Stefanovic, Dutton, Emdur: Inside Anthony Bell’s Sydney to Hobart lunch

OpinionOctober 28, 2026 — 5:00amIt’s often tempting to wonder who the real Karl Stefanovic is. There’s the rebranded man of the people seen traipsing the grounds of Mount Isa rodeo only a couple of months ago, friend of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, full-time YouTuber.But there’s also the man more familiar to his old breakfast TV audience: the Stefanovic who surfaces at linen-coded functions in the company of some of the nation’s most prominent businesspeople and political types.Karl Stefanovic caught up with former colleague Richard Wilkins.Janie BarrettIt was the latter who emerged on Tuesday to toast the launch of celebrity accountant Anthony Bell’s Sydney to Hobart bid at a lunch hosted at Deckhouse Woolwich on Sydney Harbour. The get-together drew a gaggle of Bell’s current and former sailing buddies, including Stefanovic, along with an assortment of other big names.Former professional surfer Layne Beachley was on emcee duties, and sailing giant John Bertrand even gave a speech, which reliably touched on the glory days of his 1983 America’s Cup victory. Bell himself also addressed guests, who were told the highlights reels shown between speakers were the work of his wife Annika in the early hours of Tuesday morning.Peter Dutton at Anthony Bell’s Sydney to Hobart lunch on Tuesday.Janie BarrettAmong the guests were, of course, Stefanovic, who was seen mingling with his former Nine Entertainment colleague Richard Wilkins. Old habits die hard. (Nine is the publisher of this masthead.) Rounding out the media contingent was Larry Emdur, who it would seem was so enthralled by the event he couldn’t help heading down the pier to take a selfie with Bell’s 100-foot yacht, Tribeca Loyal.Also there was former opposition leader Peter Dutton, with his left arm in a sling. The erstwhile Liberal Party leader didn’t stay for long, not that we blame him. Word is he’s just undergone an operation on his shoulder and is still recovering.Then there were former Wallabies captain Phil Waugh, now Rugby Australia chief executive, and Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello, who remains an ambassador at the club. The former players have been enlisted by Bell as crew for the race. Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire also turned out, as did big-name chef Guillaume Brahimi.Palmer keeps it in the familyBillionaire Clive Palmer’s privately controlled Mineralogy, the vehicle through which he usually rakes in hundreds of millions in annual mining royalties, had a tough time last year.Well, at least compared to the stellar numbers the litigious mining magnate has become accustomed to.Clive Palmer at Parliament House, Canberra, in February.Dominic LorrimerAccounts filed in July show Mineralogy raked in $285.4 million in revenue last financial year, down sharply on the $436.4 million a year earlier. So we were intrigued to see Palmer shuffle the decks at the company just a couple of months later.Documents filed with the corporate regulator last week show Palmer has enlisted his brother-in-law, Gueorgui “George” Sokolov, as a company director. Sokolov, whose sister Anna Topalov-Palmer married Palmer in 2007, replaced Palmer’s Mineralogy secretary and longtime adviser Baljeet Singh, who, according to the Mineralogy website, joined the company in 2006.When we asked Palmer’s spokesman what sparked the change, we were told directorship changes aren’t unusual. Singh is still working at the company, we were told.Sokolov’s arrival on the Mineralogy directorship isn’t a total surprise, given his ties with Palmer. There was his last-minute delivery of documents to Palmer’s lawyers at the Federal Court in Brisbane in 2017. Sokolov testified in court a year later over the liquidation of Queensland Nickel. He’s also run and lost as a candidate for Palmer’s political parties in at least two Queensland state elections.Perhaps, then, Palmer’s old hand has been freed up for more important matters. After all, she is the project director of Titanic II.Spotted: Grace Tame, West End GirlGrace Tame, it turns out, was among those who turned out to watch Lily Allen at the TikTok Entertainment Centre on Monday night.Word from our CBD spies, later confirmed by Tame’s posts to social media, was the former Australian of the Year seemed to be enjoying herself. It sounds like it was a fun night, even if our own critic was less than impressed.All for a good causeEvery year, Kmart organises a wishing tree appeal at Parliament House in support of families doing it tough. An indisputably good cause, setting aside Dr Andrew Leigh’s miscalculated 2022 cheeseboard donation.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Speaker Milton Dick and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor during the annual Kmart wishing tree appeal at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.Alex EllinghausenBut it was the timing of this year’s appeal that sparked feelings of awkwardness in some corners of Parliament House on Monday. That’s because the Salvation Army arrived with their brass band and played Christmas songs, we’re told, which continued while the House was offering condolence motions for independent MP Helen Haines.Unfortunate timing, no doubt. Apparently the event, which drew Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Angus Taylor, was initially scheduled to go ahead in the morning, which would’ve averted the crossover with the condolences, but was later changed to the afternoon.Still, all for a good cause.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.John Buckley is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.Frances Howe is a sports reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners