Candace Owens' Australian Tour Cancelled Amid Promoter Rocksman's Insolvency

Conservative commentator Candace Owens’ 2024 Australian speaking tour was called off after the Australian government denied her visa on grounds of “capacity to incite discord,” a decision upheld by the High Court in October. The tour’s promoter, Rocksman, entered liquidation in December with only 21 cents in its bank account, leaving 15,000 ticket holders, Owens, and other creditors without refunds.

The Guardian

Owens pursued a High Court challenge to the visa denial, incurring “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in legal fees. Her team also extended multiple loans to Rocksman to cover anticipated refunds, only to discover the promoter’s assurances were unfounded.

The Guardian

Rocksman was founded and solely directed by George Zacharia. Ticket-sale operations were run through a payments merchant owned by Damien Costas, a former South Australian Liberal staffer with a history of organising right-wing tours. Turning Point Australia, led by Joel Jammal, acted as a sponsor and promoter, while bullion dealer As Good As Gold (co-director Jarrad Panes) supplied an $80,000 sponsorship.

The Guardian

Ticket prices ranged from $95 to $1,500, generating at least $1.4 million in revenue. The liquidator’s report lists debts exceeding $760,000, including $385,000 in transactions deemed “unreasonable director-related,” $24,000 in unpaid leave entitlements to Zacharia, and the $80,000 sponsorship still owed to As Good As Gold.

The Guardian

• Owens’ spokesperson said the team covered legal costs and loaned money to Rocksman before the collapse.

The Guardian

• Jammal publicly rejected any suggestion of impropriety, stating Turning Point Australia’s involvement was limited to sponsorship and promotion and that he was unaware of Rocksman’s insolvency when promising refunds.

The Guardian

• Panes confirmed As Good As Gold’s $80,000 sponsorship remained unpaid.

The Guardian

Owens’ camp alleges Rocksman misled the tour’s organizers and ticket buyers, while Jammal’s denials highlight a pattern of delayed or cancelled right-wing tours in Australia, including previous events featuring Milo Yiannopoulos, Nigel Farage, and Donald Trump Jr., many of which faced visa issues or financial shortfalls.

The Guardian

• Ticket-sale figures differ: Jammal cited 15,000 tickets sold, while Owens’ team has not independently verified the count.

The Guardian

• The precise amount owed to individual ticket holders remains unclear, as the liquidator’s investigation into potentially voidable transactions is ongoing.

The Guardian

• “Candace’s team ended up paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills, as well as providing numerous loans to Rocksman to make refunds [before] it became apparent that their assurances were meaningless,” — Owens’ spokesperson

The Guardian

• “Right up until the last day, they were still promising us that refunds were just around the corner,” — Owens’ spokesperson

The Guardian

• “I categorically reject any suggestion of impropriety or of receiving favourable treatment from Rocksman,” — Joel Jammal, Turning Point Australia

The Guardian

• “I was not aware of any insolvency issues or broader financial difficulties within Rocksman at the time I communicated publicly that refunds would be issued,” — Joel Jammal

The Guardian

• “It’s like, what have you done with all of this money?” — Jarrad Panes, co-director, As Good As Gold

The Guardian

Liquidator David Sampson intends to advise the corporate regulator that Rocksman breached the Corporations Act by failing to maintain proper financial records. Creditors, including ticket holders, lack sufficient funds to initiate legal proceedings, leaving Owens and affected Australians to await any potential recovery from the pending investigation into the director-related transactions.

The Guardian