Logo a go-go: Will the Sydney Opera House ever rest its sails?

Samsung, a major sponsor, has had its logo splayed across every conceivable part of the Opera House for years (even the former Cafe Mozart is now The Lounge “enabled by Samsung”).

Then there was the proposal to convert the Utzon Room into a “Danish themed” boudoir, likely through another of the Opera House’s 11 corporate sponsors — Airbnb.

The same plan would have meant as many as 100 guests could stay overnight in the foyers of the Dame Joan Sutherland theatre or the Concert Hall, basking in all the purity.

And let’s not forget the 2016 decision to abolish a cap on the number of corporate events that could be held in the Opera House forecourt every year.

Where was Pascoe then? Or Clover Moore?

Of course the Opera House needs corporate sponsorship, particularly to pay running costs that government funding doesn’t meet, but cut it out with the puritan schtick.

We save the final word in this sea of hypocrisy for Jones, the owner of an apartment in the tasteful Toaster building overlooking the Opera House.

Two years ago Jones (and his neighbour, former Macquarie investment banker Bill Moss) were so outraged about creeping commercialisation of the Opera House forecourt that he put his name to a document accusing management of “trashing” the icon.

Can you believe it?

Tinker, tailor, plumber, spy?

At 26, fund manager Nick Bolton sprung to prominence by snapping up 1c shares in tollroad company BrisConnections, selling his votes to construction group Leighton Holdings, going to war with Macquarie, and winning.

Five years later, Bolton, managing director of Keybridge Capital, was disqualified from corporate life after 13 companies he was a director of collapsed, owing $25 million.

Things have not improved.

This year the corporate regulator said it was investigating Bolton for being a “shadow manager” of Keybridge and an associated firm, Aurora Funds Management.

Now the question arises — what, if any, is Bolton’s interest in The Apprentice star Mark Bouris and his mortgage flogging outfit Yellow Brick Road?

Overshadowed by the hostile takeover lobbed by veteran corporate raider Ron Brierley, some very unusual things have been taking place.

Last week CBD revealed “hedge fund” RAMcap, run by dishwashing equipment salesman Richard Matthews, claimed it owned 3.4 million shares in Yellow Brick Road and wanted Bouris out.

But does it really own those shares?

In correspondence from its lawyers, Bouris’ outfit denies RAMcap is even a shareholder.

And it implies Matthews, who runs just $6 million in assets, may have sold the voting rights attached to those shares to Aurora.

(For his part, Matthews says the allegations are “groundless”.)

19 (Ministers) a crowd

How much money will the Liberal Party have to spend to hold Wentworth?

Considering the heavyweight fundraiser due tomorrow, it’s going to be a massive cheque.

Hosted by Deloitte at $550 a head, the Sydney CBD fundraiser features both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Gladys Berejiklian, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, Energy Minister Angus Taylor, Education Minister Dan Tehan, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, Attorney General Christian Porter, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and ten other ministers!

With a possible $1 million campaign bill, it's no wonder they're throwing everything they’ve got at it.

They could move into the Machiavelli booking vacated by the Kerryn Phelps campaign, but they might need a bigger (top secret) location just to accommodate the front bench.