'That's life, move on': Brad Battin gets new tattoos shortly after Liberal Party reshuffle
Former opposition leader Brad Battin has added to his ink to send a clear message to his colleagues, opting for a fancy font for the French messaging plastered across both his arms.
Former opposition leader Brad Battin has added to his ink to send a clear message to his colleagues. Battin had two new tattoos inked on his arms this week.
On his right arm, ‘C’est La Vie, Avance’ — French for ‘that’s life, move on’.
Baz reckons that’s exactly what the Liberal Party needs to do to stand a chance at next year’s state election. On his left arm, ‘Crois en qui tu es’ — or ‘believe in who you are’, a personal message to himself.
Baz wonders if the apparent message to his colleagues will be understood by the broader, old Liberal establishment? Perhaps not. But you can bet the voters in the outer burbs will hear it loud and clear.
“If only the old Liberals understood it isn’t all about new generation, it is about listening to the areas who have suffered the longest,” one senior Liberal said. Maybe it is time to ‘écoutez les voix’?
Dan Andrews is gone — but his 'culture of fear' is not
For years former Premier Daniel Andrews was plagued by criticisms that he ruled with a culture of fear.
In a final scathing report ending her 10-year stint as Victoria’s Ombudsman, Deborah Glass wrote last year that Andrews had negatively politicised the public service as a consequence of the centralisation of power around his office.
And she warned Victorian public servants were being routinely undermined by a culture of fear that had corrupted the sector.
Well, do old habits die hard? Especially as the stakes get higher as we near the next state election? (Now just 356 days away, but who’s counting?)
Baz is told some senior stakeholders are finding it very tough, almost impossible, to get a meeting with one of the state’s most distinguished and senior public servants.
There has even been talk of political interference as to who gets a meeting, and who is allowed to engage with, said public servant.
Watch this space, but if true and a certain minister’s office is signing off on who this servant can and can’t meet with, there will be much more to this story.
Victorians Party back with lofty ambitions
They’re back! There was some speculation the Victorians Party — which launched, got off the ground then crashed and burned in the lead up to the 2022 state election — was back in operation recently when a website popped up but was then promptly removed after this columnist made inquiries.
Well, the site is back and the rebadged party looks to be making an impact at next year’s election.
“We want to remove career politicians from the parliament and replace them with people who have a track record in solving problems and fixing things,” a new website screams.
“We want a whole new set of people in parliament — business and community people, innovators, problem-solvers, thinkers and doers. Join up and become involved.”
The party says it aims to win enough seats in parliament to hold the balance of power in both houses. Lofty ambitions.
At the same time another new party has entered the fray, The West Party. The brainchild of former Werribee independent candidate Paul Hopper — who is also challenging the state’s electoral donation laws in the High Court — plans to run candidates in all of the western metropolitan districts of Melbourne next year. Hopper will run as the candidate in Werribee.
Wendy Lovell bumped to the backbench
She put up a brave fight, but Liberal MP Wendy Lovell has finally been bumped. Baz reported some weeks back the brouhaha surrounding former Opposition Leader Brad Battin’s shadow cabinet reshuffle and the resulting drama over who got to sit where in the upper house.
Lovell, a former minister and current deputy president of the upper house, kept her cushy seat up on the frontbench despite not forming part of shadow cabinet.
It left real front benchers languishing up the back. Well, no more. Following new leader Jess Wilson’s own reshuffle Lovell has joined her backbench colleagues. All good things must come to an end.
Big claims on Metro Tunnel from Liberal MP
Liberal MPs were largely mute on the opening of the Metro Tunnel this week. Not upper house MP Nick McGowan, who celebrated the opening of the “Ted Baillieu metro tunnel project.” That’s quite the stretch.
True the former Liberal premier pumped $50m into planning a 9km link between South Yarra and Kensington and five new stations. But funding was a major roadblock and turned into a political battle. After his resignation his successor Denis Napthine and his government decided the plan to rip up parts of the CBD would be a disaster, and shelved the Metro Tunnel’s Swanston St alignment.
It was after winning the 2014 election that Daniel Andrews committed wholly to the project. Public Transport minister Gabrielle Williams was having none of McGowan’s claims.
“I know success has many parents but this is reinventing history,” she said. “Matthew Guy called the project a hoax. Your federal Liberal friends ripped money out of it. The Metro Tunnel was committed to, funded and delivered entirely by the state Labor government. But we’re really glad you’ve now seen the light and love it as much as we do.” Choo choo.
Guess who?
Which MP has racked up a sizeable, and yet to be paid, tab at the parliamentary cafe?
Overheard
“I’m the best person to take this forward.” Opposition Leader Jess Wilson on leading the Victorian Liberal Party while keeping her role as shadow treasurer as part of her new-look frontbench.
Originally published as 'That's life, move on': Brad Battin gets new tattoos shortly after Liberal Party reshuffle
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