It’s political commentary as entertainment, but it’s reaching young people in a way that a lot of other things and people don’t. – Ben Oquist He is not afraid to stand up and say publicly what we’re all thinking. He’s not afraid to call out bad behaviour. – Nicola Wakefield Evans

01

Photo: Simon Schleuter

MEET THE 2016 POWER PANEL

Waleed Aly

The Project co-host, commentator, academic 2015 ranking: None

Because: Staring down the barrel of the camera into almost 1 million lounge rooms nightly, The Project host preaches sensible analysis. Aly’s seat at the Prime Minister’s table during Ramadan shows his voice is taken seriously by the elite, while his shiny Gold Logie proves that many in middle Australia have been listening intently for some time. His most popular video, in which he calls terrorist group Islamic State weak, has been viewed 30 million times since it was aired in November 2015. “Milked Dry”, a sermon from May calling on shoppers to eschew cheap private label milk and cheese, has been viewed 4 million times. Anecdotes of empty shelves flooded in after the broadcast and in August Dairy Australia reported the share of branded milk sold in supermarkets had soared from about 35 per cent to 51.9 per cent, the highest level since 2010. What the panel says: He’s a highly intelligent, very entertaining commentator ... It’s mostly quite light entertainment and then every now and then he absolutely nails it with a two- or three-minute diatribe that’s very, very effective and powerful. – Katrina Sedgwick

Each year The Australian Financial Review Magazine assembles a panel of high achievers from across a diverse range of sectors to help it assess who has won, lost and retained power in Australia in the past 12 months. Meet this year’s panel.

Dominique Fisher Managing director of CareerLounge; non-executive director of Australia Post.

Gary Gray Executive at Mineral Resources Ltd; former Labor resources and energy minister; former national secretary of the Australian Labor Party.

Sandra Harding Vice-chancellor and president of James Cook University.

Greg Combet Company director in funds management and banking; former Labor industry and climate change minister; former ACTU secretary.

Ben Oquist Executive director of The Australia Institute; former Greens chief of staff.

Tony Mitchelmore Managing director of Visibility Consulting; qualitative researcher and campaign strategist.

Katrina Sedgwick Chief executive officer of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image; former head of arts at ABC TV.

Ian Macfarlane Chairman of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre; former Coalition industry minister.

Nicola Wakefield Evans Non-executive director of Lendlease, Toll Holdings, Macquarie Group and Bupa Australia and New Zealand.

Amanda Vanstone Fairfax columnist and Radio National presenter; former Coalition immigration minister; former ambassador to Italy.

Michael Stutchbury Editor-in-chief of The Australian Financial Review.

THE 2016 POWER PANEL

Penny Wong, Warren Entsch and the same-sex marriage debate

02

South Australian Labor Senator and Federal Liberal MP respectively, both advocates for same-sex marriage. 2015 ranking: 5 (same-sex marriage)

What the panel says: Political leadership is really important to make this a unifying experience and not something that we’ll regret. – Greg Combet The fact that Penny Wong and Warren Entsch are both advocating for same-sex marriage is a very strong statement. It’s an idea whose time I hope has come. – Amanda Vanstone

Because: Most Australians – 70 per cent in some polls – want their gay and lesbian friends and family to be able to marry, so in many ways the topic has already shaped culture. An issue during the July federal election, it’s expected to continue as a talking point for politicians and punters alike in the coming year. A rejection of the government’s planned plebiscite is unlikely to stall debate on an issue many see as a fundamental matter of equality at law. The challenge for the political class will be to lead the discussion in a way that discourages bigotry and minimises harm.   Steely, determined Wong – the country’s first lesbian member of Parliament – embodies the case for change, living it quietly and purposefully day in, day out, speaking out on occasion but not being defined by it. Entsch – a 66-year-old conservative whose seat covers Cairns to Cape York – is the unlikely but passionate long-term advocate from the other side of the political fence.   As the debate rolls on, new MPs who happen to be gay, such as the Coalition’s Trent Zimmerman, Tim Wilson and Trevor Evans, together with Labor’s Julian Hill, are also expected to have their say.

