Malcolm Turnbull’s keynote interview opening the INSOL Virtual Conference today was a rollicking exploration of the rise of nationalism, the COVID impacted world, his own career in restructuring and insolvency, and climate change.
He managed to incorporate references the shopping scene in Pretty Woman and chick lit in a very conversational and topical discussion.
Some of the highlights for me were:
- his reference to our profession as “resuscitators and restructurers rather than undertakers”
- his description of his own career as “dealing with messes and disasters, which are challenging and interesting if you have to fix them”
- his characteristically punchy engagement on climate issues, repeating an observation to him by Australian Senator Bridget McKenzie that the climate deniers in his party considered the primacy of fossil fuels a matter of religion and not economics
- when asked what was on his current reading list, giving a list of exclusively female authors (as well as giving his wife Lucy credit for their work on the Fairfax receivership and the Spycatcher trial). That is walking the talk on diversity and inclusion!
