Guests from outside Labor included Australian Republic Movement chairPeter FitzSimons and veteran foreign policy wonkHugh White,who was hired by Beazley as an adviser in the 1980s.

The Beazley friends traded war stories well into the small hours of the night. Swan and Smith spoke glowingly about how the party elder helped shepherd Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese and his current crop of cabinet ministers through the ranks.

Guests also heard of the time Beazley crossed paths with a young law degree-toting naval officer in the 1990s.

“This guy will go well in politics,” Kim said at the time,encouraging him to run for state parliament.

The officer’s name? Mark McGowan.

ACT Liberals lick their wounds

The Canberra Liberals are not in a good spot right now,even by their own standards.

Last month’s knocking over of SenatorZed Seselja by Wallaby-turned environmental warriorDavid Pocock means the national capital has no Liberal in the national parliament for the first time since the ACT started electing senators in 1975.

At the local level,the party has been in opposition for more than 20 years and,oh,the branch’s former president and Seselja confidantTio Faulkner was jailed in New Zealand this year for a bizarre environmental crime at his Bay of Plenty pig farm.

So Canberra Liberals’ leaderElizabeth Leewas perhaps understating the case late last week when she told the faithful that it had been a “tough few weeks”.

But help is at hand. The party’s new federal deputy leaderSussan Ley will be in town next week to rally the troops at a $65-a-head fundraiser on Thursday night where there will be much to discuss.

“We must focus on the future by directing our efforts to winning the next ACT Election,and winning back the ACT Senate seat at the next Federal election,” Lee wrote in her invitation.

But the choice of venue,for an outfit that fears its best days are behind it,is interesting:The National Museum of Australia.

The King Stay The King

Things have slowed down a little forAlan Jones,the forever king of Sydney talk radio.

Two years since his 2GB retirement,and months after being dumped from aSky Newsprime time slot,the notorious shock-jock is now reduced to shilling for his new online-only showAlan Jones:Direct to the Peopleon obscure,newly formed Australian Digital Holdings.

So desperate for eyeballs is Jones,that he’s been forced to send out spammy emails instructing viewers how to watch his show via Apple TV.

For sure man!

Nevertheless,Jones’ attempts to create a new media empire at ADH has brought a few notables into the mix. Conservative business heavyMaurice Newman is chair,with high-flying barristerMargaret Cunneen also involved behind the scenes.

But times aren’t all that tough. On Thursday night,Jones was spotted munching caviar with ambitious,baby-faced protegeeJake Thrupp (ADH’s head of programming) at Sydney fine-dining establishment Aria.

Jones was in full Mafia Don mode – decked out in a terracotta jacket at the best seats in the house (with a front-row view of a Vivid-illuminated Opera House),he still had plenty swinging by his table to kiss the ring.

Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese did the same during the election campaign,appearing on Jones’ web-show. Kingmakers never die.

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