Backroom Baz: Pallas’ secret meetings fuels swirling retirement rumours

Ministerial diary disclosures made public this week reveal the Treasurer had more stakeholder meetings than any of his colleagues, fuelling rumours of his impending exit from politics.

If rumours of Tim Pallas’ impending exit from Spring St are accurate, he’s sure not showing it. Or is he? Picture: David Crosling

If rumours of Tim Pallas’ impending exit from Spring St are accurate, he’s sure not showing it.

Or is he? Ministerial diary disclosures for the first quarter of the year were made public this week, and the Treasurer had more stakeholder meetings than any of his ministerial colleagues.

So work rate is clearly not the issue.

But dig a little deeper to see who he’s meeting with and one wonders whether Pallas might indeed have one eye fixed firmly on a post-political life.

The diary disclosures show one of his meetings was with former New South Wales treasurer and Premier Dominic Perrottet, shortly before handing down this year’s state budget.

According to his diary, the purpose of the meeting was for a “general discussion about the economy and policy”, but surely what comes after politics was discussed also?

The Treasurer had more stakeholder meetings than any of his ministerial colleagues. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake

Pallas also met with relatively recently resigned Labor Ministers Martin Foley, Lisa Neville, Martin Pakula and Jaala Pulford. Quite a crew, and all still kicking on in happy post political careers.

For her part, Premier Jacinta Allan attended 26 meetings, including one on March 1 with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss “Victoria’s priorities”.

Ms Allan also met with philanthropist Paula Fox, the wife of trucking magnate Lindsay Fox. She also met with several union leaders, media executives and various CEOs and had an introductory meeting with Wesfarmers, where she met CEOs. Deputy Premier, and staunch Catholic, Ben Carroll, disclosed a meeting with Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli.

He also met with Lindsay Fox’s son, Andrew to discuss opportunities in the medical research field. Baz reckons Spring St’s Mr Nice Guy, Colin Brooks, had the best meeting of all, with American crooner Harry Connick Jr to discuss film opportunities in Victoria.

Men need not apply

Boys clubs are on the nose but rumour has it that the Ladies club is now in full swing at the Victorian parliament.

Word on the street is Premier Jacinta Allan invited a few of her closest Socialist Left allies to private drinks after parliament last month, all notably female ministers.

Ms Allan invited a few of her closest Socialist Left allies to private drinks after parliament last month.

Baz’s spies report those in attendance included energy tear Lily D’Ambrosio, Ingrid Stitt, Harriet Shing, Sonya Kilkenny and health minister Mary-Anne Thomas.

Reportedly some of the other SL crew and ministry, especially some men, were apparently very miffed they didn’t cop an invite.

And they say it’s a man’s world!

All quiet on the leftern front

Darren Cheeseman, the exiled Labor MP booted to the crossbench for alleged inappropriate behaviour, has been conspicuously absent from parliament since Jacinta Allan gave him his marching orders.

Mr Cheeseman has been conspicuously absent from parliament since Ms Allan gave him his marching orders. Picture: Alan Barber

Baz is told something else that was conspicuously absent was any proper acknowledgment of the Cheeseman affair at a recent meeting of his Socialist Left faction. Spies say numerous members, particularly women, left fuming that the matter rated only a very minor mention at the end of a roundup of the goings-on inside parliament, when they had hoped they issue of men behaving badly would be addressed head on.

“I don’t know what it is, but there seems to be a cultural problem within out faction,” one member said.

“Cheeseman isn’t the first, by a long shot, and he probably won’t be the last, and yet we are just pretending there’s no problem,” they said.

Conroy

Former Senator and ALP powerbroker — not to mention architect of the NBN and current Football Australia president — Stephen Conroy was infamously awarded Internet Villain of the Year back in 2009.

Now, he’s got another gong to take to the pool room.

Conroy received his commemorative lapel pin at Saturday’s Victorian ALP state conference, recognising 40 years of service to the party.

Conroy received his commemorative lapel pin at Saturday’s Victorian ALP state conference. Picture: Quinn Rooney

A complete teetotaller, Baz hopes Conroy found a way to celebrate the occasion with some of his political offspring including Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, federal member for Hawke Sam Rae, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Former Victorian party boss Chris Ford.

Congrats, Stephen.

Guess who?

Which government MP planted their foot firmly in their mouth during a day at the races recently in a bizarre exchange with a major Melbourne mover and shaker?

Overheard

“This budget is just Labor pretending to look like they are cleaning up their own mess. None of what they have announced makes any structural change to the fiscal equation; it just kicks Labor’s debt can down Labor’s pothole-riddled road,” shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell responds to the state budget.