Turns out you can be too well-connected. After months of heat over his role in a consortium bidding for the government's controversial outsourcing of its visa processing system, Scott Briggs has opted (or been forced?) to vacate the kitchen. He'll join David Gazard's lobbying firm as a partner from Monday.

And, notably, he has (as of last Thursday, according to ASIC) given up his position on the board of the Peter Tonagh-headed Australian Visa Processing consortium, which is one of two bids shortlisted for the visa contract. He'll be replaced by London-based ex-Macquarie Bank executive Natalie Antolovich, who is also taking over Briggs' role as CEO of boutique investment firm Pacific Blue Capital. Pacific Blue's stake in the bid has been diluted through recent capital-raisings, but Briggs' exit should now make it easier for it to lift its exposure, should it choose to.