Mad Monday

Panellists: Rachel Griffiths, Film and television actress; Eddie McGuire, President of Collingwood FC and media personality; Lindsay Fox, Founder, The Linfox Group; Kelly O'Dwyer, Liberal Member for Higgins; and Richard Marles, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. -- Rachel Griffiths One of Australia’s most prolific thespians, Rachel Griffiths is an Academy Award Nominated and multi-award winning actress. After a successful career on the Australian stage, Rachel burst onto the international scene in 1994 with P.J. Hogan’s much loved Muriel’s Wedding. Her screen credits since then include My Best Friend’s Wedding with Julia Roberts, The Rookie, The Hard Word with Guy Pearce, Blow, Step Up, Burning Man, Ned Kelly, Patrick, Saving Mr Banks with Tom Hanks, Beautiful Kate and Hilary & Jackie, a performance which earned her an Academy Award Nomination. In television, Rachel earned a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Brenda in the critically acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under. She also received an Emmy Award Nomination for her work in Brothers & Sisters. Other television credits include Camp for HBO/NBC, the Julian Assange biopic Underground which screened at Toronto International Film Festival, and also House Husbands for Playmaker in Australia which hits screens later this year. On stage, Rachel has been honoured for her role as Catherine in the Melbourne Theatre Company’s 2002 production of David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize winning Proof with Helpmann and Green Room Awards, and most recently she tread the boards in the Broadway production of Other Desert Cities opposite Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach and Thomas Sadoski. -- Eddie McGuire Eddie McGuire is an accomplished businessman, a best-selling author, president of the Collingwood football club and one of Australia’s most acclaimed media personalities, with over 25 years’ award-winning experience. In roles ranging from cadet reporter to CEO of the Nine Network, Eddie has spearheaded ratings blockbusters including The Footy Show and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the most successful weekly quiz program ever broadcast in Australia. He has hosted major international sports events such as the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, the Super Bowl and the Formula One Grand Prix, and live event television including The TV Week Logie Awards and 1 vs 100. Eddie hosts MMM’s number one FM breakfast radio program in Melbourne, The Hot Breakfast, and prime time game show Hot Seat on the Nine Network. He is also the face of Fox Footy’s AFL coverage and hosts a sports talk show, Ed & Derm’s Footy Show. As well as being a columnist for the country’s biggest selling newspaper, The Herald Sun, he also owns one of Australia’s fastest growing independent media production companies. As Collingwood president since 1998, Eddie led the club to its first premiership in 20 years in 2010 and his vision for a world class training facility in the heart of the biggest sports and entertainment precinct in the world has been realised. Collingwood, one of the AFL’s oldest clubs with a massive tribal following, was recently valued in excess of $340 million, one of the most valuable sporting clubs in the world. Eddie is president of the Melbourne Stars cricket team in the Big Bash League. He chairs the Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre and sits on a number of other boards including Victorian Major Events Company, the State Library of Victoria, the Shane Warne Foundation and leading stock broking firm Evans & Partners. In 2005 he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for his “service to the community, particularly through support for health care and welfare organisations, and to broadcasting.” In 2000 he was awarded a Centenary Medal and an Australian Sports Medal. In 2012 he was made a Life Member of the Australian Football Media Association for his contribution to the coverage of football in the media. In 2013 Eddie was awarded an honorary doctorate in communications from RMIT University in recognition of his achievements in media, entertainment, sport and community-based activities. -- Lindsay Fox Lindsay Edward Fox was born on 19 April 1937 in Sydney, Australia and went to school in Melbourne at Prahran State School and Melbourne High School. The son of a truck driver, Lindsay left school at the age of 16 and bought his first truck when he was 19. Today, Linfox is one of the largest Australian-based transport and warehousing groups with operations in 10 countries. The Linfox Group employs more than 22,000 people, operates 3.2 million square metres of warehousing, a fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles and carries out distribution operations for leading companies across the Asia-Pacific region. Lindsay has extensive involvement in Australian and International circles and apart from his business interests is well recognised and active in sport and charity work. In January 1992, he was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his contribution to Transport and the Community. In January 2008, he was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for continued service to the transport and logistics industries, to business through the development and promotion of youth traineeships, and to the community through a range of philanthropic endeavours. From September 1992 to December 1993, Lindsay Fox together with Bill Kelty of the ACTU introduced a national campaign called ’Work for Australia’. This campaign encouraged companies and local communities to generate jobs for the unemployed with the aid of Government subsidies and programs. Upon conclusion, over 60,000 jobs were pledged through their efforts and Lindsay and Bill were awarded 'Victorians of the Year' by the Sunday Age. The success of this campaign set the foundations for NETTFORCE. Lindsay married Paula Grace Peele in 1959 and they have six children, Lisa, Peter, Katrina, Andrew, Michael (dec), David and 14 grandchildren. -- Kelly O'Dwyer Kelly O’Dwyer is the Liberal member for the seat of Higgins, in Melbourne’s south-east. The seat was formerly held by her old boss, Peter Costello, and she won it at a by-election in 2009 after he retired from politics. The by-election took place in trying circumstances. Kelly was forced to run her campaign while the Liberal Party in Canberra was embroiled in a bitter and public brawl over climate change