Julie Bishop hits the lithium for cancer charity

Margaret Thatcher was the Iron Lady but former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has staked her own claim to mineral metaphors by posing in a pink ball gown at a lithium mine.

The keen follower of fashion is normally more restrained in her Carla Zampatti-adjacent clothing choices but donned the extravagant gown by South Australian dressmaker Jaimie Sortino as her way of “getting loud” to launch Frocktober, an initiative of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

Credit:John Shakespeare

Last year, the camera-confident ambassador bravely posed on a pylon off Perth’s Cottesloe Beach for former Victoria’s Secret photographer Russell James, but this time it was off to the Mt Marion lithium mine in outback Western Australia. “I’ve worked with Russell on a number of occasions,” Bishop said. “I’m always up for it, so when he asked me to climb a pile of lithium ore, I did it.”

While at the mine, Bishop encouraged women working on site to talk about ovarian cancer. “The only way to fight the silence is to get loud.”

And this is not JBish’s first close encounter with the alkali metal. She is already special adviser to the board of lithium extractor Controlled Thermal Resources.

Julie Bishop dons a  extravagant gown by South Australian dressmaker Jaimie Sortino at the Mt Marion lithium mine in outback WA.Credit:Russell James

The expedition required the former MP to change up her footwear. When leaving Federal Parliament, Bishop famously resigned in a pair of Italian red designer Rodo heels but on this occasion, swapped them for her own pink, steel-capped work boots.

GREEN BOOK

Long before Christian Porter emerged as Canberra’s crowdfunding king using a blind trust to cover costs associated with his defamation suit against the ABC, it was Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who pioneered the model to finance her successful defamation action against former senator and political weird uncle David Leyonhjelm.

But unlike Porter, SHY hasn’t been shy on spilling the deets on the Coalition of the Willing who threw more than $62,000 at her cause. Her updated parliamentary register of interests revealed some serious supporting firepower. Step forward WA businesswoman and Heytesbury pastoral giant chair Janet Holmes a Court who was spotted among names who donated less than $300.

The usually tight-lipped company chair â€" mother of Melbourne-based renewable energy advocate Simon Holmes a Court â€" was happy to tell CBD on Thursday what prompted her involvement: “I felt compelled to support Sarah Hanson-Young because I was appalled at David Leyonhjelm’s comments about her.” A powerful name to have in one’s corner.

Julia Zemiro was among the Coalition of the Willing donors.Credit:Vince Valitutti

The most recent update to Hanson-Young’s register gave more details on almost 2000 donors. Eight donors contributed more than $300 including Eurovision presenter Julia Zemiro who gave $1000. Other top-tier supporters included Womens Plans Foundation boss Alice Oppen, Silicon Valley-based tech boss Silvia Console Battilana and local start-up boss Georgina McEncroe. Former PM Kevin Rudd was a below-the-line participant contributing $100 as was child psychologist Steve Biddulph who handed over $250. In fact, more than half the donations were for less than $20 and 1600 donors contributed less than $100. That’s some serious people power.

CITIZEN ADVICE BUREAU

Are relations a teeny bit tense between the City of Stonnington and federal member for Higgins Dr Katie Allen?

Allen planned a Zoom meeting with locals outraged about development on Burke Road at Glen Iris on Wednesday night. More than 100 people registered to take part.

Developer Time & Place Property proposed a five-storey building with 85 apartments, a Woolies supermarket, bottle shop and underground carpark for 300 cars and 62 bikes.

Allen admitted she has no decision-making power, but could advocate on behalf of residents. All of which was news to Stonnington Council. When it found out, council hastily decided to tell developers it had rejected the development proposal, even though the objection period doesn’t end until Monday.

“It will be refused as it is deemed not in a form that could be recommended to councillors,” council chief executive Jacqui Weatherill said. “This is due largely to unacceptable local traffic congestion and urban design issues.”

Katie Allen, the member for Higgins, is in campaign mode.Credit:ABC News

The council received 94 objections even without the benefit of Allen’s scuppered how-to-complain Zoom tutorial.

A federal member taking such a keen interest in local developments they have no control over seems to suggest there’s an election in the offing. In the seat of Higgins, Allen faces a strong challenge from Greens candidate Sonya Semmens and Labor’s Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah.

FUTURE FORBES

Rich-list obsessed business magazine Forbes plans to start publishing a local edition Forbes Australia from next year. The bi-monthly print magazine and website will join 27 editions which include Lusophone Africa, Bulgaria, Colombia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Monaco, Poland, Japan, Russia, Vietnam and Slovakia.

The magazine plans to publish under licence and has been rather grandly touting itself in its quest for a local editor-in-chief.

It states its core purpose is to “inspire the conversations that lead to change”. We would humbly suggest the core purpose is to attract readership to maximise advertising, sponsorship and subscription revenue, but that’s just us.

The magazine was founded in the United States by the Forbes family in 1917, and they retain a 5 per cent stake. The rest is owned by Hong Kong-based Integrated Whale Media Investments, which should make its coverage of China interesting for local readers.

“Like the founders and funders we cover, we’re entrepreneurs in our own right,” Forbes says. “Together, we are reimagining what a modern media company should be with nine identified revenue streams and a constant thirst for innovation.”

But the ad from Top Talent Executive wouldn’t get past Forbes sub-editors: “Look at this opportunity as a Sophisticated Start-Up. With a globally established brand, enormous brand equity and a strong launching pad, this role will see you stepping in at the beginning and writing the Australian story (pardon the pun!). If you love a challenge, enjoy a results & mission driven company with a fun, fast paced and dynamic culture, we look forward to receiving your application.”

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Stephen Brook is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is a former features editor and media editor at The Australian, where he wrote the Media Diary column and spent six years in London working for The Guardian.Connect via Twitter or email.Samantha Hutchinson is a CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. She recently covered Victorian and NSW politics and business for News Corp, and previously worked for the Australian Financial Review.Connect via Twitter or email.

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