Coronavirus: coup rumour knocks punching-bag Premier Daniel Andrews

Union boss John Setka’s pie-eating presence at a major roadmap gathering speaks volumes about Victorian Labor’s resurrection plan.

CFMEU Victorian secretary John Setka. Picture: AAP

John Setka’s image leapt out of laptops across Melbourne, standing next to a punching bag while business and community leaders were being consulted over the roadmap out of lockdown.

The construction union boss was one of about 150 people — ­ serious business leaders among them — invited to hear Victorian Co-ordination of Jobs Minister Martin Pakula discuss the coronavirus restrictions roadmap.

The Microsoft Teams meeting, held for an hour just under a week before Daniel Andrews put another padlock on business activity, was one of a series of discussions held between the government and stakeholders.

Mr Setka is a polarising identity in business and politics and his presence was met with bemusement at the meeting.

“It was hard not to notice him,” a virtual attendee told The Weekend Australian. “It’s not something we normally see up close. He was tucking into a pie and looked like he was ready to go a few rounds in the gym.”

Things often work differently in Victoria, but Mr Setka’s ­attendance underpins the value the ­government has placed on the heavily unionised construction industry and the role it will play in rejuvenating the state’s shattered economy.

For weeks, Mr Pakula and Treasurer Tim Pallas have been consulting business about the road ahead, with dozens of roundtable and personal meetings with people ranging from restaurateurs Guy Grossi from Florentino and Chris Lucas from Chin Chin, to the heads of major retailers and industry.

The government is preparing to deliver within days a business package worth hundreds of millions of dollars to help the private sector, followed by a jobs package probably worth billions.

While the backlash against the Victorian Premier has been understandably feral, he indicated on Friday that he was open to bending. Restrictions are likely to be eased next week in regional areas amid low virus numbers. “It is an opportunity to say thank you to every single regional Victorian, in the big regional cities, the smallest of country towns,” Mr Andrews said.

After being smashed by business this week, no one is underestimating the political challenges facing the Premier.

The anger is so intense that wild rumours swept Melbourne on Thursday and Friday that Mr Pallas was about to take over. The claims were completely wrong.

“The only numbers Pallas will get are the ones in the next budget,” one state MP observed.

But what is increasingly clear is that colleagues are questioning how long Mr Andrews will ­remain in the top job given the fallout from his government’s mishandling of the virus.

There is no push against him, but the past week has led to increasing chatter about what will be best for the government — specifically, who will be best to ­rebuild the government when, or if, the virus is conquered.

Despite the speculation, those closest to Mr Andrews insist he is going nowhere.

“Nowhere. At. All,’’ a friend told The Weekend Australian.

People who have attended business consultations believe the key sticking point preventing an earlier opening up of the metropolitan economy has been the government health advice about the number of people moving around the southern capital, potentially spreading the virus.

Mr Andrews does not want the virus to spread further, creating a third wave.

There remains deep distrust in the government about its own health department’s ability to fill the cracks, and the calculation is the advantage of lifting restrictions now is outweighed by the downside of a likely third wave.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said there was a desire to help engineer normality. “We want to get to normal as soon as possible, leaving no person, no job, no business behind,” he said.