While then professor Justin O’Brien was hammering home the need for corporations to build trust and be accountable, behind the scenes he was wreaking havoc, writes Luke Stacey.
most recent search Luke Stacey
Centre of Non-Excellence: how to win grants and influence people … in Australia’s universities
He partied hard, raised millions in ARC grants and corporate donations, moved from Monash Uni to the Middle East, UNSW to Sydney University. Luke Stacey investigates why nobody checked the man on a “probity” mission.
No Body Bags: private aged care, private hospitals expose transport workers to Covid
“If we roll the deceased body, that expels the coronavirus-infected air from the lungs, it clearly extends the risk to my staff and my family,” says frontline worker in Victorian aged care crisis.
Peter McGauran
Former Nationals Minister Peter McGauran was elected to the House of Representatives for Gippsland, Victoria in 1983, retiring from government in 2008. In his post-political career, McGauran has worked in several lobbyist positions including his appointment as CEO for Racing Australia from 2012 to 2016.
Health Warning: Alcohol industry can cause lifelong harm to your baby
The alcohol industry’s peak lobby group Alcohol Beverages Australia has a powerful ally in the chairman of the ministerial forum on food regulation. Liberal MP Richard Colbeck has put forward similar arguments to the ABA to delay the adoption of stronger health warnings. Food ministers are due to vote next week on the issue, writes Luke Stacey.
Richard Colbeck
In 2018, Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck returned to parliament in true revolving doors fashion after a 14 month stint as chairman for peak gambling lobbyists Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA). Colbeck is also chairman of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation who have been pivotal in recently delaying a new mandatory pregnancy warning label for all alcohol products in the interest of alcohol industry lobbyists.
John S Horvath
John S Horvath was The Australian Government Chief Medical Officer (CMO) from 2003 to 2009 and is now the Deputy Chairman for Crown Resorts Ltd. Horvath has close ties to the Packer family, previously a personal physician to the late Kerry Packer.
Troy Grant
Former Minister for Hospitality, Gaming and Racing and heavy donor recipient from Tabcorp and other racing lobbyists, Troy Grant now serves as Chairman of the Integrity Assurance Committee for RacingNSW.
George Souris
George Souris is a former member of the NSW Parliament, representing Upper Hunter for The Nationals. During his time with the Nationals he received a total of $13,000 in donations from The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and was instrumental in signing the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding with ClubsNSW which afforded the lobbyist organisation several benefits including a $300 million tax break. Souris is now Director on the board of RacingNSW, appointed in December 2017.
Barry O’Farrell
Former Premier for NSW from 2011 to 2014, Barry O’Farrell became CEO of Racing Australia in December 2016, later resigning in 2019. During his years in parliament he held close ties to influential liquor and gambling lobbyists, most notably The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and ClubsNSW. O’Farrell is heavily linked to the approval of James Packer’s proposal for his Crown hotel-casino at Barangaroo on Sydney Harbour.
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That’s all she wrote
I never thought I’d say it, but I can no longer go on working. It takes all my effort to breathe and I’m not managing that too well. And now my mind is getting wobbly – hard to think, let alone concentrate. So I am afraid there is not much point in continuing to push...
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An all-out trade war with China would cost Australia 6% of GDP
China accounts for more than a third of export dollars earned by Australia. Credit – Unsplash The figures, for the 12 months to October, cover the period of coronavirus disruptions and disputes over trade. They apply to physical exports rather than harder to...
