Hockey: Not Your Average Joe (27 page)

In reality, the Budget was much softer than Joe would have liked. He wanted changes to pensions made earlier and the deficit levy to net more taxpayers. But Abbott, who chaired each of the expenditure review committee meetings, was taking a much more cautious approach than his treasurer, no doubt with one eye firmly on the reaction of voters. Joe’s soft and cuddly persona had been killed off in Opposition, and he was happy to bury it under the mountain of debt. One conversation highlights that – a closed-door chat in Truss’s office with Liberal Party donor Dick Honan and his son John, who head The Manildra Group, the company that, among other things, produces most of the ethanol in our petrol. Honan had heard that changes were being made to the ethanol subsidy, and was trying to make the point that the company had made crucial decisions based on its continuation. Joe and Honan live a stone’s throw away from each other and like each other. While not close friends, they share the same Liberal philosophy, and on one occasion Joe even relied on Dick Honan to provide facts and figures for a speech he was preparing. But in a Budget battle where a promise was being made to end entitlement across corporate Australia in the same way it would for families receiving welfare help, Joe continued to toe the Party line. ‘No, no, no,’ he had emphasised.

‘He wasn’t thumping the table – but it was pretty animated,’ one witness quips. Joe’s point was simple. The age of entitlement did not relate to one group and exclude or protect another. Everyone needed to hurt a little.

Two hours after delivering his first Budget, Joe’s television make-up was looking worse for wear as he enjoyed a post-Budget drink, but he wanted to thank the team who had helped put the Budget together. Selling it was not going to be a honeymoon, he told them, especially after the last couple of interviews. ‘We didn’t come here to just occupy these offices,’ he said, ‘but to change the destiny of the nation.’ Abbott walked in as Joe, who had jumped onto a table, repeated what he had told the Party room a couple of hours earlier; that the Budget would not have been possible without the strong support of the prime minister. This acknowledgement is important because of the behind-closed-doors’ tensions that have surfaced since the 2013 election. While they continue to share different views on a range of issues, their partnership remains as strong as any political alliance.

Abbott returned the favour, jumping up onto the same table. He told the converted that while he and Joe had had scraps in the past, he had not fully appreciated Joe’s strength of character until now. ‘I cannot imagine a stronger and warmer partnership than the one we have enjoyed over the past few months,’ Abbott told the invite-only crowd. Those in attendance say Abbott told everyone that it was ‘Joe’s Budget’. He also made fun of himself: ‘My contribution has been to make your life harder than it would otherwise be by making a whole series of pre-election commitments that you’ve had to delicately tiptoe around.’ He might have a long way to go to measure up to Howard as a prime minister, Abbott told them, but Joe had proved he was a worthy successor to Costello.

That’s a strong endorsement for Joe as treasurer, but what about as heir apparent? Credlin says both Abbott and Joe are keen not to fall into the Howard-Costello competitive dichotomy. ‘Joe’s absolutely a contender and he’s probably got his head above every other contender, but I think we’re a long way away from saying he’s an heir apparent – and he’d say that, too,’ she says.

Joe says that if the Abbott government is voted out in the next election he will not spend another stint in Opposition. ‘I couldn’t do that,’ he says. His time will end ‘when I can do no more’. Does he think that will be as treasurer or as prime minister, the job he coveted as an eight-year-old?

‘I don’t know,’ he says. ‘That’s in the hands of others.’

Within hours, some of those others, predictably, were already pulling apart his first Budget; and in the process, determining how much of a down
payment it would be on his hope of changing a nation, and of fulfilling the dreams Richard Hockey held for his baby son almost 50 years ago.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It’s the unexpected
tracks you venture down in life that make it so interesting, and the research for this book has been filled with winding paths, stunning vistas, roundabouts and dead ends; all part of the journey to understanding Joseph Benedict Hockey. Inevitably, there are important signposts you later forget to acknowledge, and my apologies up-front to those who are not mentioned by name, but helped guide me along the way. Thanks also to those politicians, advisors, state and federal public servants, friends and colleagues who were happy to enhance my understanding, but who would be unhappy to see their names in print. This story is better for having listened to you.

