By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
Outside a handful of conspiracy theory-addled basement dwellers, we doubt anyone really wants far-right influencer Candace Owens appearing on these shores.
The Albanese government is under pressure from the Coalition and Jewish groups to deny a visa to Owens, who has claimed that Israel is a “cult” and that Hollywood is run by “secret Jewish gangs”. We can’t imagine she has anything of value to add to the public discourse.
But speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB this week (a station operated by Nine, owner of this masthead), Owens insisted she’d be coming to our shores in November.
And Owens’ tour of curious local media outlets continued on Thursday when she popped up on ADH TV, the James Packer-backed online outrage network that was once helmed by Alan Jones, off air since this masthead revealed allegations of indecent assault against the broadcaster (which he firmly denies).
In an interview with that outlet’s new boy, Chris Smith, Owens complained that Sky News’ Andrew Bolt and Nine’s Today had both canned her planned media appearances at the eleventh hour.
But CBD hears that while Owens’ people approached Today, she was never booked to appear. On Sky, Owens was bagged out by Bolt. Candace Owens’ publicist and a Sky News producer discussed a potential interview, but the segment was never booked, according to a Sky News spokesman. The network then sensibly asked a pair of Holocaust survivors about their views on Owens instead.
On ADH, Smith maintained the rage against his erstwhile employers, claiming that Sky had implied that Owens was worse than Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
“It’s not me that they hate, it’s the sensibility behind what I’m pitching,” Owens whined.
Most Australians would be too sensible to buy it.
FAREWELL SHAKES
Farewell Shakes, you’ll be sorely missed.Credit: John Shakespeare
In bittersweet news, our brilliant illustrator John Shakespeare leaves the Herald today after (he thinks) 39 years at the paper. For about 35 of those years, Shakes has drawn cartoons for this column and its predecessors, where his deft touch, generous wit and unique style were beloved by both readers and even the subjects of his visual takedowns.
Many cartoon subjects lined up to become purchasers: former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has a cartoon of him and his wife Vikki Campion hanging up in the living room. Ex-defence minister Christopher Pyne has a few, as does defamation silk Sue Chrysanthou, SC.
Qantas, we hear, used to buy all of Shakes’ prints of their executives, as did Australia’s richest person and discerning portraiture critic, Gina Rinehart.
Rinehart was a particular favourite subject of Shakes, as were former premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his dog Toto. The PM has his own Shakespeare, a cartoon of his proposal to fiance Jodie Haydon.
“I’ve had so much fun doing CBD, from ANZ’s Mike Smith hiding his meat pies in the attic to Gina mimicking the Nevermind album cover, I’ve had a ball,” Shakes said.
“I’ve loved watching it grow from a Sydney business column to a national one with The Age that covers all that’s happening in the big cities. I’ll miss it!”
“The newsroom won’t be the same without Shakes. He brought joy to his colleagues and joy to readers,” Herald editor Bevan Shields said.
“He could always see – with such clarity – the hilarity and absurdity inherent in so many stories, issues or personalities. Some cartoonists focus on making us think; others, like Shakes, make us laugh. I can’t thank him enough for that. The Herald will miss him terribly.”
It goes without saying, but we shall say it anyway: we’ll miss Shakes, too.
PEOPLE’S PLAZA
We didn’t think the fallout from former North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson’s tempestuous farewell to the council would drag into a third day, but drag on it has.
When the meanies at the council voted down a motion to rename a small plaza after Gibson, the good people of Kirribilli took matters into their own hands.
On Thursday morning, Burton Street plaza was renamed “Jilly’s Plaza” on Google Maps. Whoever could be responsible for this?
The newly named location was removed within hours, with one punter on Gibson’s Kirribilli Connections Facebook group suggesting it had been reported to Google.
“That would be MaryAnn Beregi,” Gibson responded, pinning the blame on a rival councillor.
Understandably, Beregi did not want to be drawn into a spat that has descended to primary school-level mudslinging.
FAMILIAR FACES
Staying in the ever-entertaining world of local government, CBD recognised a couple of intriguing faces on the Liberal Party’s ticket for Woollahra Council, where they actually bothered to register candidates.
Running in Cooper Ward is deputy mayor Sarah Swan and her stepfather Richard Allsop, both of whom were on the legal team of Anthony Koletti, husband of vanished fraudster Melissa Caddick.
Most recently, Allsop, whose brother James Allsop was a former Federal Court chief justice, represented Koletti in a court stoush over Caddick’s final assets, including a pair of garish $12,000 Air Jordan x Dior hightops. While Caddick’s son got some of her cheaper sneakers, the more expensive ones went to receivers to sell off.
So no doubt Swan and Allsop are well-versed in dealing with eastern suburbs personalities.