Photo: Nic Walker

Adam Goodes, Michael O’Loughlin; Johnathan Thurston

03

Retired Sydney Swans AFL footballers; North Queensland Cowboys rugby league captain 2015 ranking: 15 (Goodes)

What the panel says: Goodes, O’Loughlin and Thurston are three Indigenous sportsmen leading the way by really stepping up on Indigenous issues. They’re using their positions to raise awareness. – Nicola Wakefield Evans Thurston’s footy prowess is without peer but he is so very much more than that. – Sandra Harding

Because: Former Sydney Swans captain Goodes proved this past year that a dignified silence can be as powerful as shouting from the rooftops. Plagued by incessant booing, the former Australian of the Year sat out a round of footy then knocked back the offer of a farewell lap of honour at the 2015 grand final. Goodes’ power as a role model was recognised last October when David Jones signed him up as a brand ambassador. It’s further reinforced through the success of the GO Foundation he founded with former Sydney Swans playing mate O’Loughlin, which offers scholarships to academically gifted Indigenous students. Across codes, Thurston is another welcome idol for kids and dads alike. After slotting a field goal in extra time to win the 2015 rugby league grand final, Thurston used his speech to start a campaign for a new stadium in Townsville, where he’s known as the “king of the north”. Experts rubbished the business case for the stadium but both sides of politics nevertheless promised $100 million.

Photo: James Brickwood

Anti-misogyny warriors

04

Writers, social media users 2015 ranking: None

Because: Whether it’s barbs about their looks, threats of sexual violence or photo hacks, a lot of online harassment is directed at women. According to digital security firm Norton, 76 per cent of Australian women under 30 have experienced some abuse or harassment online. But they’re not staying silent about it any more. Clementine Ford, Jane Caro, Tara Moss, Catherine Deveny, Mia Freedman and Wendy Harmer are just some of the high-profile women using social media to call out sexism, misogyny and anything else they don’t like. When an issue is trending, retweets, reposts and likes can quickly build into a powerful wave that emboldens lesser known women to speak out, too – and shuts up some of the antagonists. What the panel says: There’s this world outside of mass media where women are asserting their rights very strongly and fighting back. – Greg Combet

Clementine Ford

Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar

Mike Cannon-Brookes

05

What the panel says: Atlassian is a highly sought-after place to work because these guys have rewritten the employment manual. – Dominique Fisher They have started talking more politically, which increases their cultural power. – Ben Oquist

Atlassian founders and co-chief executives 2015 ranking: None

Because: The December 2015 float of their $8.4 billion software powerhouse helped cement the Atlassian co-founders as the country’s poster boys for innovation, entrepreneurialism and wearing a hoodie to work. They have tentatively begun contributing to discussions around policy and the question of Australia’s place in the intensively competitive, globalised world of technology. Their generosity – through charity, advice and angel investing – has not gone unnoticed, either. They are backers of Blackbird Ventures, one of the most active venture capital funds taking early bets on start-ups. Their Atlassian Foundation is a great supporter of Asian and African education charity Room to Read, while their staff get time to volunteer on the company’s dime. Cannon-Brookes in particular has found his voice on a range of issues, whether it’s warning investors off what he sees as dodgy companies or pushing for more tax-friendly treatment of employee share options, an important retention tool in the tech sector.

Because: With her party taking four seats in the upper house, the One Nation Senator has legislative grist. Nationally, One Nation Senate candidates reaped just shy of half a million votes in the July election, or 4.3 per cent of voters. Queenslanders boosted the average, with 9 per cent voting for Hanson’s party. With a minority government, that gives the party quite some power. But it’s the permission Hanson gives broader Australia to spread fear and hatred that has the greatest potential to shape the cultural conversation. Among other things, Hanson has called for a Royal Commission into Islam, surveillance cameras in mosques and zero net immigration. Call this a negative cultural force. What the panel says: She is going to embolden people to say things they haven’t said for 15 years. She is going to change the culture of what’s acceptable. – Ian Macfarlane This is a renewed explosion. She’s a survivor. She’s been to jail, come back and is speaking in a way that’s connecting with a lot of people. – Ben Oquist

Pauline Hanson

06

One Nation leader 2015 ranking: None

Online, TV and movie content providers 2015 ranking: None

Because: US streaming giant Netflix is the spark that starts many a dinner party conversation about the latest binge-watch TV series. Streaming services offer not only the best from the golden age of US TV drama, but the opportunity to watch them when we want to, not when a bunch of TV executives reckon we should. One in seven Aussies watch no commercial television on a weekday and those who still switch on are ever older.