Following almost 300 interviews for this book, people stand out for different reasons. Joe’s wife, Melissa Babbage, who spent hours with me despite having much better things to do, is one of them. Melissa’s razor sharp mind is behind the Hockeys’ comfortable finances, but that underplays the huge role she plays in his professional success. Joe’s advisors and staff – particularly Grant Lovett, Angela Scirpo and Alistair Campbell – can now share a quiet drink, pleased that I won’t appear at the doorway with ‘just one more question’. Grant Lovett gave up a lucrative job in corporate Australia to run Joe’s office, and the government is better for it. Scirpo, Joe’s unflappable executive assistant, should be poached for her multi-skilling as much as her contact book. The same goes for Alistair Campbell, whose recollection and research skills would add crucial value to any office-bearer’s toolkit. There are others, such as Tony Ritchie, who escaped soon after Joe was elected, but not before I could corner them, along with Tony Pearson, Gemma Daley and Creina Chapman. Peta Credlin, Tony Abbott’s chief-of-staff, also deserves special mention – each time I walked out of her office I wondered what the country would be like if we could only entice such articulate and strategic decision-makers from behind the scenes to run for public office.

Joe has been working in federal Parliament for almost two decades and the list of current and former MPs and Senators who assisted my research is long. I’d like to acknowledge Prime Minister Tony Abbott, John Howard, Peter Costello, Brendan Nelson (whose recall of specific events, dates and times was unmatched), Bob Hawke, Alexander Downer, Nick Minchin, Jamie Briggs, John Fahey, Don Harwin, George Souris, Jonathan O’Dea and Peter Collins – Joe’s story benefits from your inclusion. Thanks also to the dozens of others who are not mentioned here by name, but offered recollections and analyses.

Public servants are used to politicians stealing the limelight, and most of them prefer it that way. That means the views of those who were happy to speak publicly made an invaluable contribution to giving Joe’s story more depth. Particularly, I’d like to thank out-going Treasury secretary Martin Parkinson, former secretary of the NSW Treasury Michael Lambert, Allan Fels and the heads of those departments Joe led since his election in 1996. In addition, almost every chief-of-staff, policy and media advisor who has worked in Joe’s offices over the years added their colour to his life story. Their insights have allowed me to take readers inside the decision-making process, and I appreciate it. A particular thank you to Rod Whithear, who was Joe’s chief-of-staff when he was human services minister – your note-taking, photographs, and CD records took days off my research timetable.

Joe Aston, the Australian Financial Review’s ‘Rear Window’ correspondent, makes the point in these pages that Joe has a lot of friends at the top end of town. Some of them have worked for him, others haven’t, but their candid comments have helped tell Joe’s story outside Parliament. Matt Hingerty, Trent Zimmerman, Andrew Lumsden, Stephen Forshaw, John Brogden, Nick Greiner, John Singleton and John O’Neill deserve special mention, as does Joe’s closest friend, Andrew Burnes. Andrew is the founder and CEO of the AOT Group, and rarely would Joe make a big decision in his life – personal or professional – without chatting to Andrew, and the loyalty runs both ways. Although suspicious of me at first, Andrew eventually allowed me to see the Joe that others might not. Max Moore-Wilton and Roger Corbett are two of those, both having had run-ins with Joe, but still giving freely to this project – thank you. Joe stays in touch with more than a dozen friends whom he started school with at St Aloysius’ College and their chats have been full of laughter (and good photographs!). My special thanks go to Jeremy Melloy and Lewis Macken. Peter FitzSimons took the time to offer me the benefit of his wisdom in both planning this book and writing it – thank you – I genuinely appreciate it.

