Stephen Mayne
Journalist and Crikey founder @MayneReport
Stephen Mayne founded Crikey in February 2000, and has remained as a contributor since selling it in 2005. He’s a former political staffer and local government councillor who also pursues shareholder advocacy as a two-time former director of the Australian Shareholders’ Association. He also spent two years working for the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
Fairfax and News Ltd should not be collaborating in a five-minutes-to-midnight attempt to boost the Australian Press Council in order to fend off Ray Finkelstein’s call for a statutory regulator.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012, is one day when The Australian Financial Review, the world’s most expensive financial daily, is certainly worth its $3 cover price.
After a three-year debate, Manningham City Council in Melbourne’s affluent eastern suburbs tonight will finally have a public vote on whether to introduce double rates on the municipality’s seven pokies venues.
A piece of corporate history could be made tomorrow in Melbourne when successful paper industry entrepreneur Andrew Price attempts to replace establishment figure Harry Boon as chairman of the teetering Paperlinx.
There’s an obvious solution to the Gina Rinehart family mess. The key resources assets should be sold. How much does the family need? Well, surely Rinehart would be happy to walk away with $4 billion in cash and the four kids could get by with $500 million each.
While young Packer appears to have moved away from Scientology since his father’s death in late 2005, the puzzling ebbs and flows of his political associations are a little harder to fathom -- Bob Katter being the latest.
As the Fairfax Media board ponders how to respond to Gina Rinehart’s request for a board seat, maybe it should consider suggesting she wait another 56 years.
Aside from Crikey publisher Eric Beecher and media writer Margaret Simons, there have been few media professionals who have strongly endorsed Ray Finkelstein’s recommendations for a government funded News Media Council.
Don’t for a moment believe that James Murdoch has been appropriately sanctioned or punished for his role in the huge cover-up operation deployed to deny massive phone hacking and illegal payments to public officials.
Three generations of the Packer family have enjoyed their status as influential media, business and gambling players in Sydney.