Streaming services

What the panel says: It’s changing how we tell stories because now people are able to choose what they want to watch, when they want to watch it. – Katrina Sedgwick It’s going to lead to a big local content crisis. People are going to be feeling they’re missing out on Australian stories. – Ben Oquist

07

George Brandis and Mitch Fifield

George Brandis

08

Former and current federal arts minister 2015 ranking: 6 (Brandis)

Because: When without warning Brandis early last year stripped $104.7 million out of the federal government’s main arts bureaucracy, the Australia Council, and put it into a separate fund to be administered by his department, he incurred the wrath of many inside and outside the arts. Malcolm Turnbull replaced Brandis with Fifield, who returned some but not all of the money to the Council and has been attempting to mend bridges ever since. What the panel says: The damage to the arts community has been profound. It has just been devastating. – Katrina Sedgwick A lot of that money is still discretionary for the arts minister. – Greg Combet

Because: He’s best known for the museum he opened in Hobart in 2011; the one that made art galleries around the country rethink how and what they display, the one that turbo-charged tourism to the island state. But the two arts festivals that Walsh founded as adjuncts to his Museum of Old and New Art, Mona Foma (now called Mofo) in summer and Dark Mofo in winter, are also changing the cultural landscape, leading music and festival organisers elsewhere in the country to reassess how they do things. And not before time; the festival model needed a kick up the proverbial. In announcing a further $10.5 million in state government support to Dark Mofo recently, Tourism Tasmania CEO John Fitzgerald noted that 70,000 people a year attend the winter event and that from April to September last year, 480,000 people visited the state, up 9 per cent on the previous year. Walsh’s future plans include building a hotel on the site and introducing gambling to help offset his substantial operational costs. With an Australia Day honour and a Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres from the French government bestowed on his head this year, it’s only a matter of time before someone crowns him Australia’s King of Culture.

David Walsh

09

Gambler, museum owner2015 ranking: None

What the panel says: David Walsh is running two of the most exciting and anticipated arts festivals in the country, which are completely new models. It’s going to force a lot of those established events to question what they do. – Katrina Sedgwick He is helping to remake the Tasmanian economy. – Ben Oquist

10

She is still incredibly popular and influential with the public. They listen to her and respect her. – Tony Mitchelmore She’s responsible for moving domestic violence into the mainstream and connecting the issue economically. – Nicola Wakefield Evans

Advocate against family violence; Australian of the Year 2015 2015 ranking: 2

Because: Her influence has endured beyond her period as Australian of the Year. While coming to terms with the tragic murder of her 11-year-old son Luke by his father, Batty has led politicians, companies and the public to agree that more must be done to address domestic violence. She’s considered one of the driving forces behind a $100 million federal government package to better tackle domestic violence, including a trial of GPS trackers for perpetrators. What the panel says: Rosie Batty is still a very important advocate. She’s got a very dignified, almost understated style that gets through to many people. – Greg Combet

Rosie Batty

Because: His speech cataloguing Australia’s appalling record on Indigenous relations barely made a ripple beyond its initial live audience in late 2015. But when it was shared online before Australia Day, it exploded. Grant has gone on to make other speeches that resonated widely, and released a book that put him on the literary festival circuit. In a rare moment of bipartisanship, he was appointed to replace Patrick Dodson on the Referendum Council, which advises the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader on steps towards recognising first Australians in the constitution. Through all this, many have asked when, not if, Grant will enter politics. He says never. What the panel says: There are far too few voices in the Indigenous area and he’s a very welcome fresh face. – Amanda Vanstone His storytelling is gentle and emotional, but so incredibly powerful. It’s made a whole lot of people who had stopped listening become engaged again. – Dominique Fisher

