CEO Hugh Marks welcomes Scott Morrison and several government ministers at historic Willoughby TV studios
Nine Entertainment used its historic TV studios in the Sydney suburb of Willoughby to host a $10,000-a-head corporate fundraiser for the Liberal party on Monday night.
Hosted by Nine’s CEO, Hugh Marks, corporates paid handsomely for the chance to dine with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, and the communications minister, Paul Fletcher, inside Australia’s biggest locally owned media company.
Since the merger with Fairfax Media last year, Nine has had control of the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Australian Financial Review, mastheads which have always prided themselves on independent journalism.
That independence was still evident as the venue for the Liberal party fundraiser was revealed by the AFR’s gossip columnist Joe Aston.
Nine is emerging as a local rival to News Corp Australia after making a $113.94m offer to acquire the remaining shares in Macquarie Media, which owns 2GB.
The networking event was organised by the Liberal party’s fundraising arm, the Australian Business Network, which asked Nine to host the dinner at Willoughby and carry the cost of the catering.
The TV studio was chosen as a venue because Nine is moving out of the north shore property next year so it has nostalgic value.
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The company has a lease on a $1.2bn office tower in North Sydney and the journalists from the Nine newspapers will be moving there to join Nine’s TV division next year.
All the funds raised – at least $700,000 – will go into Liberal party coffers.
Nine said the company donated to both the Liberal and Labor parties and executives were attending an Australian Labor party function on Tuesday.
Australian Electoral Commission returns show Nine donated $27,500 to the Liberal and the Labor party in 2017.
However, Nine sources say they can’t remember another time when the media company threw open its doors to raise money for a political party.
“We held the odd boardroom lunch for both leaders but not a party political dinner,” a former Nine source said. “It’s ludicrous and shocking PR. What does it say about the news brand?”
Other Liberal political guests include the trade minister, Simon Birmingham, the education minister, Dan Tehan, the cities minister, Alan Tudge, and the assistant minister for superannuation, Jane Hume.
The former deputy leader of the Liberal party Peter Costello, who is the chairman of Nine Entertainment, will not attend the dinner.
“The dinner is an opportunity for business leaders to meet and exchange ideas with the Liberal party and we will be doing the same with the ALP tomorrow night at a similar business forum they are holding,” a Nine spokeswoman said.