In scenes reminiscent, in their own little way, of the fuss surrounding Swift\u2019s Eras tour, organisers have scrambled to meet demand for tickets to Johnson\u2019s John Howard<\/strong> Lecture in Sydney on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n Former British prime minister Boris Johnson.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n The Menzies Research Centre, a Liberal-Party affiliated think tank, had to boost the event\u2019s capacity to 1000 after tickets to see Johnson, on his first visit to Australia since being ousted as leader of his riven Conservative Party, sold out.<\/p>\n The centre\u2019s David Hughes<\/b> \u2013 not the comedian \u2013 said Johnson had proved an all-time chart topper for the conservative ideas factory.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest Menzies Research Centre event, I think, ever,\u201d Hughes told us.<\/p>\n The annual John Howard Lecture is usually headlined by a centre-right political figure from a Commonwealth country.<\/p>\n Previous headliners have included former New Zealand prime minister John Key<\/b> and Canadian former leader Stephen Harper<\/b>.<\/p>\n Australian Liberal Party grandees will be, well, liberally sprinkled through the crowd on Wednesday night. Former prime ministers Scott Morrison<\/b> and Howard and former high commissioner to the UK George Brandis<\/strong> are expected to be among the audience. Key is also expected to be there.<\/p>\n Howard had to postpone his annual Christmas drinks this year because of knee surgery, but we\u2019re told the former PM is recovering well and fully intends to make an appearance.<\/p>\n Readers will be pleased to note that the Australia-UK trade relationship in failed prime ministers is a bilateral affair.<\/p>\n CBD\u2019s dear friend Tony Abbott<\/b> will join David Frost<\/b>, Johnson\u2019s chief negotiator of the Brexit deal \u2013 and didn\u2019t that go well \u2013 on stage in London next week for a joint talk to the Westminster-based Centre for Policy Studies.<\/p>\n When a political party has had six leadership changes in 11 years, it only takes a little thing for the big talk to start. So tongues started wagging on Spring Street after some state parliament press gallery types showed up at Christmas media drinks hosted by shadow police minister and former Liberal leadership contender Brad Battin<\/b> in his electorate in Berwick on Sunday.<\/p>\n We called Battin, asking if he\u2019d staged a rival bash to his leader John Pesutto<\/b>\u2019s well-attended festive media drinks held late last month and Battin told us \u201cthat is so not it that it\u2019s not funny\u201d.<\/p>\n Well, it\u2019s kind of funny, Brad.<\/p>\n Brad Battin got the rumour mill going.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Paul Jeffers<\/cite><\/p>\n But anyway, the opposition frontbencher said that the function was planned for local media but then the Herald Sun\u2019s<\/i> state political reporter Mitch Clarke<\/strong>, who started out at the Pakenham Gazette<\/i> and likes to stay in touch with the locale, invited some of his Spring Street pals along.<\/p>\n Next thing you know, the rumour mill cranks up. And before any leadership talk gathers pace, Battin added, that\u2019s the last thing on his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got so many things that we\u2019re going to be doing to get ready for [the election in] 2026, without worrying about who is going to be leader,\u201d he told us. So there.<\/p>\n Remember Sneakerboy, the ill-fated Australian retail chain selling trainers for up to $1000 a pair that made waves in the business world in 2022 and again this year by going belly-up? Twice.<\/p>\n Long story short: the retailer that peddled its high-end foot wares in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane collapsed last July owing creditors $17 million, before UK-based sporting goods giant Frasers stepped in to buy Sneakerboy.<\/p>\n But after just seven weeks, the British outfit placed its new local subsidiary into administration after being unable to secure supply agreements with the big brands. See you later, Sneakerboy.<\/p>\n Now it looks like another venture from the boys behind Sneakerboy \u2013 Nelson Mair<\/strong>, Theo Poulakis<\/strong> and Jay Hewamanna<\/strong> \u2013 is facing a spot of bother.<\/p>\n Corporate regulator ASIC has commenced a \u201cstriking-off\u201d process against Bio Safe Australia, a firm whose sole director is Poulakis and which has Hewamanna as company secretary.<\/p>\n Mair resigned as a director in June. Now, ASIC wouldn\u2019t tell us exactly why it was moving to cancel Bio Safe\u2019s registration, but most of the time, striking-off processes are brought against companies that have failed to pay registration fees or simply stopped trading.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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RUNNING SAGA<\/h3>\n