Cavalry called in to spruik AUKUS to our neighbours

A month after inking the AUKUS agreement, the federal government is attempting to shore up its shaky diplomatic links with the neighbours. And not a moment too soon, given the Indonesians expressed concerns and Malaysia warned against triggering a regional nuclear arms race.

In the aftermath of the announcement, the federal government sicced chief of army Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy, former defence force chief Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston and living legend General Sir Peter Cosgrove onto the diplomatic effort.

And now the cavalry has arrived. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPC) has quietly tapped senior diplomat and regional expert Simon Merrifield to lead a review into relations with Indonesia. Officially, Merrifield, who spent three years from 2013 as Australia’s inaugural ambassador to ASEAN based in Jakarta, will review ‘‘Australia’s relationship’’ with Indonesia, ‘‘bringing together views across government and from external stakeholders’’. But DPC sources have a frank translation of this remit: help to re-establish dialogue and smooth diplomatic channels with the most populous country in the region.

The salary for the six-month post proves it’s a big job. Merrifield will take home $220,000 for the August-to-February assignment.

But wait – there’s more. DPC has tapped Julia Gillard’s former national security adviser and Australia’s former deputy high commissioner (Singapore) Richard Maude to assist. He’ll take home $80,000.

SOUTHERN LIGHTS

Look out, Melbourne. One of Sydney’s most prolific government relations firms is marching south. The Cornerstone Group – led by Liberal powerbroker Joe Tannous – is opening up shop in Victoria. And a newly assembled and heavyweight group of advisers and fledgling employee list shows Cornerstone means business on Collins Street. Labor elder statesman Simon Crean, former Liberal minister and Malcolm Turnbull confidant Craig Laundy and former Queensland Nationals premier Rob Borbidge are all on the advisory board, while former Andrews Victorian government chief of staff and public transport executive Daniel Hoare has been tapped to lead the office. The new group is a joint venture between Tannous’ Cornerstone Group and Brisbane’s Govstrat, which is led by former Beattie government senior adviser Damien Power. They aim to create a bipartisan national lobbying and communications outfit. Good luck!

DYNAMITE FISHING

And there’s plenty of work about. While the pandemic has taken a toll on some industries, it’s been a veritable boon for the country’s lobbyists, who have seen an influx of new clients trying their luck with various state and federal government incentives. PremierState chairman Michael Photios, one of Tannous’ biggest Sydney competitors, wrote to clients last April telling them his outfit was ‘‘on a war footing’’ and had ‘‘expanded our operating hours to a seven-day/seven-night platform to meet the increased demand on our services at this challenging time’’. Lucrative stuff.

PremierState has added 35 new clients to its book in NSW this year alone including Origin Energy, Chugg Entertainment, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and CSR Limited. Cornerstone has also expanded its book adding Imperial Tobacco in January, Canceraid in May and DoorDash this month.

BUM NOTE

Jonathon Welch AM, the former musical director of the School of Hard Knocks community choir for the homeless and disadvantaged, suffered a bit of a knock of his own in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on Friday.

AAT Senior Member Professor Ann O’Connell ruled that Welch’s Play It Forward musical education business could no longer use the Voices of Casey Choir name, which he had registered in September 2020 with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

That was because it had a name that was nearly identical to a choir Welch had previously been involved with, called the Voices of Casey, which choir manager Paulien George had registered with ASIC two years earlier.

George had taken ASIC to the AAT, arguing the names created confusion and O’Connell ruled the ASIC decision should be set aside.

But the AAT was rocked midway through the hearing process when Welch hired Mills Oakley partner Stuart Gibson to write a legal letter to George to tell her that her AAT submissions contained some ‘‘defamatory publications’’ about Welch. ‘‘It goes without saying, if our client has been, or is ever, slandered, defamed, or has any falsehoods conveyed about him by you in actionable publications ... we have instructions to immediately sue you and any and all entities responsible for the publication and any re-publication,’’ Gibson wrote.

Quite a thing to send during the middle of a tribunal case.

Welch and Gibson were told to explain why they should not be referred to the Legal Services Commissioner and the Attorney-General for making legal threats in the middle of tribunal proceedings.

An AAT spokeswoman said: ‘‘The senior member has not taken action about conduct of the parties or their representatives at this time.’’