Photo: Louis Douvis

Stan Grant

11

Journalist 2015 ranking: None

12

Chief executive, Netball Australia 2015 ranking: None

Because: The CEO of Netball Australia has had a big year. Following the creation of a new eight-team national competition, Palmer inked a historic broadcast deal. From 2017 netball will be broadcast live on Saturday nights on the Nine Network and streamed via Telstra. Unlike its previous deal with Ten, where the sport had to pay for its own production via corporate sponsorships, the broadcasters will cover costs. Palmer promised that players will be in line for higher salaries thanks to an advertising revenue sharing deal between the sport and the broadcaster. On top of all that, and despite Labor accusations of marginal seat pork barrelling, she managed to persuade the Coalition ahead of the July election to commit tens of millions of dollars towards new community courts around the country.  What the panel says: She has been hugely influential. Kate represents a sport that touches almost every household, most particularly young girls and young women. – Dominique Fisher

Kate Palmer

Photo: Simon Schluter

Gillon McLachlan and the AFL

What the panel says: The AFL has a very powerful voice, which it is starting to use in meaningful ways, introducing a women’s league, Indigenous and community programs. – Nicola Wakefield Evans Seeing a male leader admit that he hadn’t fully understood the McGuire/Wilson saga at the time it happened was a very refreshing change. – Amanda Vanstone

13

Chief executive, AFL 2015 ranking: None

Because: While he copped criticism for not moving quickly enough to censure Eddie McGuire’s comments about drowning female journalist Caroline Wilson, McLachlan runs a league that’s launched initiatives to promote diversity and mental health and has started a women’s league. Although more people tuned in to watch the 2015 rugby league grand final than the AFL one, Aussie Rules still attracts the biggest crowds of any of the footy codes, is the wealthiest sporting code in the country and the fourth-best- attended sporting competition in the world. That’s not to say its players or fans are always the best behaved, as the booing of Adam Goodes and the throwing of a banana at Adelaide’s Eddie Betts showed. Like others on these lists, the AFL has the power to shape culture, for better and worse.

Because: This past year has been the one in which Uber has become mainstream, thanks in no small part to businesses getting more comfortable with their staff using the service. Sydney Airport reported a decline in parking revenue per passenger this year which it said was due in part to travellers taking ride-sharing services. The rise of Uber highlights the havoc that improved customer service can wreak on old, protected industries. Drivers who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars buying taxi number plates are now crying poor to state governments. Together with apps such as Airtasker and Deliveroo, Uber shows how a little creative thinking can put whole industries on notice. What the panel says: Uber has fundamentally changed not only customer behaviour but also consumer business models. – Dominique Fisher I think Uber is a bit old. I’d go for battery technology or electric cars. – Ben Oquist

Uber and the disrupters

14

Ride-sharing company 2015 ranking: None

Author 2015 ranking: None

Liane Moriarty

Because: The Sydney-based novelist is not a household name, which makes the fact she’s sold more than 6 million books all the more remarkable. She was the top-selling Australian fiction author last year – a year in which she did not release a book – and in 2014 she became the first Australian author to have a novel debut at number one on The New York Times bestseller list. Actresses Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have made that novel, Big Little Lies, into an eight-episode series to air on HBO next year. Moriarty’s novels deal with tough issues like domestic violence, which – combined with her gentle brand of humour – help her speak to a broad range of women. What the panel says: She talks about everyday life and marries it to a theme that we’re all grappling with – same-sex marriage, multiple-parented children, domestic violence. And she’s a beautiful writer. – Nicola Wakefield Evans Any Australian artist that’s sold 6 million books obviously has very wide appeal. – Greg Combet Her success is a classic example to young girls. If you want to be an author, guess what, you can be – and be more successful than any of the blokes. Good on you. – Amanda Vanstone

