Off the Record: Political staffer movements as Bragg by-election results throws up interesting data
It’s been a rough few months for Liberal MPs in South Australia but how have their political staffers fared after being thrust into the job market?
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The March state election is now all but a distant memory.
And for many senior Liberal staffers, who brutally lost jobs in the wake of former premier Steven Marshall’s landslide loss to Labor’s Peter Malinauskas, new horizons beckon.
From Mr Marshall’s inner Premier’s office sanctum, chief-of-staff, Courtney Morcombe, is now SAAB Australia’s business services general manager, far from the world of politics and her husband, Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham.
Senior policy adviser Jonathon Wotton has moved to his former boss’ favourite spot, Lot Fourteen, as the MITRE Center for Information Integrity & Defence’s director of operations.
Torie Brown has joined former Liberal media chief Daniel Gannon as the Property Council’s inaugural student accommodation council executive director – a national role from Adelaide.
Spin chief Ken McGregor has joined defence and space manufacturer Babcock as internal communications manager while colleague Eleisa Hancock is Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s local public relations boss.
Digital and social media guru Anton Radosevic is plying his trade with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, policy aide Sally Neville AmCham’s new general manager, while parliamentary adviser Kershlin Krishna has moved to Los Angeles as an economic and diplomacy manager role with Australian Consulate-General Jane Duke.
Deputy chief of staff Paul Armanas is enjoying new fatherhood.
Ministerial chiefs of staff with new roles included Dominic Kelly (Dan van Holst Pellekaan) at the Australian Energy Market Operator as policy and government affairs manager, Ingo Block (Vickie Chapman), policy director at the South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy and Larissa Mallinson (Corey Wingard) who is deputy COS with NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Sam Farraway.
Sam Hooper (Vincent Tarzia) is the Australian Industry Group’s senior workplace adviser, Bec Lynas (John Gardner) is business manager at Harrison McMillan recruiters and Greg Westenberg (Stephen Wade) has moved to NSW a regional Liberal campaign manager.
BRAGGING RIGHTS
The dust is starting to settle after the Bragg by election and some interesting numbers have emerged.
Jack Batty officially became the new Liberal MP, replacing Vickie Chapman, with a margin of 5.6 per cent over Labor’s Alice Rolls this week after a swing of 2.5 per cent.
This puts it just within marginal seat status of six per cent, according to an electoral commission definition.
Rolls said she couldn’t make the declaration due to work but personally called Batty that day to “pass on my congratulations and to explain that I couldn’t attend”.
“I took four weeks off my job to run in Bragg so I could give it 100 per cent,” she said.
The invite was sent to a generic Labor party gmail address for the Bragg campaign.
In a spicy irony, Batty’s first hire is former Marshall and Chapman ministerial adviser Esther Green as his office manager.
But despite the bloody nose, Batty’s supporters say the result for someone replacing an incumbent is among the best in living political memory – dating back to when Lea Stevens replaced Martyn Evans in the Elizabeth by-election in 1994.
She won with a 5.8 per cent margin, after a swing against her, when Mr Evans moved to federal politics.
Labor sources say another comparison shows former candidate Rick Sarre scored more two party preferred votes albeit with more than 4300 fewer voters.
Mr Sarre, an academic, has not ruled out having another tilt if Labor taps him on the shoulder.
The Electoral Commission, which says turnout was 83.8 per cent compared to the March poll’s 90.4 per cent, is about to send please explain letters to those who failed to vote.
If any reasonable excuse, such as having Covid, is not offered investigate fines. A spokeswoman said the turnout was normal for a by-election.
REX JOINS THE AVENGERS
Sounding more like a member of comic book superhero group The Avengers than a former South Australian senator, Rex Patrick has revealed a bizarre new identity: “The Transparency Warrior.”
Mr Patrick this week launched a new business providing Freedom of Information services to individuals, businesses and journalists. His new business also offers one-day training courses for MPs and their staff.
“The FOI rights of Mr Patrick are no different to the FOI rights of Senator Patrick,” he declared on Twitter.
“I’m going to keep up my transparency fight. Better still I can now help others with their FOI battles.
“Senator no more, TRANSPARENCY WARRIOR now. I’m back!”
During his nearly five years as an SA senator, Mr Patrick developed a reputation for fighting for transparency.
PRODIGAL DAUGHTER RETURNS
Former Labor staffer Kate Baldock has been appointed chief of a leading Labor-aligned think-tank after almost seven years living in Asia.
Baldock was on Friday announced the new Don Dunstan Foundation’s executive director for a three-year term after returning home from Singapore.
Chairwoman Dr Jane Lomax-Smith, a former Lord Mayor and Labor Minister, said the foundation’s purpose to inspire action for a fairer world “was more important than ever”.
“Kate is a highly experienced not-for-profit leader who will bring international perspectives to lead the Foundation in influencing social change,” she said.
Baldock was a highly regarded media adviser to former Attorney-General and Labor Deputy Premier John Rau as well as other senior ministers including Grace Portolesi.
Her appointment came as the state government also overhauled Renewal SA’s board with a clear out.
Flinders University deputy chancellor Stephen Hains, is its new chairman, replacing leading businessman Con Tragakis.
Originally published as Off the Record: Political staffer movements as Bragg by-election results throws up interesting data
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