There aren't many better spectacles than witnessing our man in the sound-booth Neil Mitchell make his feelings clear to an unwitting subject.
Credit: Matt Golding
The subject at hand?
Legal advice emailed to 3AW and 2GB staff outlining a byzantine set of rules and directives for reporting on the upcoming federal election.
Macquarie Media’s general counsel Alessandra Steele's missive included the following:
“Any political party that approaches the station for an opportunity to put its position forward should not be denied, but rather, if you do not wish to put them to air in a program, they must be referred to the sales department.”
It didn't go down well.
“In my view this is unworkable,” 3AW’s breakfast host Neil Mitchell replied all (accidentally).
The man has a point.
We can’t imagine Macquarie Media's Sydney stars Alan Jones or Ray Hadley will have much time for these rules, put in place as the NSW state election in March also approaches.
Each producer must “ensure that there is written evidence of an invitation given to each politician or representative of a lobby group who appears on the station”, but not if they call through the talk-back line, which is in itself an “invitation”.
And best of all, if a politician “suggests a topic to discuss” on air, the producer must make sure to turn that around and invite them, in writing, to “discuss this today, if that suits you”.
Who could decline such a polite offer?
Snagged on a Dragon Pearl
Here’s a novel payment plan for you: No boat, no fee.
But that’s the deal law firm DLA Piper allegedly cut for Melbourne silk Michael Wyles, QC, and Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal member Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez, when it contracted the pair to act on behalf an international liquidator recouping goods from embattled Gold Coast businessman Geoffrey Cassidy.
And now the pair are taking action against the firm, after being allegedly stiffed of almost $400,000 in fees, all because DLA partner Kon Tsiakis allegedly failed to tell the pair that this was a no-win, no-fee case.
Cassidy has been accused of rorting more than $42.5 million from Singaporean private jet hire company Zetta Jet, using the money to throw a bunch of parties, buy two boats, pads in Europe and a stable of fast cars.
The jewel in the crown? A $4.5 million Maritimo 70 cruiser named the Dragon Pearl.
Zetta Jet filed for bankruptcy in 2017 when it could no longer pay its bills.
A bankruptcy motion accused Cassidy of fraud, embezzlement and host of fiduciary breaches.
International liquidators have been squabbling over the assets ever since, with the Australian Federal Court being drawn into the matter after being directed to seize the Dragon Pearl in October 2017.
DLA Piper was drawn into the international asset chase in 2018, contracting Wyles and Pintos-Lopez to act on behalf of international liquidator and DLA partner Jonathan D. King, attempting to regain control of the boat.
The pair accepted the brief and represented the client, racking up fees of almost $400,000 in the process.
But they were unsuccessful regaining control of the Dragon Pearl. And when they filed their invoice, they received a nasty surprise.
In Wyles’ statement of claim filed with Federal Court, Tsiakis allegedly “held the view that DLA was not responsible to pay Mr Wyles the fees he has invoiced unless DLA received monies to do so from its client and failed to articulate this view to Mr Wyles".
While we’re familiar with personal injury firms operating on a no-win, no-fee basis, we’re less familiar with that approach between barristers and solicitors.
We’re told Wyles has now settled. Pintos-Lopez is still waiting
Queuing around the corner
Mr Bondi Icebergs Maurice Terzini has made his intentions to reopen in his home town loud and clear, but Melbourne's movers and shakers are showing they're sticklers for tradition, with Ronnie Di Stasio’s new city outpost Di Stasio Citta packed out every night in the past week.
The role call of heavy hitters was well documented during its first week of operation. What’s more surprising is that they were still out in force on Sunday night.
ABC director Joe Gersh didn’t let the prospect of a school night, nor the tough challenge of appointing a new ABC chair, get in the way of a night out with a group over a bowl of pasta.
Across the room, former St Kilda footy coach Grant Thomas dined with a friend.
Also in the house, Australian Sports Commission boss John Wylie, who’s obviously not much chop as a dinner partner: he spent about 25 minutes on the phone outside the restaurant while his buddy waited patiently inside at their table for two.
Racing royalty Gai and Robbie Waterhouse were also present for the dinner session.
The out-of-towners looked well at home, pausing for a long chat with Di Stasio on their way out.