Speaking of parliamentary passengers, speculation is now positively feverish that Labor’s shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus will announce his departure from federal parliament within weeks, causing a by-election in his Melbourne seat of Isaacs.

Though Victoria’s Court of Appeal president Chris Maxwell won’t reach his mandatory retirement age of 70 until January 2023, he’s said to be ready for early retirement. Dreyfus recently met Premier Dan Andrews, presumably to discuss the role – certainly not to talk level crossings in Edithvale, given the local member actually lives in Malvern.