CCL made a splash in the South Pacific, acquiring Foster's Fijian brewing operations when Terry Davis still ran the joint, and then doubled up on his purchase by upgrading the operation now known as Paradise Beverages.

Watkins has not been shy when it comes to slaughtering some of the sacred cows of the Davis era, and the peppermint tea-sipping Watkins does not generally seem to be a fan of beer as part of the Coke diet.

But the Fiji upgrade has now been completed, and Watkins was obviously pleased as Bounty Rum-laced punch at the news.

She even winged it over to the capital for the official opening of the state-of-the-art facility on Friday alongside some bloke called Rear Admiral Josaia "Call me Frank" Voreqe Bainimarama, who doubles as the democratically elected Prime Minister.

Who wouldn't jump at an invite like that.

"Today is a significant milestone marking our commitment to the Pacific region," gushed Watkins, who now claims to be one of Fiji's biggest taxpayers.

"Significant investment by Paradise Beverages and other companies in Fiji, both Fijian and foreign, is demonstrative of the confidence they have in Fiji because of the policies and investment environment and conditions that my government has created," said Bainimarama.

Photos were promised of the joyous day, but the less-than-state-of-the-art technology employed by CBD could not access any.

Budget sanger
Our new Treasury boss, former UBS supremo John Fraser, has certainly shown that he is not afraid of change in the three months since he returned to public service after two decades in the investment banking wilderness.

He has already created a stir by telling his underlings to sharpen up their choice of cardigans, but he really set tongues wagging by tearing up the rule book on the post-budget address.

Treasury secretaries since the dawn of time – or, at least the mid 90s, according to our source – have made the pilgrimage to an Australian Business Economists' luncheon to give his insights into the budget behemoth.

ABE's guests on May 19 this year will break bread with Fraser's deputy, Dr Nigel Ray.

Ray's boss is saving his insights for a Melbourne date with Grattan Institute boss, John Daley, which is scheduled to take place a few days earlier.

Maybe the think tank is offering better grub.

"Three days after the 2015-16 Budget, Commonwealth Treasury Secretary John Fraser speaks to Grattan CEO John Daley about the key economic issues for Australia going forward, including the outlook for debt, growth and structural reform,"  reads the Grattan blurb.

The event at the State Library of Victoria has already sold out, but there is a waiting list for budget tragics.

Half baked

Geoff Cousins' conversion from corporate warrior to echo warrior wrong-footed CBD into believing he had left the Telstra board.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

While it would have been hard to believe all those years ago – when Prime Minister John Howard lobbed Cousins through the door like a hand grenade for the Telstra board responsible for unleashing Sol Trujillo – Cousins has quietly settled into the boardroom furniture at our telco giant.

Umbrage was also taken at the mention of his investment in a Tassie biscuit maker, Cripps Nubake, which has operations in Launceston, up river from the Tamar Valley pulp mill Cousins strongly campaigned against.

CBD believes his equally robust-crazy-brave campaign against Woodside's proposed gas well, off the West Australian coast, and Cousins appointment as the head of the Australian Conservation Foundation  puts paid to any suggestions his motives were anything other than eco-green.

Cousins told CBD he has since sold his stake in the Nubake business.

Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au