15

Because: Staring down the barrel of the camera into almost 1 million lounge rooms nightly, The Project host preaches sensible analysis. Aly’s seat at the Prime Minister’s table during Ramadan shows his voice is taken seriously by the elite, while his shiny Gold Logie proves that many in middle Australia have been listening intently for some time. His most popular video, in which he calls terrorist group Islamic State weak, has been viewed 30 million times since it was aired in November 2015. “Milked Dry”, a sermon from May calling on shoppers to eschew cheap private label milk and cheese, has been viewed 4 million times. Anecdotes of empty shelves flooded in after the broadcast and in August Dairy Australia reported the share of branded milk sold in supermarkets had soared from about 35 per cent to 51.9 per cent, the highest level since 2010. What the panel says: He’s a highly intelligent, very entertaining commentator ... It’s mostly quite light entertainment and then every now and then he absolutely nails it with a two- or three-minute diatribe that’s very, very effective and powerful. – Katrina Sedgwick It’s political commentary as entertainment, but it’s reaching young people in a way that a lot of other things and people don’t. – Ben Oquist He is not afraid to stand up and say publicly what we’re all thinking. He’s not afraid to call out bad behaviour. – Nicola Wakefield Evans

Meet the 2016 Power Panel

Because: Most Australians – 70 per cent in some polls – want their gay and lesbian friends and family to be able to marry, so in many ways the topic has already shaped culture. An issue during the July federal election, it’s expected to continue as a talking point for politicians and punters alike in the coming year. A rejection of the government’s planned plebiscite is unlikely to stall debate on an issue many see as a fundamental matter of equality at law. The challenge for the political class will be to lead the discussion in a way that discourages bigotry and minimises harm.   Steely, determined Wong – the country’s first lesbian member of Parliament – embodies the case for change, living it quietly and purposefully day in, day out, speaking out on occasion but not being defined by it. Entsch – a 66-year-old conservative whose seat covers Cairns to Cape York – is the unlikely but passionate long-term advocate from the other side of the political fence.   As the debate rolls on, new MPs who happen to be gay, such as the Coalition’s Trent Zimmerman, Tim Wilson and Trevor Evans, together with Labor’s Julian Hill, are also expected to have their say. What the panel says: Political leadership is really important to make this a unifying experience and not something that we’ll regret. – Greg Combet The fact that Penny Wong and Warren Entsch are both advocating for same-sex marriage is a very strong statement. It’s an idea whose time I hope has come. – Amanda Vanstone

Because: Former Sydney Swans captain Goodes proved this past year that a dignified silence can be as powerful as shouting from the rooftops. Plagued by incessant booing, the former Australian of the Year sat out a round of footy then knocked back the offer of a farewell lap of honour at the 2015 grand final. Goodes’ power as a role model was recognised last October when David Jones signed him up as a brand ambassador. It’s further reinforced through the success of the GO Foundation he founded with former Sydney Swans playing mate O’Loughlin, which offers scholarships to academically gifted Indigenous students. Across codes, Thurston is another welcome idol for kids and dads alike. After slotting a field goal in extra time to win the 2015 rugby league grand final, Thurston used his speech to start a campaign for a new stadium in Townsville, where he’s known as the “king of the north”. Experts rubbished the business case for the stadium but both sides of politics nevertheless promised $100 million. What the panel says: Goodes, O’Loughlin and Thurston are three Indigenous sportsmen leading the way by really stepping up on Indigenous issues. They’re using their positions to raise awareness. – Nicola Wakefield Evans Thurston’s footy prowess is without peer but he is so very much more than that. – Sandra Harding

Because: The December 2015 float of their $8.4 billion software powerhouse helped cement the Atlassian co-founders as the country’s poster boys for innovation, entrepreneurialism and wearing a hoodie to work. They have tentatively begun contributing to discussions around policy and the question of Australia’s place in the intensively competitive, globalised world of technology. Their generosity – through charity, advice and angel investing – has not gone unnoticed, either. They are backers of Blackbird Ventures, one of the most active venture capital funds taking early bets on start-ups. Their Atlassian Foundation is a great supporter of Asian and African education charity Room to Read, while their staff get time to volunteer on the company’s dime. Cannon-Brookes in particular has found his voice on a range of issues, whether it’s warning investors off what he sees as dodgy companies or pushing for more tax-friendly treatment of employee share options, an important retention tool in the tech sector. What the panel says: Atlassian is a highly sought-after place to work because these guys have rewritten the employment manual. – Dominique Fisher They have started talking more politically, which increases their cultural power. – Ben Oquist

