Claiming credit for Vizard Telstra exit in 2000

One-time David Letterman wannabe Steve Vizard has bowed out from his lucrative Telstra directorship in a reshuffling of the telco Titanic's deckchairs.

Also stepping down from the $61,000 director's gig is Chris Roberts – ending a nine-year stint – and bush pacifier Cecilia Moar. The departures have opened the barriers on a Melbourne-Cup field of election nominees for the carrier's November 17 annual meeting.
Heading the list of nine will be former Murdoch and Packer lieutenant Sam Chisolm.

His potential to iron out Foxtel's messy equity issues must place him as an early short-priced favourite for one of the three open seats. But competition is strong.

Outgoing Brambles chief executive John Fletcher has put his hand up, as has high-tech sorceress and former Cochlear boss Catherine Livingstone.

And let's not forget media anarchist Stephen Mayne, who is already claiming Vizard's resignation as a scalp.

``I launched my campaign on an anti-Vizard platform,'' the maverick Internet publisher said last night.

Mayne's campaign was that Vizard was sitting on a large conflict of interest by spruiking his own Internet businesses in competition with Telstra Big Pond.

Vizard gave no reason for his decision to depart.

But Mayne has one large obstacle, namely majority shareholder, the Coalition Government.

Mayne has lost friends in conservative politics, having attacked Jeff Kennett after leaving his office and launching an abortive campaign for his seat. But then, John Howard is no bosom buddy of Jeff either. Mayne lives in hope that an enemy of thine enemy is a friend of mine.

Copyright © 2022 The Mayne Report. All rights reserved

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