Nothing fearless about girls’ regatta decision

But in a statement HOSG engaged in a bit of doublespeak that would have done George Orwell proud as he was writing 1984, saying the regatta was “built on the foundations of providing a fair and inclusive experience for those who participate, and we believe this decision remains true to that”.

Fearless guys

Asset manager State Street Global Advisors has hit back against labour law firm Maurice Blackburn in their legal squabble over the Fearless Girl statue.

State Street, which commissioned the original statue from artist Kristen Visbal and placed it in New York opposite Wall Street’s Charging Bull statue where it became an icon, took Maurice Blackburn to the Federal Court in August 2019 alleging copyright and trademark infringement.

The asset manager had failed to stop the Melbourne law firm putting its replica statue in Federation Square.

And last week State Street got a shellacking, with Justice Jonathan Beach saying the global firm was trying to “assert monopoly rights in an icon it did not have” and that there was “considerable disparity in what it paid for and what it now asserts it is entitled to protect”. If Beach sounded unimpressed over the issue, perhaps it is because at one point State Street alleged the marketing value of the statue was between $35 million and $50 million.

State Street’s spokeswoman in Hong Kong said the firm was disappointed but was undecided on next steps, before the firm delivered a masterclass in passive-aggressive positioning.

“We launched the Fearless Girl campaign in 2017 to help expand the number of women on corporate boards. Given the time, energy and resources we have invested in the campaign, we naturally must be very protective of how Fearless Girl is used by others, particularly for commercial purposes.”

Maurice Blackburn said installing the Aussie replica was only ever about reminding everyone that Australians have a “long way to go in the fight to achieve gender equality”.

You can say that again, judging by the barristers both sides engaged to run the case. State Street’s lawyer Gilbert + Tobin engaged David Studdy SC and Marcus Fleming, while Maurice Blackburn’s solicitors Simpsons engaged Colin Golvan QC and Melissa Marcus, whom CBD understands was an addition after the blatant gender disparity was pointed out.

Rex reinvents

It’s day one for regional airline Rex’s reinvention as a capital city shuttle. At 7am on Monday its maiden Melbourne-Sydney flight is scheduled to depart Tullamarine airport. By 8.15am, the festivities are planned to kick off at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport with a bash presided over by Rex bosses and airport executives.

John Sharp, the former transport minister and now Rex’s deputy chair, is expected to attend the party, as well as Transport Workers Union boss Tony Sheldon. Also on the guest list? Former Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah. The executive has remained a gun for hire since Bain Capital’s local boss Mike Murphy ushered the well-liked chief executive out the door of the airline and replaced him with former JetStar boss Jayne Hrdlicka – but only after Bain secured the airline with Scurrah’s help at the end of a hotly contested bid.

As for Scurrah, could another role in aviation be in the offing? Sadly Rex representatives weren’t prepared to comment. But the fact the airline has someone answering its media line is an achievement of itself.

After all, it was only two weeks ago CBD revealed the airline corporate affairs director Ben Worsley had walked out of the job just three weeks out from the big launch and less than four months at the airline. Turns out he had scored a job inside the NSW Department of Education alongside department secretary Mark Scott, his former ABC boss. But he’s been speedily replaced at Rex by communications executive Steve Loader who served under Geoff Dixon and James Strong in an earlier life at Qantas.

Half-century

On Wednesday Education Minister Alan Tudge said he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate his 50th birthday, which fell midway through Parliament’s sitting week. We’re guessing his attitude had changed by the weekend, given the MP celebrated the half-century with his nearest and dearest on Saturday with lunch at John Gandel’s Point Leo Estate on Victoria’s well-heeled Mornington Peninsula. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg scored an invitation.