You Don't Get To Jump The Donald

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday October 5, 2006

Michael Evans

Michael Evans knows things are cheap in Thailand but, c'mon, fair dinkum.

SURELY the Donald isn't rattled?

As Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie rolled up to address (another) bizoid crowd at the Westin Hotel in Sydney yesterday, one intrepid reporter pulled out the tape recorder to ask whether Telstra wanted to respond to the latest instalment from Sol Trujillo's colourful past to make headlines.

Small matter of claims shareholder interests weren't served when the Trujillo-led Orange sold its $US550 million stake in a Thai mobile provider for the equivalent of about 4c.

"I will not be ambushed," the Donald replied before pressing on. Must have been keen to tuck into the entree.

Still, an ungagged Telstra motor mouth Phil Burgess was more forthcoming: "The so-called Thailand incident is a tempest in a teapot, much ado about nothing and any other Shakespearean accolade you want to put on it."

Any other Shakespearean accolade we want, Phil ? OK.

How about Macbeth, Act I, Scene i: "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Or how about the famed stage direction from The Winter's Tale with Sol in the lead role: "Exit, pursued by a bear".

Politics, never

Chris MacKay was on the phone bright and early yesterday morning to report his wife's response to suggestions he harboured political aspirations.

Contrary to one whisper going around Tuesday's NSW Liberal Party lunch mentioned here, under no circumstances, none, nil, no way, is MacKay considering a career in politics, she, er, he said.

"She's horrified at the notion of me going into politics," the one-time UBS boss said of his wife. "She said, 'Not over my dead body you're not'."

In fact, the only link with the Member for Wentworth that MacKay would entertain is having bought his slightly ill investment house.

"My only connection with Malcolm is to have bought control of Pengana and I'm hoping to do that for at least the next 40 years. If they've got 80-year-olds going into politics then I've got a show."

Making it to 80 might be easier said than done after MacKay sustained a nasty school holiday injury on Tuesday.

"I broke my wrist yesterday [Tuesday] morning and I went to this lunch and was bloody sore afterwards.

"Being egotistical and male I didn't get it seen till late in the day and by that time it was too swollen.

"I was playing tennis with the kid. He's too good for me so I was trying to get back and I fell and just thought nothing of it .

"I just must've chipped something," he said before adding: "I've got a low wuss factor."

Judge done wrong

Court 21A has been its usual sea of black silk this week because a certain sporting contest delivered the wrong result on Saturday.

"If I come into court wearing a red and white scarf, you will know it has been a good weekend," was Justice Ron Sackville's adieu to the C7 crowd on Friday.

He still hadn't recovered by yesterday, when debate turned to why the Fox Footy channel closed recently.

"The saddest footy story I have heard all year is apparently 32,000 people watched the wrong grand final on Saturday," Ron interjected.

"They were watching the channel that showed last year's grand final. It had the same result in the sense that it was a very close game, yet the other side won."

For once Seven's silk Jonathan Sumption was lost for words.

"It is desperately sad but I'm not sure what I can say about it."

His honour: It's probably not a compensable loss but, given this case, who knows?

But avoided NRL

Sackville must have spent Sunday with some of his trillions of pages of C7 reading. He clearly wasn't watching another contest, if his comments about pay TV marketing in his old home state of Victoria are any guide.

Sumption said Foxtel had enjoyed a large market share in Victoria before it won the AFL rights.

The judge said there were plenty of reasons why southerners might pay to watch rugby league.

"It is quite plausible, is it not, that Foxtel's domination of the market even in Victoria was because even in Victoria there is a core of people who, for whatever reason, they migrated from Queensland or New South Wales or simply have bad taste or whatever, are committed to NRL."

Should be cheery

Should be a buoyant mood in the David Jones marquee for the Epsom at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Having led the retailer to a record profit last year and shareholders to a record share price, boss Mark McInnes and finance director Stephen Goddard are also enjoying the spoils.

DJs said yesterday McInnes and Goddard earned their full performance bonus entitlements for the three years to July 31, 2006.

McInnes scored 770,548 shares, translating to about $2.74 million when they were allocated last week, while Goddard received just under 350,000 shares valued at about $1.24 million.

Should shareholders continue to benefit from DJs' outperformance over the next two years, McInnes could earn a further 1 million performance-based shares and another 600,000 shares for staying the course of his contract.

Goddard could earn a further 520,000 performance-based shares over the next two years plus another 600,000 if he stays the distance.

DJs' share price was hovering around $1 when McInnes took over, with shareholders now enjoying the spoils of a price at record levels of $3.55 with analysts keen fans of the management team.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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