Backroom Baz: Rumours ex-premier Jeff Kennett could make Liberal Party comeback

Rumours are swirling Jeff Kennett is considering a Liberal Party comeback — but how would it work? Backroom Baz has all the week’s hot political gossip.

Could Jeff Kennet be planning a political comeback? Picture: Tim Carrafa

That the embattled Liberal Party needs help getting its mojo back is beyond dispute.

The shenanigans of this week, with a pathetic attempt at a leadership coup over before it began, are testament to that.

Which is why Jeff Kennett is considering a comeback. Not to parliament, but to the party’s administrative arm.

The idea has had Spring Street’s rumour mill in overdrive, with speculation the Hawthorn president will add another presidency to his CV.

Well, Baz is told the deal has been done.

A secret handshake will see current Liberal Party president Robert Clark make way for Jeff, with the smooth transition to take place in coming months.

Problem is, Clark says that’s just not right. So, someone’s got it wrong.

And it’s very rarely Baz.

Tristan Weston is no stranger to government scandal. Picture: Nicole Garmston

WORKSAFE WESTON

Murmurs that WorkSafe has significantly stepped up its investigation into the government over its hotel quarantine fiasco seem spot on.

Especially given whispers in Baz’s ear that a whole lot of new investigators have been hired to look into the matter.

Among them is former state government adviser Tristan Weston, who is no stranger to government scandal.

The former cop was investigated by the Office of Police Integrity while working as an adviser to the Baillieu government for his role in undermining one-time police chief Simon Overland.

If anyone knows how to find skeletons in closets, Weston does.

MONEY MADNESS

Baz doesn’t mind paying his taxes, but wants his money spent wisely.

That’s why word of a mini makeover at the opposite end of town this week put his nose out of joint.

Baz is told thousands of dollars of perfectly top-notch equipment in one of our fine judicial establishments was swapped over for new, but cheap and nasty, gear.

“It looks nice and shiny, but won’t nearly work as well,” one well placed source said. There’s something in that old adage, if it ain’t broke ...

LEO ON THE GO

Regular readers of Baz will know he’s a big fan of young gun journo Leo Puglisi — who’s just started Year 8 but has already had major scoops and has attended ministerial press conferences while running his own news site and online news program.

But, question. Is there more to Puglisi’s operation than meets the eye? The online activity has ramped up recently, with dozens of tweets being sent in school hours, when Baz presumes young Leo is busy studying hard, in school.

Seems Puglisi is channelling premier Daniel Andrews, who is an expert at shooting out tweets — often while holding a live press conference, but certainly not holding his phone.

Baz suspects there’s a team behind Puglisi that is working hard to push his news business to bigger and better things.

Prahran MP Sam Hibbins is parliament’s ‘mystery man’. Picture: James Ross

MYSTERY MAN SAM

The poor old Greens really do cop a hard time. When they actually get some airtime, that is.

So Prahran MP Sam Hibbins probably thought he was onto a winner this week when he came out swinging against the government’s planned new tax on no emission electric vehicles.

Like Sam said, you can’t go around taxing clean air! Hear, hear! News desks across Melbourne agreed to, and were keen to use footage of Sam’s impromptu stand-up on his way into parliament in their nightly bulletins.

It prompted the question “who was that?”.

News boffins at one major network were unable to find a single person in the building who recognised Sam, sparking a mad rush to identify the mystery man.

Just what’s Adem Somyurek up to now? Picture: David Geraghty

WHAT’S UP WITH ADEM?

There was an unusual sighting in parliament this week.

Former minister Adem Somyurek, sacked a year ago amid a branch-stacking phone recordings scandal, was back in the house.

Not so odd, you might think, for the now independent to be at his place of work.

But in the time since he was sent packing from the ALP, Somyurek has shown his face in parliament just once — to set off a series of proverbial bombs aimed at blowing up the government.

So his sudden appearance on Thursday had many people wondering: “What’s up?”

OVERHEARD

“If I had a vote, you’d have got my vote for Leader of the Opposition”. — Treasurer Tim Pallas ribs Opposition leader Michael O’Brien

— Got any political scuttlebutt for Baz? Email [e-mail]