Stephen Mayne
Encyclopedia
Stephen Mayne is an Australia
n journalist
, local government councillor and self-described shareholder activist. Mayne is also considered “serial runner”, continually running for elected office and election onto company boards, more often than not in futile attempts, or just to make political statements.
, but fell out with his former boss and started the website jeffed.com devoted to complaints about him in September 1999 to support his abortive candidacy in the 1999 election.
He is best known for founding Crikey.com.au, an online independent news service. The combination of gossip and anti-establishment reporting got Mayne into legal (and consequent financial) trouble several times. Despite considerable financial pressures, Mayne persisted and Crikey gradually attracted subscribers and a fair degree of notoriety. It was announced on 1 February 2005 that Crikey had been sold for $A1 million to another independent media operator, Private Media Partners.
Mayne continues to write for Crikey and was a regular business commentator on ABC Radio
. Mayne also regularly runs for elections to the board of directors
of various Australian public companies to draw attention to issues concerning good corporate governance. He is also a trenchant critic of what he perceives as excessive conflicts of interest in corporate and political Australia.
In October 2007, Mayne launched The Mayne Report -- a daily videoblog and subscription newsletter focusing on shareholder activism and corporate governance issues.
in order to run against then Premier Jeff Kennett as an independent, protest candidate. After moving to Melbourne and making preparations for the campaign, he discovered he was unable to run because he was not entitled to be enrolled and was not actually enrolled. Years later he tearfully told the ABC's "Talking Heads" that his father disowned him at this point, telling him not to return until he had got a job.
Mayne later ran as an independent candidate in a subsequent Burwood
by-election
, caused by Jeff Kennett's immediate resignation from politics straight after his 1999 State election loss. Mayne attracted a primary vote of 1975 votes (6.63%), and Bob Stensholt of the ALP
won the seat with a 3.63% margin.
He later came to be central to the formation of the People Power party and while not formally on its board became its principal financial supporter. The Age reported that he "would play a key role in recruiting, organising and funding the People Power campaign."
In 2001, he ran for Lord Mayor of Melbourne, losing to John So
.
In 2006, he ran as the lead Southern Metropolitan Upper House candidate for the People Power party.
However, on 29 November 2006, after a poor election showing, People Power co-founder Vern Hughes
condemned Mayne as a "cavalier journalist" whose "trivialisation" of serious issues undermined the party electorally. This resulted in expulsion procedures initiated against Mayne, resulting in Mayne's eventual expulsion by the People Power board. Mayne has since denied that his expulsion was legitimate and has published attacks against prominent members of People Power who supported his expulsion http://andrewlanderyou.blogspot.com/.
Mayne also ran as an independent for the seat of Higgins
, against incumbent treasurer Peter Costello
in 2007. He received a primary vote of 1.98 percent (1,615 votes).
On 30 November 2008, Mayne was elected to the Heide Ward in the Manningham City Council
in Melbourne.
, but failed to win a seat.
Australian journalism's most prestigious night descended into a shambles when Glenn Milne
pushed Stephen Mayne off the stage at the 2006 Walkley Awards
.
As Stephen Mayne prepared to present an award to Morgan Mellish
of The Australian Financial Review
,
a "red-faced" and "seemingly intoxicated"
Milne lurched onto the stage and began a diatribe of verbal abuse. On national television, Milne then lunged at Mayne, pushing him off the stage, and screaming at Mayne that he was "a disgrace".
"I could see from his sort of wild eyes, and his red face, that he was clearly very drunk, and I thought, you know, heck, this is going to be out of control," said Mayne, who suffered a sore ankle from the altercation.
"And next thing I know, I'd been shoved off the stage and I was hurtling through the air, in a four-foot drop onto the floor."
Milne tried to run at Mayne a second time before being restrained by security guards,
who frogmarched the dishevelled Canberra veteran out the door. Mr Mayne then gathered himself at the microphone, quipping,"That is the former Sunday Telegraph
political correspondent Glenn Milne, sponsored by Fosters
."
The following day, Milne apologised for the outburst, saying he was affected by a mixture of alcohol
and migraine
pills.
, is one of Australia's best-known contemporary artists. His grandfather was the World War I
veteran and British
centenarian Philip Mayne
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, local government councillor and self-described shareholder activist. Mayne is also considered “serial runner”, continually running for elected office and election onto company boards, more often than not in futile attempts, or just to make political statements.
Journalism
Mayne worked for a number of media outlets and as a media adviser to then Premier of Victoria Jeff KennettJeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
, but fell out with his former boss and started the website jeffed.com devoted to complaints about him in September 1999 to support his abortive candidacy in the 1999 election.
He is best known for founding Crikey.com.au, an online independent news service. The combination of gossip and anti-establishment reporting got Mayne into legal (and consequent financial) trouble several times. Despite considerable financial pressures, Mayne persisted and Crikey gradually attracted subscribers and a fair degree of notoriety. It was announced on 1 February 2005 that Crikey had been sold for $A1 million to another independent media operator, Private Media Partners.
Mayne continues to write for Crikey and was a regular business commentator on ABC Radio
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. Mayne also regularly runs for elections to the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of various Australian public companies to draw attention to issues concerning good corporate governance. He is also a trenchant critic of what he perceives as excessive conflicts of interest in corporate and political Australia.
In October 2007, Mayne launched The Mayne Report -- a daily videoblog and subscription newsletter focusing on shareholder activism and corporate governance issues.