The real star in these pages is not Joe, but his father Richard Hockey, whose own life is deserving of a book. It was Richard’s determination for a better life, his business acumen and plain hard work that provided the springboard his son often needed. Richard didn’t share the life of privilege he gave his son, and even talking about it still hurts. He did talk though, because I asked, and I finish this book with an enormous amount of respect for him, and gratitude that he let me inside his front door. I hope my friendship with both Richard and Beverley, Joe’s mother, endures. Joe, too, deserves a mention. I penned him a note a year ago, after completing another biography, requesting his involvement in this project. He said yes, and dealing with him has genuinely been as simple as that. He hasn’t tried to pull a word of this story, nor influence my view, other than the political spin most reporters are adept at ignoring. His aim, from the beginning, has been to show people who he is, where he has come from and what he stands for. I hope these pages do that.

One other bloke deserves a mention, and that’s David Fagan, my husband. He may have signed up for that job, but during this project he acted as so much more: editor, ideas merchant, questioner, devil’s advocate, driver and butler (not to mention tea- and gin-maker). I couldn’t love him more. The same goes for our young daughters, Madison and Siena, whose acceptance of ‘Joe Hockey’ as the excuse for missed sports days and bedtimes gave me enormous latitude.

And finally, to that small, talented group at University of Queensland Press who take an idea and mould it into something exciting and real. It is fortunate to have Madonna Duffy as its publisher, and I’m blessed to have her as my friend. She is inspirational, caring, supportive and tough; everything a top publisher should be. Recognition should also go to her team, especially Jacqueline Blanchard, who balances fine editing with a menu of molly-coddling, support and suggestions, and Bettina Richter and Meredene Hill whose ideas and skills bring it all to life. Thank you;
I know it takes more than an author to produce a book.

INDEX

The page numbers in this index refer to the page numbers of the printed book and are reproduced here for reference only. Please use the search facility of your device to find the relevant entry.

Abbott government 283–308

Abbott, Matthew 111, 114, 129, 134

Abbott, Tony 1, 3, 34, 106, 123, 129, 184, 191, 202, 220–2, 224, 227–9, 231, 235–6, 243, 249, 269, 273, 281–2, 284–5, 286, 290, 302, 306–8

relationship with Hockey 250–60, 293–4, 307–8

solo policy-making 255–6

Abetz, Eric 224

Admiralty House 286

Airservices Australia 95

Albanese, Anthony 43, 93, 95, 98–9, 205

Aleppo 7

Allianz 131, 289

Alston, Richard 99

American Australian Association 287

America’s Cup 1983 29

Amman 12

Andre, Anthony and Clementine 9

Andre, Pierre 12

Andrews, Kevin 175–6, 178, 181, 182, 191, 224

Ansett 95, 139, 149

Anthony, Doug 100

Anthony, Larry 100

anti-aircraft noise campaign 92–3

ANZ 236, 286

Anzac Day

Isurava 168, 173

Somme 207

AOT Group 144

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) 131, 259, 285, 287–94

Argall, Catherine 159–60

Armenia 6–7, 165–6

Armenian Catholic Church 8

Armenian National Committee of Australia 166

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 190–1, 284

Asian financial markets 111–12

Aston, Joe 151

asylum seekers 117

Australia Card 163

The Australian
188, 248, 256, 270, 276

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 110, 127

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) 110, 114–15,127

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) 176

Australian Democrats 48

Australian Federal Police (AFP) 162

Australian Financial Review
151, 270, 276

Australian Hearing 159

Australian Hotels Association 145

Australian Labor Party (ALP) 19, 48

Australian Medical Association 91

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) 110, 125–7, 129, 137

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) 110

Australian Stock Exchange 73, 111

Australian Tourism Export Council 144

Australian Tourist Commission (Tourism Australia) 149

Australian Wheat Board 195

Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) 178

Babbage, Charles 66–7

Babbage, Georgiana 67

Babbage, Melissa (wife) 2, 54–7, 65–7, 84, 86, 88–9, 104, 110, 136, 138, 139, 146, 156, 190, 193, 197–9, 201, 202, 206–7, 214–15, 218, 222–3, 225, 231, 259, 262, 265–6, 269, 270, 280–2, 285, 305