Because: With her party taking four seats in the upper house, the One Nation Senator has legislative grist. Nationally, One Nation Senate candidates reaped just shy of half a million votes in the July election, or 4.3 per cent of voters. Queenslanders boosted the average, with 9 per cent voting for Hanson’s party. With a minority government, that gives the party quite some power. But it’s the permission Hanson gives broader Australia to spread fear and hatred that has the greatest potential to shape the cultural conversation. Among other things, Hanson has called for a Royal Commission into Islam, surveillance cameras in mosques and zero net immigration. Call this a negative cultural force. What the panel says: She is going to embolden people to say things they haven’t said for 15 years. She is going to change the culture of what’s acceptable. – Ian Macfarlane This is a renewed explosion. She’s a survivor. She’s been to jail, come back and is speaking in a way that’s connecting with a lot of people. – Ben Oquist

Nick Xenophon

Because: US streaming giant Netflix is the spark that starts many a dinner party conversation about the latest binge-watch TV series. Streaming services offer not only the best from the golden age of US TV drama, but the opportunity to watch them when we want to, not when a bunch of TV executives reckon we should. One in seven Aussies watch no commercial television on a weekday and those who still switch on are ever older. What the panel says: It’s changing how we tell stories because now people are able to choose what they want to watch, when they want to watch it. – Katrina Sedgwick It’s going to lead to a big local content crisis. People are going to be feeling they’re missing out on Australian stories. – Ben Oquist

Because: When without warning Brandis early last year stripped $104.7 million out of the federal government’s main arts bureaucracy, the Australia Council, and put it into a separate fund to be administered by his department, he incurred the wrath of many inside and outside the arts. Malcolm Turnbull replaced Brandis with Fifield, who returned some but not all of the money to the Council and has been attempting to mend bridges ever since. What the panel says: The damage to the arts community has been profound. It has just been devastating. – Katrina Sedgwick A lot of that money is still discretionary for the arts minister. – Greg Combet

Gambler, museum owner 2015 ranking: None

Because: He’s best known for the museum he opened in Hobart in 2011; the one that made art galleries around the country rethink how and what they display, the one that turbo-charged tourism to the island state. But the two arts festivals that Walsh founded as adjuncts to his Museum of Old and New Art, Mona Foma (now called Mofo) in summer and Dark Mofo in winter, are also changing the cultural landscape, leading music and festival organisers elsewhere in the country to reassess how they do things. And not before time; the festival model needed a kick up the proverbial. In announcing a further $10.5 million in state government support to Dark Mofo recently, Tourism Tasmania CEO John Fitzgerald noted that 70,000 people a year attend the winter event and that from April to September last year, 480,000 people visited the state, up 9 per cent on the previous year. Walsh’s future plans include building a hotel on the site and introducing gambling to help offset his substantial operational costs. With an Australia Day honour and a Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres from the French government bestowed on his head this year, it’s only a matter of time before someone crowns him Australia’s King of Culture. What the panel says: David Walsh is running two of the most exciting and anticipated arts festivals in the country, which are completely new models. It’s going to force a lot of those established events to question what they do. – Katrina Sedgwick He is helping to remake the Tasmanian economy. – Ben Oquist

Because: Her influence has endured beyond her period as Australian of the Year. While coming to terms with the tragic murder of her 11-year-old son Luke by his father, Batty has led politicians, companies and the public to agree that more must be done to address domestic violence. She’s considered one of the driving forces behind a $100 million federal government package to better tackle domestic violence, including a trial of GPS trackers for perpetrators. What the panel says: Rosie Batty is still a very important advocate. She’s got a very dignified, almost understated style that gets through to many people. – Greg Combet She is still incredibly popular and influential with the public. They listen to her and respect her. – Tony Mitchelmore She’s responsible for moving domestic violence into the mainstream and connecting the issue economically. – Nicola Wakefield Evans

