Meanwhile, in Victoria: Wade Noonan returns; Sanger deserves a break

Daniel Andrews welcomes back former Police Minister Wade Noonan; PM’s bad-look donations; Sanger needs a break.

Former Victorian Minister for Police Wade Noonan says his experience had given him fresh insights into what police and emergency service workers, and others in sometime traumatic jobs, go through.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today welcomed back former Police Minister Wade Noonan, who’s been given a new role combining industry and jobs, from three months’ convalescence.

Noonan, who stood down in February citing mental duress from his former role, said his cumulative exposure to troubling events triggered a condition known as vicarious trauma, something both police and emergency services workers, and journalists, can suffer from.

He conceded he had considered quitting politics, but during the three months’ leave he recaptured his enthusiasm for the job.

Mr Noonan said his experience had given him fresh insights into what police and emergency service workers, and others in sometime traumatic jobs, go through and he was encouraged to see more police seeking help.

In his new role, he takes over a chunk of Transport Minister Jacinta Allan’s portfolio and will tasked with steering Victoria’s transition away from auto manufacturing and improving Labor’s policy offerings after the initial failure of its flagship employment program, the Back to Work Scheme.

The main winner in the reshuffle is former Environment and Water Minister Lisa Neville, who picks up the police ministry but retains the Water half of her old portfolio and remains the lead minister in that department. Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio takes on the Environment and Climate Change components of Ms Neville’s former role.

Corrections was split from Police and given to Training and Skills Minister Steve Herbert.

The result is a structure that looks a bit illogical, but gives Mr Noonan a fresh start and Ms Neville a new challenge in an area that is rapidly rising up the list of public concern amid a soaring crime rate and concerns over gang violence, community safety and organised crime.

The Opposition has already picked up on the incongruous nature of some of the portfolios saying it appeared that Andrews had drawn names out of a hat and the “reshuffle is about politics and not people”.

They also sought to keep the blowtorch on Transport Minister Jacinta Allan, who has lost the arguably neglected employment side of her job, but picked up major projects describing that as “rewarding failure”.

That’s a reference to the regional rail fiasco over summer and the sporadic spotfires that pop up on the clogged urban rail network. For us the jury is still out on Allan — if the government’s program of level crossing removal is on schedule come election time, and substantial progress is made on the $11bn Melbourne Metro, she may well have the last laugh.

Response to Noonan’s illness could set a valuable precedent

Labor’s handling of Noonan’s illness may yet be seen as a test case for employers around the country.

Of course governments tend to have deeper pockets than most businesses and can afford to fund lengthy absences.

However, a three month recovery period for people with severe depression — not the worried well — would afford sufferers the opportunity to rest, recover, learn coping mechanisms and resolve any issues with medication.

Noonan joins a long list of politicians who have suffered on the job, including former Coalition Trade Minister Andrew Robb and the late British prime minister Winston Churchill.

There is a lot of support for the Noonan family, with Noonan’s father Bill one of the true champions of Labor.

The former Transport Workers’ Union boss spent a lifetime working on OHS issues for drivers and has always been seen as a sensible and clever bloke.

Wade Noonan was cut from the same cloth.

Turnbull made to look silly on donations

Revelations today that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had lunch with so-called mafia frontman Joseph Acquaro make him look naive.

While the fundraising lunch for Liberal MP Russell Broadbent was in 2008, the PM will be furious that he was dragged into the controversy at all.

It was reported today that fruiterer Tony Madafferi - brother of drug trafficker Frank Maddaferi - was also at the fundraising lunch in Melbourne’s Collins St.

But the fallout from the meeting will be limited.

Acquaro is dead and Tony Madafferi has always insisted he is a cleanskin, although he has had more than his share of legal battles trying to protect his reputation.

Sanger deserves a break

It’s unfortunate for David Feeney’s wife Liberty Sanger that she has been caught in the crossfire over the Labor frontbencher’s property holdings.

It’s generally the case that spouses are left out of the political scandal of the day.

However, one of the prices to be paid for being both wealthy and married to a public figure is that there is a greater risk of blowback.

It doesn’t help when hubbie has trouble filling out forms.

For years there has been speculation that Sanger would run for parliament herself.

She would make a good candidate and — one suspects — a better form filler than her husband.