Babbage, Patricia 56

Babbage, Simon 56

Babbage, Terry 56–7, 66

Babbage, Tim 56

baby bonus 155–7, 247

Badgerys Creek 95

Bailey, Mike 199

Baird, Bruce 83

Bairnsdale 142–4

Bairnsdale Advertiser
144

Baldwin, Bob 105–6

Bankers Trust 66, 67, 70–2, 76, 88

Barlacina, Louis 9, 12

Barresi, Phil 105, 176

Beazley, Kim 93, 180, 192, 271, 292

Beersheba (Be’er Sheva) 8–9, 207

Beetson, Artie 165

Beirut 10, 13

Bennelong electorate 82, 93, 191

Berejiklian, Gladys 280

Bethlehem 11

BG Group 286

Bishop, Julie 191, 226

Bisset, Stan and Butch 170, 173

Black, Wendy 155, 160, 179, 186

Blair, Tony 123–4

Blue Mountains 35, 49, 54

Bond, Sir John 111

Booth, John 50–1

Boundy, Ken 149

Bowen, Chris 273

Bowen, Lionel 48–9

Bradfield, Dr John 67

Bradfield electorate 67, 90

Brandis, George 226, 230, 301

Brereton, Laurie 92

Briggs, Jamie 105, 175, 179–80, 182, 183, 185, 186, 187, 224, 228–9, 230

British Army 11

Brogden, John 50–1, 54, 55–6, 58, 59, 82, 84, 108

Bromley, William

Rest By The Way
214

Brosnan, Pierce 78

Brough, Mal 93, 191, 194, 199

Brown, Chris 140, 149–50, 153

Brown, John 140, 149

Brown, Mike 45

the Budget 1, 268

1999 112–13

2001 133

2007 188

2010 239, 257

2014 297, 298–308

Burnes, Andrew ‘Burnesy’ 144–5, 207, 217, 238, 244, 263, 269, 271, 272, 278, 280, 282

Burnes, Cinzia 282

Burton, Damian 20

Business Council of Australia 286

Cadman, Alan 94

Cairo 7, 9

Cameron, Roxanne 106–7

Campbell, Alistair 281

The Canberra Times
100–1

car industry 294–6

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) 223, 228, 236

Carr, Bob 80

Carrick, Sir John 107

Carrozzi, Joseph 280

Cato, Sue 270

Centori 168

Centrelink 155–6, 157–8, 159, 161, 163, 188

Chadwick, Virginia 59

Chapman, Creina 301

The Chaser
202

Chatswood 13, 14, 16

Chessell, James 160, 187, 201

Child Support Agency 159, 162

China 27, 287

Chirac, Jacques 123–4

Christmas Island 117

Ciobo, Steven 239, 285

Citigroup 112, 136

Clancy, Richard 182–3, 187

Coca-Cola Amatil 296

Cole Royal Commission 178

Collins, Mrs Kath 20

Collins, Peter 75, 76–8, 80, 82, 83, 84

Colonial Mutual Life 76

Commission of Audit 258

Connolly, David 67, 91

Conran, Peter 186

Conroy, Stephen 113

Cook, Tony 291

Coonan, Helen 152

Corbett, Roger 119–20

Cormann, Mathias 279, 285, 299, 301–2, 304

corporate law reform 114

Corrs Australian Solicitors (Corrs Chambers Westgarth) 51, 58, 63–5, 75, 111

Costello, Peter 110, 114, 115–18, 122, 123, 127, 128, 133, 136, 137, 151, 160, 177–8, 188, 191–5, 202, 205, 208–9, 228, 250, 303, 308

