CBD is pleased to see that Woolworths - the Aussie pokie and grocery giant, not the South African mob - does not just reserve the tough love for its grocery suppliers.
Woolies board member Jayne Hrdlicka was a bit tardy with the paperwork on the recent purchase of $70,000 worth of shares in the supermarket group, and it did not spare her blushes.
One day after the lodgement of her share notice Woolies fessed up to the ASX on Tuesday that ‘‘the lodgement was one business day after Woolworths became aware of the change in notifiable interest, but 13 days after the required period under ASX Listing Rule 3.19A.2.’’
‘‘Woolworths advises that steps have been taken to ensure that the relevant Director is made fully aware of the notifications obligations in respect of the above Listing Rule and under the Woolworths Limited Securities Dealing Policy.’’
Let’s hope that Hrdlicka is a bit more on-schedule with her day job running the budget Qantas offshoot Jetstar.
Deli delights
Speaking of grocers, the ACT, the home of our nation's capital and porn-flooded warehouses, is also home to some rather feisty supermarket owners it seems.
At the national IGA supermarkets gala dinner Monday night - held at the Gold Coast's Jupiter's Casino - the MC for the event was former Doug Anthony All Stars member and TV game show host Paul McDermott.
After a few jokes, many of which bombed, he greeted Metcash boss, Ian Morrice, and all the guests from every state of Australia.
Despite his formative years in our nation’s capital though, McDermott failed to mention the ACT - and it did not go unnoticed.
A rather fired-up IGA supermarket owner from Ainslee began yelling at McDermott to not forget the territory.
Our slick compere initially tried the tactic of ignoring his antsy fan and stuck to his monologue. When that didn’t work, he opted for one of his famous putdowns which only elicited a response that cannot be repeated in the pages of a family newspaper.
The joke was soon on McDermott though, as the same Canberra supermarket boss was then called to the stage to receive two awards (best deli section and best meat section for those keeping record). As the winner walked off the stage he leaned over to McDermott and said, ''who's the dickhead now?''
Truce declared
As he lounged around back in South Africa - waiting for word that the king’s ransom he offered a certain Country Road/ David Jones investor had paid off - Woolies South Africa boss Ian Moir made time to chat about the transformative deals to one of his local business publications, Johannesburg-based Business Day.
"It’s a big exercise. Our shareholders have put a lot of faith and support in us, now we have got to deliver," Mr Moir said of the DJs transaction.
He even found a kind word for Aussie billionaire Solomon Lew and the greenmailing exercise that elicited a very generous offer for Lew's minority stake in Country Road.
"I’m actually pleased that he did because at the end of the day, we have a win-win situation - a wholly owned subsidiary in Country Road that will allow us to do things so much more quickly and so much more easily."
When asked by Business Day if this was the end of the road for Woolworths and its 20-year combative relationship with Lew, Mr Moir said: "From your lips to God’s ears."
Packers come to the party
The announcement of the Packer family’s philanthropic commitment was very much about Gretel Packer, to the extent that brother James was not in attendance on the big day.
But there were plenty of other media personalities there in his stead including Crown director Harold Mitchell - obligatory really given it is the casino operator coughing up half the dough.
Ten Network exec Russell Howcroft was also in attendance, possibly to check if the philanthropy extended to a certain struggling commercial network.
CBD spies also noticed the presence of our underpreferrred consul-general in New York, Steve Bracks, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, and Sydney Swans fan Eddie McGuire.
Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au
