David Jones Owners Summon Joe Hockey’s Lobbyists After Collapse
Anchorage Capital Partners, owner of collapsed Australian retailer David Jones, has hired Joe Hockey's lobbying firm Bondi Partners in Canberra and Sydney, according to new filings. More than 6,000 jobs are at stake before state elections in Victoria and New South Wales.
Anchorage Capital Partners, the private equity owner of collapsed Australian department store David Jones, has hired former federal treasurer Joe Hockey's lobbying firm to manage political fallout, according to filings published on or before November 10, 2026. The David Jones owners summon Hockey's firm, Bondi Partners, in both Canberra and Sydney.
David Jones went into administration last week, after three years under Anchorage's control. Administration is a formal insolvency process in which outside specialists take charge of a company and look for a sale or other outcome.
What the filings show
Fresh paperwork lodged with the New South Wales lobbying register and the federal Attorney-General's lobbying register indicates Bondi Partners has been retained by Anchorage. The firm is acting in Canberra and on Macquarie Street, the home of the NSW state government.
Anchorage is understood to have brought in Hockey and his team to manage any political backlash from the retailer's failure. More than 6,000 jobs hang in the balance, with state elections due in Victoria and NSW.
Anchorage also holds infrastructure and technology companies in its portfolio. Those businesses could benefit from the same advice, according to the reporting.
No comment from either side
Anchorage declined to comment. A spokesman for Bondi Partners said the firm does not discuss its clients.
The hiring comes as Anchorage weighs its next move on the retailer. A spokesman for the firm said last week it was still considering whether to take part in a sale process to buy the business back out of administration.
Government officials could be tempted to turn unwanted scrutiny on the firm if political sentiment turns against it. That would make any bid more uncomfortable for Anchorage's leadership, whatever powers state and federal governments may have to intervene.
The registers are designed to show which lobbyists work for which clients. They do not record what advice is given or what meetings take place.
The collapse has become one of the biggest retail stories in Australia, with bare shelves and emptying racks in stores. Anchorage has not said whether it will bid in the sale process.
