Steve Price: James Merlino’s birthday gift of two new incomes another case of jobs for the boys

As birthdays loom for Dan Andrews and his former deputy, James Merlino will be celebrating hardest with two job appointments in seven months. Victorians have every right to be angry.

James Merlino is the one getting the big birthday presents this year.

The two most senior Labor politicians in charge in Victoria during the dark days of Covid both have birthdays this month and next.

Premier Dan Andrews and his former deputy James Merlino both turn 51, with the Premier celebrating his milestone on Thursday this past week.

It’s Merlino, though who’s getting the presents.

He will be celebrating hardest with two job appointments in just seven months. A reward perhaps for his 20 years in parliament, serving as a loyal deputy to Andrews for eight of those.

The former union official was appointed to the chair of the REST superannuation fund last December.

Then last week in one of the most breathtaking examples of the jobs-for-mates culture of this Labor government, Merlino was appointed as chair of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority.

Happy birthday James.

The Suburban Rail Loop — an Andrews vanity project that will turn into a money pit — is already costed at an eye-watering $125bn, for a state which has more debt than any in the commonwealth.

For all those hard years in government Merlino will reportedly be paid almost $100,000 a year as non-executive chair. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The chances of it ever being completed, let alone the costings being accurate, are fanciful.

For all those hard years in government Merlino will reportedly be paid almost $100,000 a year as non-executive chair on top of his lifetime political pension paid for by you, the Victorian taxpayers.

So, a 51-year-old – not elderly by any means — quits parliament before the state election and pockets a hefty pension then walks into not one but two board appointments as chair. Quite the birthday gifts!

Victorians have every right to be angry about the Merlino appointments and the Labor practice of stacking super funds and public service authorities with their mates.

The former deputy premier might do a great job of both, but what qualifications does he possess to head a super fund let alone a complex, politically-charged transport project which is the biggest of its kind in Australia?

The bigger question that needs to be applied to these “jobs for the boys” appointments is what sort of legacy did they leave the state of Victoria in when they left?

Were they really that good at their job that they deserve such appointments?

It would be a different argument if Victoria, because of the former minister, was a better, more financially stable, socially equitable place than it was before he got there.

In other words, if he was such an outstanding Victorian public servant he might deserve not one but two board jobs.

How hard was it for James Merlino to look better than Premier Daniel Andrews, who locked us up six times? Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Merlino, to be fair, was a steady hand through Covid from March 2021 when he took over as acting premier after Andrews’ fall on stairs.

Seriously though, how hard was it to look better than the Premier, who locked us up six times?

Minister Merlino had 20 years of political jobs, in education, mental health, emergency services, police, corrections, sport and youth affairs.

He was reported last weekend as claiming he was qualified for these jobs after he “delivered the biggest school-building program in the state’s history”.

I don’t know if that claim is true or not, but I suspect there would be plenty of parents and teachers who might think otherwise.

If you or I were lucky enough to be considered for one of these cushy board jobs, our past track records would be a heavy influence on whether we were the successful candidate or not.

Our CV would be pored over, but it appears for politicians this does not apply. You just need to be from the right faction, loyal, or one of the above – and bingo, you are in.

Just reflect on the Victoria that Merlino – and eventually Andrews – will leave behind.

In Merlino and Andrews’ Victoria the numbers of businesses going belly-up jumped by 39 per cent. Picture David Crosling

The Herald Sun reported on Tuesday that according to ASIC data the number of businesses going into liquidation or administration — going broke — around Australia was up by 17.2 per cent on the year before. In Merlino and Andrews’ Victoria the numbers of businesses going belly-up jumped by 39 per cent, compared with NSW’s rise of just 2.5 per cent – while SA went the other way with more businesses opening.

During the current housing crisis, rents in Victoria are going up faster than in any other state.

Experts are warning this is only going to get worse, with many landlords preparing to dump investment properties on the market due to punishing state government- imposed land tax increases.

Victoria, according to recent figures, was once the cheapest state to rent in. But rents are now rising twice as fast as the national average.

Add to that list the exploding cost of WorkCover insurance, recent payroll tax punishment, ballooning energy costs and infrastructure projects that are over budget and over time.

Not much of a financial CV to be chairing the board of a super fund I wouldn’t think. Although industry super funds are stacked with former Labor MPs — it’s sort of a retirement gig for the chosen ones.

To be clear, both sides of politics line up cushy post-political jobs for their mates. James Merlino will certainly not be the worst or last recipient of such a lottery win. He just happens to be the latest.

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