Batch or Rod, just the boys to run NRMA

New NRMA el presidente Ross Turnbull has wasted no time locking arms with his hand-picked posse to hunt up a new bunny to run the NRMA.

A specially convened board committee to be chaired by Turnbull will find a new cupbearer for Rod Carter's poisoned chalice: el Toro's boardroom mates Michael Hill, Alan Evans, Graham Blight and Michael Tynan.

Hill is Turnbull's former law firm business partner and chairman of the Newcastle Knights.

To save them time, we've nutted out a list of candidates the committee might consider.

Former AMP boss Paul Batchelor is these days spending most of his time with his lawyers and might like the fresh challenge at the helm of a controversial new plaything.

Most of his old executive team, including $6-million-man Tom Fraser and head of AMP International Tim Wade, also find themselves idle (and rich) after falling out of favour with Andrew Mohl. They too might like a closer look at the NRMA's top job.

The legal expertise of AMP's former general counsel Gary Traill could come in handy, given the mutual's litigious ways.

The increasingly idle Stan Wallis knows a thing or two about financial services and may fancy a return to an executive role, given his extensive success in a non-executive capacity.

Turnbull could do worse than former Colonial money man Greg Perry, who might like a stab at the group's $500 million investment portfolio.

That's if he can't leap the non-compete clauses that remain a barrier to his joining Chris Cuffe over at the Packer's CPHIC.

CSR boss Peter Kirby, left without a gig at the soon-to-be demerged operation, is hawking his executive services about town and might just have the old-style corporate personality to cut through the NRMA's bureaucracy.

Wine man Keith Lambert knows a thing or two about a good drop, of which they are so fond at the NRMA, which takes us to the original el presidente Nicholas Richard Whitlam.

He would surely jump at the chance of a repeat performance with the group, only this time on the executive stage.

But then we are reminded Whitlam is banned from acting as a company director for at least five years; Rod Adler's out for 20, who might also have liked a stab at managing the share portfolio.

Just like at AMP, Ernst & Young has popped up on the radar as NRMA's auditor, which it took on from KPMG mid-last year.

And just in case there was any question of NRMA management conducting the review of their own organisation's flaws, rival accounting firm Deloittes is also on board at ground level as independent internal auditor to make sure it all remains above board.

Listen to the laddie

If Lion Nathan's affable Scot, Gordon Cairns, ever decides to make a tilt at the limping Southcorp he won't have to go far for some expert advice.

Cairns need just head up the road from his Balmoral abode and knock on the $15.5 million front door of ousted Southcorp chief Keith Lambert.

The bottle bin outside Cairns's Kiora Avenue home is just a hop skip and jump away from Lambert's Hopetoun Avenue mansion, Rivendell, purchased with his wife, Rosalind Oatley-Lambert.

He and Ros the daughter of major Southcorp shareholder and Rosemount founder Bob Oatley purchased the property in mid-2001.

Meanwhile, customers of John Fletcher's nearby Vintage Cellars on Mosman's Military Road might keep an eye out for the Scot and any canny Bin 389 bargains he may make in the interests of a due diligence for Project Binge.

Last man dancing

As the three-way merger of Rothschild, BT and Westpac snakes forward, Sagitta small caps analyst Glen Hoffman is the latest to join the tail-end of the conga line for a cha cha out the front door.

He follows the former head of smaller companies David Fleming, who is believed to have had his last day on Friday, as the cultural clash between David Morgan's uptight financial institution and the free-form fund managers continues to flare.

A new senior recruit is on the way in to head the scaled-back small caps team.

Other departures for various reasons from the former Rothschild team since Westpac bought it last year for $323 million include its boss Peter Martin and chief investment officer Jonathon Pain.

The bank's difficulty in blending the old with the new has also seen former head of equities at the combined wealth management operations, Andrew Brown, take the bank to court over entitlements.

BT boss David Clarke and head teller Morgan are believed to have met asset managers yesterday in an effort to stem the funds flow.

Just don't pay tax

Voters have filled the letters pages of newspapers with arguments against Australia joining George W. Bush's war with Iraq. And marched in their hundreds of thousands.

But have they worked on the Government's hip pocket?

A new website, www.notwithmytax.com, urges taxpayers to do just that, to cut off funds earmarked for the war effort by deducting $100 from their tax bill this year, be it income tax or GST, before sending in the due amount and including a note to the Tax Office to tell the revenue collectors why they are doing it.

The site warns that holding back tax is against the law. But the site designers say if enough people take the action it is unlikely the Government will be able to take any action. Meantime, clicks on the website are running hot.

But over at the Tax Office, they are not amused and provided this curt reply to our inquiries concerning the site.

``The Tax Office administers the tax system under the law. Failure to meet tax obligations can result in penalties and interest."