he was going to make a weekend of it with his teammates after their big win.
Former AFL player and now ABC sports presenter celebrates with Barwon Heads team-mates.
CBD couldn’t get hold of Armstrong to check.
The presenter – who played 35 AFL games with the Swans,Adelaide Crows and Collingwood – made a comeback to footy this year,joining Barwon Heads midway through the season to play alongside his pal and former Magpies teammateNathan Brown.
Hemmed In
Will he,won’t he or has he already done it?
That was the question posed Friday lunchtime when the six foot six,man-bunned pub mogulJustin Hemmes wandered into the Oaks hotel on Sydney’s lower north shore.
The excitement comes as the Oaks is for sale for $175 million.
CBD’s spy watched as Hemmes and the owner’s sonAndy Thomas took some happy snaps at the front of the heritage site,then did a walkthrough to look at the famous Oak tree.
Word on the pub street is that a deal is already done and that Hemmes may take possession sooner than later.
When contacted by CBD’s intrepid spy about his Oaks visit,the pub baron texted back,“just viewing”.
Whether or not a deal is on,Hemmes is no stranger to life north of the bridge – he owns The Newport,and the Oaks would doubtless sit well in his Merivale empire. While currently focused on his regional enterprises at Narooma,Byron Bay and his share of a Queensland Island,he says he is always looking!
Further south,Hemmes has big plans in the city to convert his York Street CBD pub and office towers he bought this year into a new Ivy,then convert the existing Ivy into an office and hotel complex,said to be in a joint venture with Lendlease.
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