Latest news with #Crozier
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘The entire party is imploding': Groth, Pesutto, Deeming turning Liberal headache into a migraine
Opposition Leader Brad Battin has acknowledged tensions in his party room as former leader John Pesutto prepares to be served bankruptcy proceedings by Liberal colleague Moira Deeming. Battin was also forced to defend his deputy, Sam Groth, on Friday over reports Groth had misled opposition frontbencher Georgie Crozier to access her chauffeur-driven car after a fundraiser at the Australian Open last year. The Herald Sun on Friday reported Groth had asked to borrow Crozier's driver for work reasons but used the car to get home to Rye after a fundraiser at the tennis. Crozier, who was leader of the opposition in the upper house at the time, told reporters on Friday that she wanted answers. 'I'm incredibly disappointed,' Crozier said outside the opposition's budget reply lunch. 'Sam needs to explain his actions.' Groth, the opposition's spokesman for tourism, sport, events and hospitality, said he attended the 2024 Australian Open in both an official and personal capacity. 'I was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative,' Groth said in a statement on Friday. 'Everything was and is above board. It has all been officially disclosed. There is nothing to hide.'
The Age
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘The entire party is imploding': Groth, Pesutto, Deeming turning Liberal headache into a migraine
Opposition Leader Brad Battin has acknowledged tensions in his party room as former leader John Pesutto prepares to be served bankruptcy proceedings by Liberal colleague Moira Deeming. Battin was also forced to defend his deputy, Sam Groth, on Friday over reports Groth had misled opposition frontbencher Georgie Crozier to access her chauffeur-driven car after a fundraiser at the Australian Open last year. The Herald Sun on Friday reported Groth had asked to borrow Crozier's driver for work reasons but used the car to get home to Rye after a fundraiser at the tennis. Crozier, who was leader of the opposition in the upper house at the time, told reporters on Friday that she wanted answers. 'I'm incredibly disappointed,' Crozier said outside the opposition's budget reply lunch. 'Sam needs to explain his actions.' Groth, the opposition's spokesman for tourism, sport, events and hospitality, said he attended the 2024 Australian Open in both an official and personal capacity. 'I was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative,' Groth said in a statement on Friday. 'Everything was and is above board. It has all been officially disclosed. There is nothing to hide.'
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Georgie Crozier urges Sam Groth to 'explain' after using her chauffeured vehicle to take him home while 'smashed'
Liberal MP Georgie Crozier has blasted her colleague Sam Groth after it was revealed he used her taxpayer-funded chauffeur to drive him and his wife home from the Australian Open last year. Mr Groth, who was reportedly "smashed", and his wife were driven to their Rye home, almost 100km south of Melbourne, in order to get back from the tennis after a private fundraiser held with Nationals MP Jade Benham and subsequent boozing in the tennis precinct party zone. While the incident happened in January 2024, the Herald Sun revealed the details on Friday. The former tennis player is under heavy scrutiny for the misuse of the vehicle as taxpayer-funded vehicles are provided to government ministers and senior opposition figures for them to use while carrying out public duties. Parliamentary guidelines state they must not be used for 'improper personal' purposes, for the 'private advantage or benefit for themselves or any other person', or for 'non-public purposes' such as political party fundraisers. In addition to the vehicle revelations, Mr Groth was also found by Herald Sun to have charged taxpayers to stay in luxury hotels while he was attending sporting events, including $317 for accommodation on two occasions during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne. Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin faced questions over the reports but backed Mr Groth insisting he fulfilled the requirement of meeting with stakeholders at the fundraiser. Ms Crozier, however, said the people of Victoria deserved better from one of its public figures. Sources told the Herald Sun Mr Groth had said to Ms Crozier he wanted to borrow her chauffeur-driven vehicle for a work event but that when she found out "he was smashed", she was furious at her colleague. 'Sam needs to explain his actions, I can't. I don't know the full details of what happened on the day. I think it's up to the leadership to explain his actions," she said. 'There are people around the state who are in so much despair — the drought, cost of living, the issues around health. 'Every single Victorian I think deserves much better.' Mr Groth spoke to the media on Friday where he defended his actions and denied he was drunk, but failed to admit whether he misled Ms Crozier over the use of the vehicle. 'At the Australian Open in 2024, I attended in both an official capacity and a personal one," he said. 'I was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative. The accusations around intoxication are wrong. 'Everything was and is above board. It has all been officially disclosed. There is nothing to hide.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Whitbread to name Severn Trent's Hodgson as new chair
The chair of Severn Trent, the FTSE-100 water company, is to add to her portfolio of directorships by taking the helm of Whitbread, the Premier Inn-owner. Sky News has learnt that Christine Hodgson has been selected as the preferred candidate to replace Adam Crozier as Whitbread's chairman. City sources said her appointment could be announced as early as next week. Money latest: Ms Hodgson is said to have seen off competition for the post from Andrew Martin, chair of the testing and inspection group Intertek. Mr Crozier, who has chaired the leisure group since 2018, is expected to step down later this year. Ms Hodgson has some experience of the leisure industry, having served on the board of Ladbrokes Coral Group until 2017. Under Mr Crozier's stewardship, Whitbread has been radically reshaped, selling its Costa Coffee subsidiary to The Coca-Cola Company in 2019 for nearly £4bn. The company has also seen off an activist campaign spearheaded by Elliott Advisers, while Mr Crozier orchestrated the appointment of Dominic Paul, its chief executive, following Alison Brittain's retirement. It said last year that it sees potential to grow the Premier Inn network from 86,000 UK bedrooms to 125,000 over the next decade or so. The company has also been exploring the sale of some of its pub and restaurant operations. On Thursday, shares in Whitbread were trading at around £28.41, giving the company a market capitalisation of about £4.8bn. Whitbread declined to comment.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chair candidates battle to check in at Premier Inn-owner Whitbread
Two chairs of FTSE-100 companies are vying to succeed Adam Crozier at the top of Whitbread, the London-listed group behind the Premier Inn hotel chain. Sky News has learnt that Christine Hodgson, who chairs water company Severn Trent, and Andrew Martin, chair of the testing and inspection group Intertek, are the leading contenders for the Whitbread job. Mr Crozier, who has chaired the leisure group since 2018, is expected to step down later this year. The search, which has been taking place for several months, is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, according to one City source. Ms Hodgson has some experience of the leisure industry, having served on the board of Ladbrokes Coral Group until 2017, while Mr Martin was a senior executive at the contract caterer Compass Group and finance chief at the travel agent First Choice Holidays. Under Mr Crozier's stewardship, Whitbread has been radically reshaped, selling its Costa Coffee subsidiary to The Coca-Cola Company in 2019 for nearly £4bn. The company has also seen off an activist campaign spearheaded by Elliott Advisers, while Mr Crozier orchestrated the appointment of Dominic Paul, its chief executive, following Alison Brittain's retirement. It said last year that it sees potential to grow the network from 86,000 UK bedrooms to 125,000 over the next decade or so. Mr Crozier is one of Britain's most seasoned boardroom figures, and now chairs BT Group and Kantar, the market research and data business backed by Bain Capital and WPP Group. He previously ran the Football Association, ITV and - in between - Royal Mail Group. On Friday, shares in Whitbread closed at £25.41, giving the company a market capitalisation of about £4.5bn. Whitbread declined to comment this weekend.
