The Source: Victoria’s new governor Margaret Gardner cops serious pay cut

Victoria’s next governor might be stepping into one of the state’s top jobs, but she’s going to take a whopping pay cut for the privilege.

Premier Daniel Andrews announces Margaret Gardner will be the next Governor of Victoria. Picture: David Crosling

Putting the squeeze on Victorias movers, shakers and headline makers.

What can the Source tell you about Victoria’s next governor, Margaret Gardner, which you didn’t already know?

For one, the state’s representative to King Charles is a republican, which she expressed in 2005, when a rather brave journalist from the Australian described Gardner as a “fiery redhead”.

Gardner is one half of a so-called academic royal couple. Impeccably credentialed, the Monash University vice chancellor leapfrogged a wide field of contenders for the position after meeting with Andrews in May.

Her husband, Glyn Davis, was the vice chancellor at the University of Melbourne when she took the same role at RMIT.

Margaret Gardner will be the next Governor of Victoria. Picture: David Crosling

She scoffed at suggestions at the time that the couple would have to keep professional secrets from one another, arguing that dinner conversations would be filled with “all the other things in your lives”.

The celebrity couple packaging will endure, given Davis was appointed to head the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet by Anthony Albanese.

But cost cutting may be required. Gardner receives free meals, lodgings and transport from her new digs at Government House.

Yet the governor’s salary, somewhere south of $500,000, is a fraction of her reported $1.37m salary at Monash University.

The most pressing question, obviously, lies in Gardner’s footballing allegiance, given current governor Linda Dessau’s passion for Essendon.

“Collingwood,” Gardner announced on Monday, in what may be her most polarising declaration of her coming five-year term.

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Melbourne Racing Club member’s surprise scratching

The racing industry is all aflutter after Melbourne Racing Club chairman Matt Cain sent an email to members alerting them to the sudden resignation of committee member Shanyn Puddy.

“The Melbourne Racing Club wishes to advise that in agreement with Ms Shanyn Puddy, Ms Puddy has offered her resignation as an executive committee member of the Melbourne Racing Club and the MRC Foundation,” Cain’s message read.

“Ms Puddy’s resignation has been accepted by the Executive Committee and is effective immediately.”

Puddy, part of Dream Thoroughbreds syndicate, only joined the board in September last year, standing as a candidate for the MRC board to stop the Club’s proposed redevelopment of the Sandown racecourse to housing.

Melbourne Racing Club committee member Shanyn Puddy has resigned

Deeming finds support in unexpected quarters

Exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming has been labelled many things in recent months — a friend to trans-activists has not been among them.

Until now.

Deeming has caught up with Tosh Finnigan, who claims to be the first trans-identifying local councillor in Victoria.

And Finnigan — who scholarly readers might recall as the whistleblower for the Andrews Government’s red shirts controversy — was impressed.

“Moira was perceived as someone who’s a massive transphobe,” Finnigan tells the Source.

Referring to Deeming’s eventual expulsion from the Liberal Party after the Let Women Speak rally in March, Finnigan says: “I don’t think Moira Deeming is a bigot or a Nazi.”

What a week!
💟 Called for an Inquiry into medical transitioning of minors in Victoria
✅ Asked the Education minister to disclose how many Vic public school students have been declared ‘Mature Minors’ at school for the purpose of social transitioning
💙Called out Labor’s… pic.twitter.com/UgWuqy5LC3

— Moira Deeming MP (@MoiraDeemingMP) June 3, 2023

Finnigan met with Deeming, and Liberals Joe McCracken, Bev McArthur and Renee Heath, as well as One Nation’s Rikki-Lee Tyrrell in the state parliament’s dining room.

“I think there is common ground to be found,” Finnigan says.

“We don’t have to shout at each other and be nasty for nastiness’ sake, and I commend them for sitting down with me, and for talking in good faith.

“You would have thought the leadership team of the Liberal Party, if they were so committed to supporting trans people, would have spoken to the only trans-elected official in the state.

“(But) I haven’t heard tickety boo.”

Moira Deeming has won unexpected support from Tosh Finnigan.

Still wheely, wheely angry

As far as the Source knows, the Pinarello bike of Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry still has not turned up almost a week since it was stolen from his basement.

The owner remains so enraged that he posted an angry face emoji on Saturday.

But he sought to modify his expressions of contempt for the culprit after the Source wrote about his woes on Friday.

The offender was “some gutless moron” in Lasry’s first Twitter post.

Now the offender was a “cowardly thief”.

“If you happen to see it let me know,” His Honour posted of his bike valued at $15,000-odd, which was one of two bikes pinched.

“My earlier pejorative description is regretted but I was, and am, very angry.”

In good news for the guilty party, Lasry has long advocated against the death penalty.

In more appropriate language I advise as follows. A cowardly thief broke into my basement last Monday morning and stole this and another road bike. If you happen to see it let me know. My earlier pejorative description is regretted but I was, and am, very angry 😡. pic.twitter.com/KBmK4NwDEw

— Lex (@Lasry08) June 3, 2023

Justice Lex Lasry wants help tracking down his stolen bike. Picture: David Geraghty.