Because: His speech cataloguing Australia’s appalling record on Indigenous relations barely made a ripple beyond its initial live audience in late 2015. But when it was shared online before Australia Day, it exploded. Grant has gone on to make other speeches that resonated widely, and released a book that put him on the literary festival circuit. In a rare moment of bipartisanship, he was appointed to replace Patrick Dodson on the Referendum Council, which advises the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader on steps towards recognising first Australians in the constitution. Through all this, many have asked when, not if, Grant will enter politics. He says never. What the panel says: There are far too few voices in the Indigenous area and he’s a very welcome fresh face. – Amanda Vanstone His storytelling is gentle and emotional, but so incredibly powerful. It’s made a whole lot of people who had stopped listening become engaged again. – Dominique Fisher

Because: The CEO of Netball Australia has had a big year. Following the creation of a new eight-team national competition, Palmer inked a historic broadcast deal. From 2017 netball will be broadcast live on Saturday nights on the Nine Network and streamed via Telstra. Unlike its previous deal with Ten, where the sport had to pay for its own production via corporate sponsorships, the broadcasters will cover costs. Palmer promised that players will be in line for higher salaries thanks to an advertising revenue sharing deal between the sport and the broadcaster. On top of all that, and despite Labor accusations of marginal seat pork barrelling, she managed to persuade the Coalition ahead of the July election to commit tens of millions of dollars towards new community courts around the country.  What the panel says: She has been hugely influential. Kate represents a sport that touches almost every household, most particularly young girls and young women. – Dominique Fisher

Because: While he copped criticism for not moving quickly enough to censure Eddie McGuire’s comments about drowning female journalist Caroline Wilson, McLachlan runs a league that’s launched initiatives to promote diversity and mental health and has started a women’s league. Although more people tuned in to watch the 2015 rugby league grand final than the AFL one, Aussie Rules still attracts the biggest crowds of any of the footy codes, is the wealthiest sporting code in the country and the fourth-best-attended sporting competition in the world. That’s not to say its players or fans are always the best behaved, as the booing of Adam Goodes and the throwing of a banana at Adelaide’s Eddie Betts showed. Like others on these lists, the AFL has the power to shape culture, for better and worse. What the panel says: The AFL has a very powerful voice, which it is starting to use in meaningful ways, introducing a women’s league, Indigenous and community programs. – Nicola Wakefield Evans Seeing a male leader admit that he hadn’t fully understood the McGuire/Wilson saga at the time it happened was a very refreshing change. – Amanda Vanstone

Cultural

9. Gary Gray Executive at Mineral Resources Ltd; Former Labor resources and energy minister; former national secretary of the Australian Labor Party. 10. Greg Combet Company director in funds management and banking; former Labor industry and climate change minister; former ACTU secretary. 11. Tony Mitchelmore Managing director of Visibility Consulting; qualitative researcher and campaign strategist.

2

9

4

1. Michael Stutchbury Editor-in-chief of The Australian Financial Review. 2. Sandra Harding Vice-chancellor and president of James Cook University. 3. Dominique Fisher Managing director of CareerLounge; non-executive director of Australia Post. 4. Ben Oquist Executive director of The Australia Institute; former Greens chief of staff .

3

5

6

5. Katrina Sedgwick Chief executive officer of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image; former head of arts at ABC TV.

6. Ian Macfarlane Chairman of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre; former Coalition industry minister. 7. Nicola Wakefield Evans Non-executive director of Lendlease, Toll Holdings, Macquarie Group and Bupa Australia and New Zealand. 8. Amanda Vanstone Fairfax columnist and Radio National presenter; former Coalition immigration minister; former ambassador to Italy.

The 2016 Power Panel

7

1

8

Australian Financial Review Interactive infographic

Interactive infographic by Les Hewitt