Politics
In 1999, Stephen Mayne resigned from his job at The Australian Financial ReviewThe Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review is a leading business and finance newspaper in Australia.Fairfax Media publishes it in a compact format six days a week, Monday to Saturday....
in order to run against then Premier Jeff Kennett as an independent, protest candidate. After moving to Melbourne and making preparations for the campaign, he discovered he was unable to run because he was not entitled to be enrolled and was not actually enrolled. Years later he tearfully told the ABC's "Talking Heads" that his father disowned him at this point, telling him not to return until he had got a job.
Mayne later ran as an independent candidate in a subsequent Burwood
Electoral district of Burwood
The electoral district of Burwood is an electorate for the Victorian Legislative Assembly in Australia. It is located approximately 13 kilometres east of Melbourne, and covers an area of 24 km². It includes the suburbs of Ashburton, Ashwood, Box Hill South, and parts of Burwood, Camberwell,...
by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, caused by Jeff Kennett's immediate resignation from politics straight after his 1999 State election loss. Mayne attracted a primary vote of 1975 votes (6.63%), and Bob Stensholt of the ALP
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
won the seat with a 3.63% margin.
He later came to be central to the formation of the People Power party and while not formally on its board became its principal financial supporter. The Age reported that he "would play a key role in recruiting, organising and funding the People Power campaign."
In 2001, he ran for Lord Mayor of Melbourne, losing to John So
John So
John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...
.
In 2006, he ran as the lead Southern Metropolitan Upper House candidate for the People Power party.
However, on 29 November 2006, after a poor election showing, People Power co-founder Vern Hughes
Vern Hughes
Vern Hughes is an Anglican social commentator and writer and a leading commentator on civil society. He is the Director of the Melbourne-based Centre for Civil Society...
condemned Mayne as a "cavalier journalist" whose "trivialisation" of serious issues undermined the party electorally. This resulted in expulsion procedures initiated against Mayne, resulting in Mayne's eventual expulsion by the People Power board. Mayne has since denied that his expulsion was legitimate and has published attacks against prominent members of People Power who supported his expulsion http://andrewlanderyou.blogspot.com/.
Mayne also ran as an independent for the seat of Higgins
Division of Higgins
The Division of Higgins is an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria.The division was created in 1949 and is named after Justice H. B. Higgins , who was a Victorian Member of the legislative assembly , president of the Carlton Football Club , Australian Member of Parliament , and justice of the...
, against incumbent treasurer Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
in 2007. He received a primary vote of 1.98 percent (1,615 votes).
On 30 November 2008, Mayne was elected to the Heide Ward in the Manningham City Council
City of Manningham
The City of Manningham is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. The total population is 118,544 , divided up into 10 suburbs, the largest being Doncaster and Templestowe, over an area of 113 square kilometres.The district spans a...
in Melbourne.
2010 Victorian election
Mayne ran as an independent for the Northern Metropolitan Region in the 2010 Victorian state electionVictorian state election, 2010
The 2010 Victorian state election was held on 27 November. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party government, led by John Brumby, was defeated by the centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition, led by Ted Baillieu....
, but failed to win a seat.
Walkley Awards incident
Glenn Milne
Glenn Milne is a Canberra journalist and political commentator. He currently works for News Limited as a columnist for The Australian newspaper....
pushed Stephen Mayne off the stage at the 2006 Walkley Awards
Walkley Awards
The annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
.
As Stephen Mayne prepared to present an award to Morgan Mellish
Morgan Mellish
Henry Morgan Saxon Mellish , better known as Morgan Mellish, was an Australian journalist.Mellish was educated at Shore School in North Sydney...
of The Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review
The Australian Financial Review is a leading business and finance newspaper in Australia.Fairfax Media publishes it in a compact format six days a week, Monday to Saturday....
,
a "red-faced" and "seemingly intoxicated"
Milne lurched onto the stage and began a diatribe of verbal abuse. On national television, Milne then lunged at Mayne, pushing him off the stage, and screaming at Mayne that he was "a disgrace".
"I could see from his sort of wild eyes, and his red face, that he was clearly very drunk, and I thought, you know, heck, this is going to be out of control," said Mayne, who suffered a sore ankle from the altercation.
"And next thing I know, I'd been shoved off the stage and I was hurtling through the air, in a four-foot drop onto the floor."
Milne tried to run at Mayne a second time before being restrained by security guards,
who frogmarched the dishevelled Canberra veteran out the door. Mr Mayne then gathered himself at the microphone, quipping,"That is the former Sunday Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
political correspondent Glenn Milne, sponsored by Fosters
Foster's Lager
Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed Australian brand of 5.0% abv pale lager, It is a product of Foster's Group brewed under licence in several countries, including the U.S. and Russia...
."
The following day, Milne apologised for the outburst, saying he was affected by a mixture of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and migraine
Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
pills.
Miscellaneous
Mayne is married to Paula Piccinini, a barrister and occasional contributor to Crikey, and has a young family. His sister-in-law, Patricia PiccininiPatricia Piccinini
Patricia Piccinini is an Australian artist and hyperrealist sculptor. Her art work came to prominence in Australia in the late 1990s. In 2003 she was selected as the artist to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale....
, is one of Australia's best-known contemporary artists. His grandfather was the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
centenarian Philip Mayne
Philip Mayne
Philip Mayne is thought to have been the last surviving British officer of the First World War. He is also thought to have been the oldest surviving member of Christ's Hospital, of the University of Cambridge Engineering Department, of King's College, Cambridge and indeed of the whole University...
.
External links
- The Mayne Report
- Crikey
- YouTube - video of Walkley AwardsWalkley AwardsThe annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
scuffle with Glenn Milne (Duration 0:55) - newspaper article about the Crikey sale
- Stephen Mayne's 1999 Burwood By-Election results
- Stephen Mayne - Candidate for Southern Metropolitan Upper House Region in November 2006 State Election for People Power