policy and the leadership. In the end Tony Abbott won the leadership from Malcolm Turnbull on December 1 and Kelly was elected on December 5, achieving a solid swing of 3 per cent despite the mayhem prevailing in the pre-election period. Kelly, born in Melbourne in 1977, joined the Liberal Party in 1995 while a student at Melbourne University. She graduated with Arts-Law honours and joined legal firm Freehills, where she practised in corporate law, before joining then-Treasurer Costello as a policy adviser. She subsequently became chief policy adviser, but when the coalition lost office in 2007 she became an executive at the National Australia Bank. As an active Liberal member Kelly has held many branch and electorate positions. She is a seasoned campaigner, having campaigned in every State and Federal poll since 1995. She was considered a natural for the prestigious seat of Higgins, centred on Melbourne’s affluent south-east, when her old boss decided to retire, and beat a quality field to win pre-selection. Kelly is regarded in Liberal circles as an up-and-comer who will take a senior role in the party in the years ahead. Many were surprised when she was omitted from the coalition’s male-dominated front bench after the 2013 election. Kelly is currently chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics. Her committee will be chairing an inquiry into foreign investment in residential property. She writes a regular column for The Australian Financial Review and contributed a chapter on competition policy to the 2013 book Future Proofing Australia. She has also spoken in favour of same-sex marriage in defiance of coalition policy. Kelly and her husband Jon live in the Higgins electorate. Kelly can sometimes be spotted running (slowly, she says) along the Yarra foreshore. -- Richard Marles Richard Marles was elected to Federal Parliament as the Member for the Geelong-based seat of Corio in November 2007. Born in 1967, Richard was raised in Geelong and educated at Geelong Grammar School. He has a degrees in Law and Science from the University of Melbourne. He began his career with legal firm Slater and Gordon. In 1998 he became Federal Assistant Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union where he was responsible for bargaining with national transport companies and managing the union’s activities in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. In 2000, he became Assistant Secretary of the ACTU and ran the working hours case. This gave workers the right, for the first time, to refuse unreasonable amounts of overtime. He was a member of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and led the ACTU’s work on OHS. He also led an innovative program of co-operation between the Australian and Papua New Guinea union movements. He was Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry from June 2009 to August 2010, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs from September 2010 to March 2013, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs from March 2012 to March 2013 and Minister for Trade from July 2013 to September 2013. He lives in Geelong with his wife Rachel and has four children, Sam, Isabella, Harvey and Georgia. He is a passionate Geelong Cats supporter, and owner of two dogs – Gary and Ablett. ---- Audience: Coalition 47%, ALP 36%, Greens 11%. THE REAL JULIA Glen Hosking asked: This question is for a Rachel Griffith. Depending on who you listen to, Julia Gillard is a consultative, witty and strong leader or an indecisive, incompetent liar who you can't trust. You've had the chance to meet her in your research and say she left a lasting impression. Which 'Julia' will you be bringing to your 'Real Julia'? SOCIAL MEDIA VITRIOL Michael Cooper asked: Social Media is providing an outlet for often bullying behaviour towards those in high office with intense hatred and vitriol levelled towards them. Just as Julia Gillard did, Tony Abbott currently cops the type of incredibly vile comments that in the school playgrounds where I work might lead to expulsion. While social media bans as touted in Turkey are no answer, shouldn’t the office of Prime Minister be afforded more respect? ARTHUR SINODINIS Arthur Farn asked: Kelly O’Dwyer – The PM loudly protests the honesty and integrity of Arthur Sinodinos. Can you explain how a Chief of Staff to the former PM and a man of his experience and standing can become involved in a company purportedly partly owned by the Obeid family and reportedly stood to profit to the tune of some $20 million from a business venture at the expense of the public purse? TURN BACK VINDICATED Jill Johnson asked: Mr Marles - Watching the professionalism of Navy personnel on the ABC's 7.30 Report last week, and the overt threats expressed against both the Navy and Australia by a failed applicant for Australian citizenship, do you not feel that the present government's stance is vindicated and worthy of the Opposition's support, especially while there are genuine refugees waiting for a safe haven in camps around the world? AFL – TANIA HIRD Marie-Anna Wilson asked: Tania Hird expressed her views of how her husband, James, was treated in the Essendon drugs saga. James maybe held accountable for his wife's comments by certain people calling for the end of his employment at Essendon Footballl Club. Is it reasonable to hold James Hird answerable for the views expressed by his wife? AFL – MAD MONDAY Samantha Lilly asked: The incident of ‘Mad-Monday’ last year, where a man with dwarfism was set alight, has indicated that there is a gap in the inclusion and understanding of the AFL and media alike. The response from Mr Demetriou was deplorable, and deeply offensive. He thought it was a joke. As a short statured woman myself – this was hurtful and incredibly insensitive. Setting a man on fire, regardless of his size is not a joke. How is the AFL, and you Eddie, going to demonstrate leadership to develop a fully inclusive and tolerant culture within the AFL that is so desperately needed? What are you going to do? CYCLISTS V MOTORISTS Adam Taia asked: Rachel Griffiths - With the increase of bicycle ‘dooring’ accidents, it is often the cyclist who cries wolf. Numerous times I have attempted to cross the road as a pedestrian and have been almost hit by cyclists who don't follow road regulations, especially when it comes to stopping at a red light. Are designated bike lanes the way of the future or will it get to the stage where you will need to pass a bicycle license to ride on a road?