Cosway Australia 82

Country Press Australia 143

Cowpe, Edward 63–4

Cox, Laurie 126

Credlin, Peta 1–3, 238, 252, 258, 259, 269, 273, 304, 308

cricket 21, 28, 29

cross-media ownership 99–101

Crowe, Russell 164

CRS Australia 159

Cullen, Peter 134

A Current Affair
116

The Daily Telegraph
76, 115

d’Alpuget, Blanche 211

Darwin 13

Dawkins, John 46

Dean, Catherine 66

Deans, Robbie 278

Delany, Michael 20

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet 150, 158, 159

Deutsche Bank 110, 131, 139

Devereux, Mike 295

Dixon, Geoff 150

Dodd, Eric 131–2

Doughman, John 13

Downer, Alexander 85, 191–3, 195, 205, 250, 272

Doyle, Melissa 201

DROAN (Drummoyne Residents Opposing Aircraft Noise) 92, 95

‘drought buses’ 161

Drummoyne 92, 96

Duntroon 29–30

Dutton, Peter 210, 224, 226–7, 259, 300, 301–2

Easson, Mary 92

Echo Entertainment Group 79

Egypt 6, 7

Eidos Institute 243

elections, federal

1996 89–93

1998 108, 109

2004 154, 178

2007 188–9, 190–2, 199, 201

2010 236

2013 273–7, 279–82, 288

Elliott, Barbara 85

Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) 212, 223–31, 251

Entsch, Warren 139, 145–7, 148, 151, 250, 259

Etmekdjian 24

Fahey, John 73, 74, 75, 77, 79–80, 87, 88, 93, 136, 138

Fairfax 100

Fawcett, Anthea 37–8, 39

Fels, Allan 114–15, 118–19, 120, 164

Ferguson, Martin 93

Fielding, Steve 132, 230–1

Fierravanti-Wells, Concetta 81, 84, 86

Fightback 62

Fiji 139

Fischer, Tim 144

Fitzpatrick, Kate 84

FitzSimons, Peter 269, 270, 278

Flaherty, Jim 284

Fordham, Ben 271–2, 278, 280

Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) 288, 290–4

Forshaw, Stephen 61, 62–3

Francis, Paul 215–16, 217, 218

Franklin Dam 52

Fraser, Malcolm 102, 139, 249

Freeman, Brian 168–73, 213–14, 216–18

Gallus, Chris 102

Gambaro, Teresa 199

Geelong 200

General Motors 294–6

Georgiou, Petro 102

Gillard, Julia 183, 187, 204, 236

Gilroy, Sir Norman Thomas 12, 13

Gippsland electorate 142, 200

Global Financial Crisis (GFC) 254

Goodrem, Delta 225

Government Insurance Office (GIO) privatisation 68–73, 83, 126

Goyder, Richard 286

GrainCorp 131, 285, 287–94

Grattan Institute 243

Grayndler electorate 98

Greaves, Margaret 28

Grebe, Sasha 141, 160

Grech, Godwin 211–12

Greece 29

Greenwood, Ross 280

Greiner government 69–70

Greiner, Kathryn 98

Greiner, Nick 68, 70, 71, 73, 98

GST 108, 109, 111, 114–20, 137

G20 283–7

Hannaford, John 50, 82

Hanson, Pauline 93, 108

Happ, Murray 18, 54, 58

Hardgrave, Gary 100, 101

Harvey, Gerry 216

Harwin, Don 49, 50–4, 55, 61

Hawke, Bob 41, 45, 46, 140, 163, 178, 211–12, 249

Hawke, Hazel 211

Health Insurance Commission 159

Health Services Australia 159

Heffernan, Bill 82, 85

Hewett, Jennifer 270

Hewson, Carolyn 89

Hewson, John 62, 85, 89, 250

Higher Education Contribution Scheme 46

HIH Insurance collapse 111, 124–34, 137, 289

royal commission 134, 136

Hill, Robert 114

Hines, Gregory 74

Hingerty, Matt 52–3, 58, 59, 60, 82, 85, 140, 142–4, 145, 147

Hockeduney, Hagop (Joseph) (grandfather) 6–10, 12, 13

Hockeduney, Jack (great-grandfather) 6

Hockeduney, Rose (nee Andre) (grandmother) 7, 9–10, 12–13, 15, 16, 19

Hockey, Adelaide Bede (daughter) 2, 157, 181, 197, 214, 263–4, 268, 285

Hockey, Beverley Adelle (nee Little) (mother) 6, 13–16, 19, 27, 92

grandmother Rebecca 13

Hockey, Ignatius Theodore Babbage (son) 103, 214, 219, 223, 265–6

Hockey, Jack (uncle) 6–7, 9, 10–11, 13

Hockey, Joe (Joseph Benedict)

