This is Prime Minister John Howard’s eulogy for Kerry Packer.
Packer, the owner of Channel 9 and Australian Consolidated Press, died on December 26, 2005.
Howard spoke at a State Memorial Service at the Sydney Opera House. [Read more…]
Howard And Beazley Pay Tribute To Packer
Dec 27, 2005
Kerry Packer was a “great Australian”, the Prime Minister, John Howard, said today.
Howard wasted no time in holding a media conference at Kirribilli House, Sydney, this morning, just hours after Channel 9 broke the news that the station’s owner, Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, had died, aged 68.
Packer was a loyal friend, the Prime Minister said.
Howard said the cliches “great Australian” and “larger than life character” were appropriate descriptions of Packer. He paid tribute to the media proprietor’s business acumen, citing Packer’s sale of the Nine network to Alan Bond in the 1980s. Packer subsequently bought Nine back at a fraction of the price. Bond went broke. Packer famously said “an Alan Bond only comes along once in life”. [Read more…]
Mark Latham On Kerry Packer
Aug 31, 2000
The following speech was delivered by Mark Latham, ALP Member for Werriwa, during “Statements by Members” in the House of Representatives Main Committee on Thursday 31 August, 2000.
The speech is printed as it appeared in Hansard.
Mark Latham speech in the House of Representatives, August 31, 2000.
Mr LATHAM (Werriwa) (9.46 a.m.) — I wish to reflect on the news that Australia’s richest man, Kerry Packer, lost $34 million last month on a gambling spree in Las Vegas. I am sure that most Australians will feel uneasy about this sort of extravagance. Notions of public morality and justice are under threat when it is possible for one person to accumulate such extraordinary wealth and then use it in such an extraordinary way. [Read more…]
Kerry Packer Debates The Friends Of Fairfax
Nov 15, 1991
In November 1991, Conrad Black was aiming to take over the Fairfax media company.
Black, a Canadian media magnate, eventually gained control of Fairfax in 1993. His Hollinger group controlled 25% of Fairfax and Kerry Packer’s PBL controlled 15%.
The takeover was made possible after Fairfax went into receivership following the disastrous reign of “young” Warwick Fairfax.
Black ultimately sold his holdings in the face of foreign ownership restrictions.
In this interview on Channel 9’s A Current Affair in November 1991, Kerry Packer confronts representatives of the Friends of Fairfax in a studio debate. The debate is chaired by ACA’s host, Jana Wendt. Packer is questioned by Fairfax journalists Tom Burton, Kenneth Davidson and Alan Kennedy.
Twenty-two years later, it is remarkable to note that even though ACA had their boss on the program, they were nevertheless doing serious current affairs broadcasting.
At one stage (around the 10 minute mark) Packer makes a prescient observation about the future of newspapers.
The segment was aired in November 1991 but I’m not sure of the precise date.