Backroom Baz: Power pair Lissie Ratcliffe, Jessie McCrone follow Dan Andrews from the building

Dan Andrews may have bid farewell weeks ago, but the real change in government came when long-serving power duo Lissie Ratcliffe and Jessie McCrone made their exit.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews leaves Parliament House, closely followed by his chiefs of staff. Picture: Getty Images

Daniel Andrews may have left the building three weeks ago, but the real change in government came on Friday with the exit of his long-serving power duo Lissie Ratcliffe and Jessie McCrone.

Seen as more powerful than ministers, Ratcliffe served as Andrews’ chief of staff since September 2016 and was his most trusted confidante. A former staffer for Bracks and Brumby government minister Tim Holding, Ratcliffe became unquestionably the second most powerful person in Victoria. If Jacinta Allan was kept in the dark about the decision to axe the Commonwealth Games, like some have claimed, you can bet Ratcliffe wasn’t.

As loyal deputy, McCrone controlled the government’s social media machine and was a gatekeeper to departments and ministers. Many breathed a sigh of relief when they logged off for the last time, given their unrelenting and gruelling work ethic and control they held over government.

If Jacinta Allan was kept in the dark about the decision to axe the Commonwealth Games, as some have claimed, you can bet Lissie Ratcliffe wasn’t.

However, just as many are nervous to see how the machine operates without the centralisation of power through the Premier’s office they demanded. Go well, Baz is sure he’ll see both pop up somewhere again soon.

Senior bureaucrat, and former journalist for this fine paper, Matt Phelan will now formally start work as Allan’s chief of staff, with former policy director Jess Lindell one of two deputies. A second is yet to be appointed.

Upper House MP Joe McCracken has got more than a few within the party offside of late. Picture: Facebook

Division lingers among Libs

With the new government, the opposition was given a chance to reset and refresh, and it certainly appears to have had a fairly clean couple of weeks. But appearances can be deceptive: don’t let anyone fool you that the team is united and singing from the same hymn book.

Take the vitriolic background briefing against colleagues that’s been going on in the wake of the failed Voice referendum. A detailed spreadsheet has been doing the rounds outlining which MPs voiced a public position on the referendum, which actively campaigned, and which did nothing, rendering them “cowards”. More than half the partyroom were listed as a coward in the document that has been spread freely across Spring St.

Then there’s the case of upper house MP Joe McCracken, who has got more than a few within the party offside of late over his performance as deputy chair of the parliament’s committee running the inquiry into the cancelled Commonwealth Games.

Criticism ranges from McCracken “going off script” and running his own line of questioning outside that prepared by the party’s backroom boffins, to Zooming in rather than attending hearings in person.

“He’s the bloody deputy chair and he’s phoning it in from the comfort of home,” one aggrieved colleague said.

Independent Liberal MP Moira Deeming has proven a hit with the rank and file. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Deeming causes a stir

Independent Liberal MP Moira Deeming may be persona non grata within her own partyroom (though she holds out hope of a return) but outside of it, right across the county, she has proven a hit with the rank and file.

For months now Deeming has routinely appeared at Liberal Party functions as a special guest, and now, she is going international. The womens’ rights campaigner will fly to London this week to take part in the Battle of Ideas Festival in Westminster, and take part in a live recording of the popular Free Speech Nation, alongside journalist and political satirist Andrew Doyle.

The current affairs show promises to offer “a mixture of lighthearted commentary and in-depth interviews on all aspects of what has come to be known as the ‘culture wars’.”

Deeming should have plenty to say. The festival boasts it is shaping the future through public debate, and will showcase more than 100 debates and almost 400 speakers just a hop up the road from the Houses of Parliament. Having been invited over as a special guest, Baz has confirmed Victorian taxpayers will not be funding Deeming’s flights.

Ben Carroll finished the Melbourne Marathon in four hours and 43 minutes.

Running mate

It’s been a big few weeks for Ben Carroll. Not content with being elected Deputy Premier, he ticked another item off his bucket last week when he competed in the Melbourne Marathon.

Running the course in four hours 43 minutes, the 48-year-old Carroll was pretty proud of the achievement. It’s more than Baz could do, he’s better watching from the sidelines. And watch he did, spotting a bunch of politicos pounding the pavement.

They included former federal Liberal MP Gladys Liu, who took almost five and a half hours to finish, coming 7532nd out of 7943 participants. She would have seen Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Bridget Noonan, overtake her at some point, finishing the race more than 10 minutes earlier.

Retiring upper house MP Matt Bach was quicker than most, finishing in 3 hours and 33 minutes. Well done all.

Guess Who?

A Liberal Party who’s who was in town for the The Robert Menzies Institute annual gala dinner on Thursday. Those on Spring St would have spotted all manner of Liberal heavyweights heading into the Grand Ballroom at The Hotel Windsor for the black tie event. Among them, Tony Abbott, James Baillieu, and Bev McArthur.

Overheard by Baz

Gee, I love a bit of mansplaining on a Wednesday afternoon, Mr Davis

— Housing Minister Harriet Shing slaps down Liberal MP David Davis during a testy Question Time

Got any scuttlebutt for Baz?

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