Tie-mike reveals thoughts of Don

Chairing a BHP Billiton meeting would test the patience of a saint but, on yesterday's evidence, Don Argus is not quite ready for canonisation.
Mr Argus, running his third annual meeting of what is now BHP Billiton, kept his composure during the four-hour marathon, despite a never-ending string of sometimes inane questions.

But the jackals in the press room were inadvertently treated to the real thoughts of Chairman Don thanks to a super-sensitive microphone pinned to his tie.

When one repetitive shareholder again approached the microphone more than two hours into the marathon, Mr Argus could not help himself.

"Jesus, I get them all", was his sotto voce reaction as he again put on his smile and looked attentive.

There were also some quick one-liners and some heavy irony from the chairman and even an admission that he does not play spin-bowling very well, but it was clear the fools were making him suffer.

The meeting started at 9.30am and the question-and-answer session at 10.20am, producing the usual mix of dopey and good questions.

There was even an aggrieved former employee who put on a T-shirt for the occasion, asking for a personal meeting with Mr Argus to air his grievances - "and Paul (Anderson) and Brian (Gilbertson) can come too, if they want".

There were questions from regulars Steve Schander, Jack Tilburn and Aubrey Sidaway as well as from better-informed people such as Kingsley Allen and Stephen Mayne.

But when some of the less-informed inquisitors started making second and third appearances at the microphones, the chairman's patience started to wear thin.

"It's hard work," he muttered to himself after he repeated for the fourth time what the board's dividend policy would be now that cashflows and franking credits had recovered.

After fielding questions for almost 90 minutes, Mr Argus tried to use some subtle prompting to suggest the Q&A session on the accounts might end soon.

At one stage he asked, "No more questions?" - only to mutter "Oh, no" when another face appeared at a microphone.

Ten minutes later he asked "OK?" - only to answer his own question with a "no" as yet another questioner took the floor.

Mr Argus had handled all the queries pretty well single-handed, but when a shareholder asked why the obscure Cockatoo Island iron ore mine had not been environmentally restored, the chairman was stumped.

"I don't know, Mrs Yokic," he said. "You've bowled me on a leg break."

But, after the clock had ticked past noon and with the meeting still mired on the second of 23 agenda items - the re-election of John Ralph - the chairman started to lose his good humor.

When the microphone attendant announced a Mr Malone for the third time, Mr Argus reacted with "Oh, Jesus" under his breath.

And when Mr Schander again approached the microphone with his thoughts about Mr Ralph, it was: "Jesus, I get them all."

Mr Tilburn, who took it upon himself to remind the meeting of the time each time he took the floor, at one stage announced it was 12.35pm and he hoped there was still some lunch outside for shareholders.

"It's in your hands, Jack," was the ironic reply from the chair, which went straight through to the keeper.

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