BIN NIGHT
WithGladys Berejiklian hogging the political headlines and a nice political backdown on school payroll taxes taking over in the afternoon,PremierDaniel Andrews was not one to waste a busy news day. And for connoisseurs of the fine art of taking out the political trash,he put on a masterclass.
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On Thursday,there were two pieces dropped into the afternoon’s news media Bermuda triangle.
First was the release of the premier’s official report on his latest trip to China,which revealed he spent $82,716.27 taking a delegation including senior adviserMarty Mei to three Chinese cities over four days in March,taking the total spending on sending the premier and support staff to China over the years past $500,000.
The Andrews government has been on a curious journey (metaphorically speaking) with its China relationship,from wearing criticism with pride to being quite sensitive about the whole thing.
So Andrewshad been under fire for not revealing the details of his most recent trip,after he became the first state leader to visit the country since the pandemic began.
“The purpose of this travel was to promote closer education,trade,and tourism ties,and to strengthen Victoria’s relationship with Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces,the state’s oldest and newest sister-states respectively,” he said.
The other conveniently timed announcement revealed former deputy premierJames Merlino will become chair of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority – without a word about what he will be paid for his work there.
The former Labor MP spent most of his time in cabinet as education minister,not public transport.
Since leaving politics in November 2022,he’s been elected to the Hawthorn board and will now oversee the mammoth rail construction project.
Good work if you can get it.
There are lots of jobs going at these various government authorities,but luckily for the government there are always more mates too.
RAGE ON
CBD was saddened on Thursday by news that one of our favourite political outfits,the Australian Values Party,founded by litigious former commandoHeston Russell (who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate last year under the party’s banner) is packing up its tent and going home.
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Russell told members and supporters by email that he just didn’t have the bandwidth to keep Australian Values going,what with hisdefamation action against the ABC going to court next month.
But not all is lost. Australian Values’ local offshoot,the Angry Victorians Party,is planning to maintain the rage.
The Angries’ president,Chris Burson, who is calmer than you’d expect,confirmed on Thursday that the federal outfit was folding,with Russell telling associates that he wanted to step away from politics completely.
The Angry Victorians,whose most memorable moment of last year’s state election campaign came when one of their candidates,former state MPCatherine Cumming,expressed her hope that Premier Andrewswould be turned into “red mist”, have work to do,though.
Burson told us the membership would get together and discuss the direction of the party as a standalone outfit.
We’ll keep you updated.
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