Backroom Baz: Chris Judd, Nick Riewoldt touted as politicians in the making

With Paul Dimattina weighing up a tilt at politics, tongues are wagging about other star footy players with an eye on a career change.

Paul Dimattina is weighing up a tilt at politics. Picture Jay Town

With former Western Bulldogs champ Paul Dimattina weighing up a run on Spring St, Baz got to wondering whether any other former footy stars might be considering a political career. Chris Judd had tongues wagging around Parliament House after he was spotted on Spring St this week, with some wondering whether he was being sounded out about a potential election run. Baz even had calls from as far as Western Australia, where rumours are running wild about Judd’s potential career change.

The appearance came days after he caught up with federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at the footy.

Nick Riewoldt.

Chris Judd.

Former Saint’s star Nick Riewoldt’s name has been repeatedly thrown around inside Liberal HQ as someone with huge potential.

There would be absolutely nothing unusual about footy players turning to politics.

After winning premierships with Essendon and Carlton Justin Madden went from a giant of the field to a giant of Spring St, while Hugh Delahunty (Essendon) and Bill Sykes (Fitzroy) also made the move from footy field to the Victorian parliament.

After a distinguished AFL career, forever overshadowed by his little brother Gary, Geoff Ablett was elected to The City of Casey council where he served as Mayor between 2008 and 2009.

Baz knows there’s plenty more, too!

$860,000 DOWN THE LOO

The Ballroom inside Victoria’s Government House is longer than the ballroom at Buckingham Palace. Needless to say all that goes with it should be fit not only for our Governor, but for our Queen (and future King).

But planned upgrades to the porcelain thrones that service the ballroom have raised eyebrows because of the hefty $860,000 price tag.

It’s raised speculation about just what the new bathroom upgrades will include.

Baz is told its more than just some new loos, but a total refurbishment of the female, male and disabled toilets in the southern end of the ballroom wing, including demolition, conservation works, flooring, plumbing, installation of fixtures, joinery and fittings, plastering, painting and tiling.

Some quotes came in at almost double the $860,000 price tag, so could that be considered a bargain? 

Whispers are that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will call a royal commission into hotel quarantine. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

SCO-MO LINES UP ELECTION

We might have already had a multimillion-dollar investigation into the state’s bungled Hotel Quarantine program, but Baz is told the probing won’t stop there.

A Royal Commission into hotel quarantine remains very much on the cards, with sources tipping one to be announced should Prime Minister Scott Morrison be re-elected.

Canberra contacts say March is now the most likely date for a federal election, with a Royal Commission to be announced shortly after. It would focus on quarantine programs around the country, but would pay particular attention to Victoria’s problem plagued model that sparked the state’s second wave.

Which could cause quite the headache news for Daniel Andrews just months ahead of the 2022 state election.

LOCKDOWN FAT CAMP

If Baz has learnt anything after four lockdowns, it’s that being confined to one’s home is a great way to stack on some extra weight.

Comfort food and wine has forced Baz to loosen the belt a few extra notches more than once.

It seems he’s not the only one. Liberal MP Tim Smith has admitted to putting a few pounds on himself, enough so that he’s made the return trip to a New Zealand health retreat — or what his friends and frenemies have dubbed “fat camp”.

The Aro Ha retreat bills itself as a “next-level wellness experience, offering life shifting, body morphing (and) spirit lifting retreats”.

Smith has been there once before, and the weight practically fell off.

Now he’s made the return trip, and after a week of green smoothies, veganism and exercise, Baz is sure he’ll be back as good as new. 

Tim Smith. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

RACING TO HAVE A SAY

While the cancellation of this year’s Grand Prix sparked a pile on from Liberal MP’s, not all Liberals were up in arms at the move.

Edmund Carew worked as a senior staffer under Ted Baillieu, and in a letter to the editor published in this paper last week he called for the government to go one step further!

“Permanently losing this over-hyped event would be a victory for taxpayers,” Mr Carew wrote.

“Claimed economic benefits are illusory and do not come close to matching the drain on state government consolidated revenue”.

Ah, the freedom to speak one’s mind when no longer under the employ of the party machine.

SEAT SHUFFLE

The dust has hardly settled since new boundaries were proposed for state seats and already some sly moves have begun.

At a meeting of Right Labor MPs, Katie Hall’s name was subtly insinuated for a potential move into a new safe western suburbs seat.

Her current electorate of Footscray is one likely to be targeted by the Greens but, given she holds the seat with a margin of 28.1 per cent, it’s safe to say the idea was shot down quickly.

One MP was believed to have said they had “absolute confidence” in Ms Hall to retain. There’s also been some speculation linking Martin Pakula, whose electorate was abolished, to newly-created seats given his past life as an upper house MP for Metro West.

But others have argued that the Major Events Minister is already well entrenched on the other side of the city and has been for many years.

Despite all that, Baz is still hearing whispers that Pakula might not be back.

One well connected source said he may have been planning to leave and the redistribution could provide an opportunity.

GUESS WHO?

Who’s being lined up to take over as opposition leader Michael O’Brien’s chief of staff? Baz is told an appointment is close.