Backroom Baz: Did Nick Johnston just make a dig at John Pesutto’s ‘horrible’ crisis management?

Just as John Pesutto’s legal battle against his former teammate Moira Deeming is heating up, the Opposition Leader’s ex-media boss has taken to socials with a cheeky pointed message.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto Picture: David Crosling

Opposition Leader John Pesutto’s former media boss Nick Johnston had some sage advice for his social media followers this week: “never waste a crisis”.

Johnston should know: he went from quitting his high profile role with Pesutto and ending his political career after just 12 months, to starting his own advisory firm, Acumen Advisory, with Pesutto’s former chief of staff Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez.

Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez and Nick Johnston started an advisory firm together after working for Pesutto. Picture: Acumen Advisory

“There are many examples of how organisations can get crisis management horribly wrong and damage their reputations in the process,” Johnston said.

Baz couldn’t help but wonder if that was a not so subtle jab at Pesutto. Johnston and Pintos-Lopez were among the Opposition Leader’s inner circle when he moved to expel Moira Deeming from his parliamentary team, pulling the pin on a grenade that has been sitting idle in the Liberal Party bunker for almost 18 months and could very well explode come the hotly anticipated public defamation trial set to get underway next month.

Expelled MP Moira Deeming launched legal action against Opposition Leader John Pesutto after he expelled her from his partyroom. Picture: Arsineh Houspian.

Part of the trial is expected to hear evidence that Pesutto failed to take advice from within his inner circle, something which has left plenty of noses out of joint. More seriously, Pesutto’s handling of the matter has jeopardised his leadership, with a number of wannabe leaders jostling for prime position to take over should the opportunity present itself. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing?

No shock that Ambo CEO quit

Jane Miller’s sudden resignation from Ambulance Victoria this week wasn’t entirely unexpected. The writing had been on the wall after two votes of no confidence in the organisation’s executive, and the failure of Ambulance Services Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to publicly back Miller and her team.

Ambulance Victoria chief executive Jane Miller’s resignation was to be expected. Picture: X

In just over 18 months at the helm, Miller had failed to reform a toxic workplace culture, markedly improve ambulance response times, or settle seemingly never-ending negotiations over a new pay deal for paramedics. She was also forced to deal with the alleged embezzlement of an estimated $3.5m by payroll staff, and a superannuation bungle that saw thousands of paramedics improperly paid.

Following her exit, the rumour mill got into full swing, most forcefully with the claims that Miller’s resignation wasn’t quite voluntary, rather, she was pushed to act. Another story to cross Baz’s desk was one complaining about Miller’s failure to ever attempt to understand the trials and tribulations of a working paramedic by embarking on an ambulance ridealong with staff. When she did, staff mocked them as “royal tours” because she never hung around long enough to experience the frustration of being ramped at hospitals. If only paramedics could hit the road so easily.

Locks on the line for cancer

A close shave is usually not a good thing in politics but Labor member Gabrielle Williams is turning this old adage on its head.

The normally low-profile minister is promising to shave her head on the steps of parliament in a bid to raise funds for cancer. In a show of support for her close friend and member for Mulgrave, Eden Foster, who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma, Ms Williams has pledged to go bald if she can raise $10,000.

Labor member Gabrielle Williams will go bald if she can raise $10,000. Picture: Supplied

She also promised that “the person who makes the largest single donation will also have the honour of taking the clippers to my locks”, so some factional competitors may be digging deep into their chequebooks.

Of course, Labor MPs lined up to support the cause with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll and Water Minister Harriet Shing leading the way. Upper house MP Ryan Batchelor appears to be in the lead, donating more than $500. At last look, Gabby was already more than halfway to her goal, making Baz think she underestimated her fundraising pulling power.

Pricey coaching course

What’s the cost of mingling with a Minister? Well, if rubbing shoulders with former Andrews government minister Jaala Pulfordis on your bucket list, then be prepared to cough up a cool $5500.

That’s the going base rate for a two-day leadership course with Pulford and other former high flying Spring St luminaries including Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions boss Simon Phemister (he of hotel quarantine fame).

The course delivers programs, mentoring and coaching services to “leaders who are facing multiple and complex challenges” who want to “advance their leadership journey and new/acting leaders seeking to make a fast and successful start.”

Former Andrews minister Jaala Pulford (right) with Jacinta Ermacora. Picture: X

As part of the course, scheduled for November, Pulford and a former chief of staff “take participants behind the curtain of political drivers to provide insights into how to influentially and successfully navigate relationships with Ministers and their offices. This will include consideration of the role of the media in public policy.

Impressive. The gold package will set participants back $7000. Compared to the $12,000 chiefs-of-staff course attended by John Pesutto’s chief Louise Staley earlier this month, the Pulford package is a steal.

How about we ‘evanesco’ Victoria’s debt?

It wasn’t just schoolkids celebrating book week this week. Western Victorian Region MP Jacinta Ermacora brought a bit of witchcraft to the Victorian parliament as Harry Potter’s Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Western Victorian Region MP Jacinta Ermacora was looking spooky as Harry Potter's Professor Minerva McGonagall for book week. Picture: Supplied

It got Baz thinking about how useful a magic wand might be for Ermacora’s Labor colleagues right now. Make Tim Pallas’ $188bn debt projection disappear? Get Jacinta Allan’s pet project, the SRL, completed on budget and on time? Fix the polls so that Labor aren’t trailing the Coalition on primary votes for the first time in more than three years? The possibilities are endless.

Guess who

Which state minister is rumoured to be mulling a move to Canberra?

Overheard

“The leader of the opposition has been seen … on the back of a ute with his megaphone out and calling the troops to say gather your weapons” – Sonya Kilkenny about John Pesutto’s efforts to restrict development in Hawthorn and its surrounds.

Originally published as Backroom Baz: Did Nick Johnston just make a dig at John Pesutto’s ‘horrible’ crisis management?