Backroom Baz: Tim Smith frontrunner for new gig as head of Institute of Public Affairs
Drink drive MP Tim Smith has some high-profile backing in his tilt for a new job away from the bright lights of Spring St.
Victoria
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Six months after he announced he’d walk away from Spring St, Liberal Tim Smith might have secured his next move.
With John Roskam set to stand down as executive director of the right-wing corporate funded think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, the whisper in Baz’s ear is that the soon to be departed drink-drive MP could be the frontrunner.
Baz first floated the idea back in November, but it seems there’s been quite the development. Spies say Smith has now formally applied for the gig, has been interviewed and is through to the next round.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and opposition leader Matthew Guy are both backing the bid, Baz understands.
It would certainly give Smith something to do, while keeping a public profile that could see him one day back in Spring St … or Canberra.
When reports fall from the sky
While Daniel Andrews refused to answer any questions over the damning IBAC report that found wrongdoing and likely misuse of publicly funded staff across Labor’s factions, there’s one glaring question that’s been the talk of Spring St.
Who leaked the report?
The interim document was provided to witnesses and those accused of wrongdoing so they could rebut information or take legal action before the final report was published.
It’s a serious offence to disclose details, with parties bound by confidentiality requirements. Further still, the interim reports handed to witnesses are heavily redacted, so as to disclose only matters pertaining to them each individually.
If a full draft report was leaked, Baz is told it could only have come from someone inside IBAC itself.
Former minister Adem Somyurek, himself a witness, has publicly accused IBAC of dropping
the report.
But why? Baz suspects much more to see in this space.
James Bond for senate
Bond. Senator Bond.
At least that’s the plan of one hopeful who’s thrown his hat in the ring for a Senate spot at this month’s federal election.
Baz reckons the federal parliament could do with an international man of mystery.
But he can’t help thinking back to the 1974 blockbuster The Man With the Golden Gun, in which James Bond encounters villain Scaramanga who laments to Roger Moore’s character: “Ours is the loneliest profession, Mr Bond.”
Politics can be like that.
Mood for change in Victoria
Victoria’s newest political outfit is gathering steam.
Baz understands the Victorians Party is on the verge of announcing a string of new candidates, amid plans to field someone in every Victorian seat at the November election.
The party has been founded by a group including Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang, Moreland councillor Oscar Yildiz, former footy champ Paul Dimattina and businesswoman Ingrid Maynard.
Yildiz is expected to run for an upper house seat, while Dimattina has also considered a move away from restaurants and into politics.
Party insiders say they’re buoyed by recent polling which has pointed to increased support for minor parties and independents, with the party hoping to steal seats from both Labor and the Liberals.
“There’s a mood for change, and we’re confident we can bring it,” one said. Watch this space.
Albo and Dan puppets
Daniel Andrews didn’t have much to smile about this week, but he seemed to enjoy kicking the Liberal Party over it’s new ad campaign that attempts to paint Anthony Albanese as the Premier’s puppet.
“Desperate people to desperate things,” he said of the ad he had not yet seen.
The ad launched on social media on Wednesday and will be put in front of voters in seats the Coalition hopes to win off Labor on May 21, including Corangamite and McEwen.
The Libs have been desperate to link federal Labor to the Premier amid polling that shows his popularity has dropped on the back of years of heavy-handed Covid handling.
Despite the pair’s 25-year friendship, Baz reckons the Libs are drawing a long bow with this one.
Is time up for PR Guy?
Could Elon Musk be about to shake-up Spring St?
With the world’s richest man striking a deal to buy Twitter for $US44bn, could the days of mystery users be numbered? Musk has promised he would “defeat the spam bots or die trying” and “authenticate all real humans” in a bid to clean up the social media site.
Hi PRGuy!
Much speculation has surrounded the identity of PRGuy given the account’s quick rise in popularity and furious support for Daniel Andrews.
VICTORIA'S hyper-partisan media has raised ire by twisting Dan Andrews' successful nabbing of Adem Somyurek into a blight on Andrews. Media and Vic Libs championed Somyurek when he pointed the finger at Andrews — IBAC has damned Somyurek and found his claims baseless. #SpringSt
— PRGuy (@PRGuy17) April 28, 2022
Many suspect the prolific tweeter is a public servant, possibly one quite close to the Premier. But Baz digresses.
Musk’s promise to authenticate all real humans could mean time’s up for PRGuy.
As is the case with the Federal Court case that’s still on foot, and threatening to unmask PRGuy, Baz remains deeply conflicted.
While he’d love to know who PRGuy is, he equally would himself hate to be unmasked. Watching this one very closely.
Guess who
Which crossbench MP donated $15,000 to their own party last financial year, putting their money where their mouth is?
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