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It looks like Labor lefties are getting uncharacteristically organised as they campaign for official recognition by Australia of Palestinian statehood. Things are happening in different places that look like no coincidence.
Labor’s Victorian conference, after a motion from the left-leaning Australian Services Union, called on the weekend for the Albanese government to immediately recognise Palestine as a state, foreshadowing a similar move at the upcoming national gathering.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Victorian Labor state conference at the weekend.Credit: Luis Ascui
Recognition has actually been part of Labor’s official policy platform for a couple of years, but governments can and do blithely ignore official platforms, especially when they’re politically tricky. And yet … an appearance by former Labor foreign minister and enthusiast for the cause Gareth Evans in parliament last week flew under the radar but could prove significant.
The Bearded One made a speech to the gathering of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine and caught up with one of his successors in the foreign affairs job, Penny Wong – the pair were spotted hugging – which made us wonder whether the hard word was being put on the government to get on and officially recognise Palestine.
Evans told us that Wong was “not opposed to implementing platform, just a question of timing”. Implementation would, of course, be quite big if it actually happened.
Wong’s office wouldn’t comment on the private conversation but directed us to the foreign minister’s public comments about how any decision on Palestinian statehood was a matter for the government, rather than Labor’s national conference.
WET BETS
Crown casino has had a couple of days from hell. Slapped with $20 million in fines on Friday for failing to pay state taxes, the Southbank operation faced fresh horror on Saturday when a sprinkler system inside Johnny Di Francesco’s high-end on-site pizza joint, Gradi Crown, caused disruption on an epic scale.
Gradi and two other restaurants were closed for the night, with diners offered tables at other Crown outlets. We’re told large parts of the gaming floor had to be cordoned off, leaving punters unhappy to say the least.
Crown’s head of corporate communications, CBD’s dear old pal Kris Taute, confirmed that repairs were still under way on Monday. But when is Crown’s luck going to change? That’s anybody’s guess.
VENETIAN VOWS
It’s June, the start of the society wedding season in Europe for some of Australia’s richest couples. Not to be outdone by last week’s Parisian nuptials for Sydney chicken heiress Tamie Ingham, of the Ingham family chook empire, and chef Guillaume Brahimi, Melbourne food baron Chris Lucas, of Society and Chin Chin fame, and Sarah Lew, one-time daughter-in-law of Premier Investments boss Solly Lew, are set to tie the knot in Venice next weekend.
Well, technically, they are already married – the couple, who have been together more than a decade, held a legal civil ceremony at their Toorak home recently (it’s notoriously hard for foreigners to marry in Italy, even if you are loaded) – but the reception, set for three days in the Italian City of Love, promises to be a banger.
Chris Lucas and Sarah Lew on a previous ski trip in Aspen.Credit: Instagram
There’s an 80-strong guest list and those believed to be attending include P.E Nation co-founder Pip Edwards and Pratt heiress Fiona Geminder.
What it may lack in power compared with the Ingham crowd, which included Lachlan Murdoch, outgoing AFL boss Gil McLachlan and Nine personality Karl Stefanovic (Nine is the owner of this masthead), it will make up for in “lewks”. Saint Laurent is said to have been ransacked in Melbourne in the lead-up to the big day, with guests desperate to emulate the bride’s favourite designer look.
LEADING LADY
Tina Arena was never cut out to be a public servant. While Scott Morrison’s government gave the former PM’s favourite singer a spot on the Australia Council board, Arena was a regular no-show at meetings, attending just three out of six in the last financial year, and less than half in the years previous.
Finally, Arena resigned from the board last month, with a good two years of an extended three-year term left to run, citing “work commitments” as the reason for her departure.
But one of those commitments appears to be doling out career advice to aspiring mandarins – the “Australian living legend” will deliver a keynote address at a Women in Public Sector Leadership Summit at Canberra’s Hotel Realm next month.
The event, organised by an outfit called the Leadership Institute, which seems to specialise in such corporate self-help sessions for the RM Williams set – also features talks from actual senior public servants, and writers’ festival fixture Bri Lee, for some reason.
Given Arena’s attendance record, we’re not sure how many insights she’ll be able to provide on public sector leadership.
But the topic of the address by the singer, who was contacted through her management for comment on Monday – “the importance of hard work, self-belief and knowing your worth” – sounds pretty inspirational.
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