Antinuclear

Daily Telegraph editor Paul Whittaker, whose newspaper backed Mr Abbott to the hilt, will be attending. News Corp editor Col Allan is believed to have flown back from New York in time for the intimate gathering of friends. The Australian editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell was invited but told Fairfax Media he was unable to attend.

Former prime minister Julia Gillard was mocked for her ”mummy bloggers”. Here then, perhaps, was a conspiracy of conservative columnists. That the majority of Mr Abbott’s guests come from News Limited would surely please Rupert Murdoch, who is back in Australia. Mr Abbott this week divided Australia’s media landscape into two broad camps: ”There tends to be an ABC view of the world, and it’s not a view of the world that I find myself in total sympathy with. But, others would say that there’s a News Limited view of the world.”

Fairfax Media columnists Paul Sheehan and Gerard Henderson were also invited to the knees-up, which was orchestrated by Mr Abbott’s chief of staff Peta Credlin.

Guests were asked to keep details of the evening strictly confidential. ”We do not release details of the Prime Minister’s private functions,” a spokeswoman said. She declined to respond when asked whether the taxpayer would foot the bill.  http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/guess-whos-coming-to-dinner-abbotts-round-table-20131025-2w76k.html#ixzz2j56pdspR