Abbott, relationship with 250–60, 293–4, 307–8

abortion, views on 103–4

acting immigration minister 117

assistant workplace relations portfolio 176, 179–81

birth 5, 6, 16

Cadets Unit 26, 29

Canberra property 104–6

candidacy for leadership 220–1, 223–32, 238

Catholicism 102–3, 241–3

chief-of-staff to Souris 74–5

childhood ambition 17–18

children 2, 102–3, 156, 157, 168, 181, 197, 206, 214, 218, 219, 223, 225, 263–6, 268, 285, 304–5

communication skills 38, 134, 167–8, 176, 234

debating 24, 34–5

‘The End of The Age of Entitlement’ 235, 241, 244, 245–8

enterprise beliefs 244

Fahey’s director of policy 79–80, 88

family background 6–14

financial services and regulation portfolio 109–34

first Budget 297, 298–308

friendships 278–9

GIO privatisation 68–73, 83

half-siblings Michael, Colin and Juanita 14, 16, 18, 19, 66, 281

Howard, relationship with 135–9, 145, 152, 166, 225

human services portfolio 155–66

loyalty 106–107, 278

maiden speech 103–4, 240–1, 244

manager of Opposition business 203

marriage 66

media portrayal 124, 126, 129, 141–2

ministerial style 152–4, 160–1

nationalism beliefs 23–4

negotiating skills 94–5, 98, 133

NSW Young Liberals president 50–2, 57–60

northern Queensland property 146–7

opportunity defence 244–5

political ambitions 67, 167, 233–5, 238

political interest in childhood 17–20, 28

political motivation 235–6, 240–1

political philosophy 240–3

political strategies 239–41

pre-selection campaign 81–6

public image 236–8, 248, 271

public speaking 22–3

school 17–26, 29

shadow health portfolio 203–4

shadow Treasurer 231, 236–7, 241, 254–60, 273–4

‘Sloppy Joe’ tag 113, 130, 167, 238, 275

speeches as Shadow Treasurer 241–5

sports 21, 29, 32–4

State Bank privatisation 77, 78–9, 83

stomach surgery 2–3, 261–2, 264–7

student fees campaign 41–6

student politics 35–8, 39–40, 41–9, 53

tourism and small business portfolio 135–54

Treasurer, as 283–308

university 31–40

views on 150–1, 167–8, 196–7, 229, 303–4

Hockey, Joe (Joseph Benedict)
cont’d

weight 21–2, 32, 88, 237, 262–4, 270–2

workplace relations portfolio 181–9

Hockey, Richard (father) 5–7, 9–13, 14–16, 19, 24, 25, 27, 57, 75, 77, 92, 109–10, 152–3, 281, 305

Hockey, Xavier Augustus Babbage (son) 102, 157, 168, 214, 218, 304–5

Hoffmann, Anthony 28

Hoffmann, Frank 18

Hoffmann, Jennie 18

Holden 152, 289, 294–6

Holland, Maree 66

Holmes à Court, Peter 164

Holsworthy 95

Honan, Dick 306–7

Honan, John 306

Hong Kong 112, 113, 114

Hooke, Frank 56

Hooke, Lucy 55–6

Hosking, Les 111, 113

Howard, Janette 193

Howard, John 38, 52, 58, 81, 90, 92–3, 95, 97, 98, 101, 102, 106, 109, 112, 115, 118, 119, 128–9, 133, 147, 150, 151, 159, 163, 188, 201, 249–50, 303

advice to Hockey 94, 110, 117, 225–7

currency, removal of Queen’s head 121–3

Hockey, relationship with 135–9, 145, 152, 154, 166, 225

industrial relations policy 175–8, 181, 185, 186, 188