Backroom Baz: Police Association delegates conference awaits Dan Andrews’ RSVP

With many police still angry about being used to enforce Covid rules, there’s disquiet about the Premier showing up to an annual event.

An anti-lockdown protester wearing a Daniel Andrews mask speaks with police. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Will he, or won’t he? That’s the million dollar question being pondered by police hoping for the Premier’s attendance at this week’s Police Association delegates conference.

Baz is told while opposition leader Matthew Guy has confirmed his attendance, Daniel Andrews is yet to do so.

Some police are already under the impression he won’t attend, which has caused some disquiet in the ranks.

The Premier’s attendance at the conference has become an annual expectation, and a no-show would not go down well, one officer warned.

“It would be a disgrace. Police were used throughout Covid to implement a raft of measures many didn’t agree with and he can’t even show up to a conference,” they said. “There’s a lot of angst about it.”

Baz is told many police remain angry about being used to enforce Covid rules, with frustration still being felt over being deployed to patrol the infamous Black Lives Matter protest.

“One week we were stopping people from doing things, the next we were facilitating things,” one officer said.

Invited, but on the outer

Don’t let anyone tell you the election campaign isn’t in full swing. The government might be laying low and trying to play it cool, but that didn’t stop a peculiar incident at an event this week.

Spies tell Baz shadow health minister Georgie Crozier was booted from an Ambulance Union shindig at which the Premier was speaking, even though she herself was an invited guest, due to talk after the Premier.

Baz understands Crozier was sitting patiently waiting for her timeslot to address our hardworking paramedics, when she was asked to leave the room while the Premier spoke. How rude.

Georgie Crozier was asked to leave an Ambulance Union event while the Premier spoke. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Where the fat cats play

Baz has often wondered what becomes of former fat cat bureaucrats. This week, an answer! Former head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Chris Eccles has popped up at the Melbourne School of Government as a distinguished visiting scholar.

 Eccles, who was earning more than $500,000 a year, resigned from the public service in disgrace in October 2020 after becoming deeply embroiled in Victoria’s hotel quarantine fiasco. That brought an end to the 35-year career that included running departments in NSW and South Australia before heading to Victoria.

Liberal candidate for Hawthorn John Pesutto and Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Nick Reece are also part of the Melbourne School of Government, which examines the implications of economic, legal, social, political and cultural trends for the content and conduct of public policy.

Chris Eccles has popped up in a new job after resigning over the hotel quarantine fiasco.

Louise Staley was missing in action from a recent local Ballarat event. Picture: Sarah Matray

Edge of her seat

When you’re on a tiny margin and an electoral boundary redistribution has been unkind, you think you’d pull out all the stops.

 Which is why Baz is still scratching his head after being told Ripon MP Louise Staley, who won her seat by 15 votes in 2018, was a very obvious no-show at a recent Commerce Ballarat event. Baz is told Staley was supposed to be seated on the chair’s table, who was very angry. Oh, dear.

Just like that, Ondarchie’s off

With the last sitting week of the 59th parliament now upon us, a grand cast of MPs will be lining up to give their valedictory speeches. Government stalwarts James Merlino, Martin Pakula, Richard Wynne, Jill Hennessy and Lisa Neville will be among the speakers bidding farewell to Spring St.

One MP that won’t be among them will be Liberal MP Craig Ondarchie, who was disendorsed ahead of the election after 12 years on the red benches.

Sources close to Ondarchie tell Baz “he’s got better things to do”. He sure did, if the blink-and-you-miss-it farewell speech he gave during the last sitting week is any indication.

Among many thank yous, a parting message: “The greatest compliment ever paid to me was by the residents of the northern suburbs of Melbourne … I thank those residents and the many multicultural communities across Victoria for the opportunity to work for them.

“I have not always got it right, but I have done the best I can.”

Farewell, Craig.

Guess who

Which outgoing MP has upgraded to a plush new office with just 10 weeks left in the job?