David Jones owners summon a little Joe Hockey magic

Opinion

November 10, 2026 — 5:00am

Bare shelves, emptying racks. There is no bigger retail business story in the country right now than the collapse of the storied Australian department store David Jones, which went into administration last week after three years under the control of private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners.

Fresh paperwork filed with the NSW and Attorney-General’s lobbying registers suggests Anchorage remains heavily invested in managing the political fallout triggered by the implosion of one of the country’s most recognisable brands.

Enter former federal treasurer-turned-Trump whisperer Joe Hockey, whose lobby shop Bondi Partners has been retained by Anchorage both in Canberra and on Macquarie Street.

Anchorage enlisted Hockey and his team to help manage any political fallout that may be triggered by the demise of David Jones, we’re led to believe, with more than 6000 jobs hanging in the balance before state elections in Victoria and NSW. Anchorage also has infrastructure and technology companies in its portfolio that we’re told could benefit from the counsel, too.

The private equity firm declined to comment. A spokesman for Bondi Partners, meanwhile, said it doesn’t discuss its clients.

But it’s not hard to imagine why Anchorage would be eager to manage its reputation with state and federal officials who could otherwise be tempted to direct some unwanted scrutiny the firm’s way.

After all, it was only last Thursday that a spokesman for Anchorage told this masthead the firm was still considering whether it would participate in a sale process to buy the iconic retailer back out of administration.

If political sentiment were to sour, we’d imagine that process would be made a little more uncomfortable for the leadership team at Anchorage, regardless of what – if any – power state and federal governments may have to intervene.

But if these latest lobbying disclosures are any indicator, Hockey and Co are already laying the groundwork.

A diplomatic flare-up?

A decision by the Women’s International Club in Canberra to admit Irina Petrakova, wife of Russia’s ambassador to Australia, as a member has escalated yet again.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko went public on Monday to say he was appalled by comments made by the club’s president Sandie Kaine, calling his wife, Liana Myroshnychenko and the spouses of two other ambassadors to Australia “bigots” after they resigned over the club’s admission of Petrakova.

The Women’s International Club is a private enterprise but that didn’t stop Myroshnychenko from raising the matter with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade last week, the ambassador told CBD, which was scheduled to discuss another matter, but where he felt compelled to bring it up.

“This situation is appalling,” the ambassador said. “It doesn’t correspond to the overwhelming support I’ve felt from Australia.”

The resignations of Liana Myroshnychenko and the spouses of the Italian and Estonian ambassadors to Australia last week, was first reported by Politico.

In a letter dated November 4, another club member, Marta Stachurski, also formally resigned in response to the club’s decision. Stachurski said her disappointment was “compounded” at the club’s October 28 annual general meeting, when the president referred to members who’d resigned on similar grounds as “bigots”.

“To characterise principled objections to the diplomatic representation of a government engaged in an illegal war as bigotry is deeply inappropriate. Such remarks dismiss legitimate moral concerns and demonstrate a troubling lack of sensitivity towards those directly affected by this conflict,” Stachurski wrote in the letter, seen by CBD.

“Political neutrality should not be confused with moral indifference, nor should principled disagreement be mistaken for prejudice.”

We asked Kaine for a response to the ambassador’s comments, but didn’t hear back by deadline.

Powerhouse’s missing man

Any hopes that the opening of Powerhouse Parramatta might distract from the months-long political backlash that has hamstrung the museum were dashed on Monday morning, when the disappearance of one name from the museum website sparked a fresh wave of intrigue.

The name in question was Powerhouse chief operating officer Mark Wilsdon, who went on paid leave this year, as the Herald has reported. Chief executive Lisa Havilah was stood down with pay after the NSW government launched an investigation into governance and procurement. Through her lawyers, Havilah has previously strenuously denied any wrongdoing, insisting she maintained the highest standards of integrity throughout her tenure.

Havilah, however, remains listed on the website as Powerhouse chief executive. NSW Treasury executive Cassandra Wilkinson, meanwhile, is listed as the museum’s acting chief operating officer. But no sign of Wilsdon.

An administrative error, maybe? Or has Wilsdon quietly departed? We tried asking the Powerhouse whether Wilsdon has since exited the museum, and why his name was scrubbed from the website, but didn’t hear back by deadline.

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