Premier Jacinta Allan refuses to say whether Jeroen Weimar is in line for plum new job

The Premier has refused to reveal whether former Covid response commander and chief of the failed Commonwealth Games Jeroen Weimar is being considered for another plum taxpayer-funded job.

Premier Jacinta Allan is remaining tight-lipped as to whether prominent bureaucrat Jeroen Weimar is in the running for a plum new taxpayer-funded job.

The former Covid commander and failed Commonwealth Games chief is currently serving as deputy secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, where he is responsible for implementing the government’s Housing Statement.

Mr Weimar’s post is set to wrap up early in the new year, prompting questions about his next move.

Jeroen Weimar served as Victoria’s Covid commander at the height of the pandemic. Picture: David Crosling

The Department of Premier and Cabinet is undertaking a recruitment process to hire a new head of the Department of Transport and Planning.

Current Department of Transport and Planning secretary Paul Younis, who formerly served as mayor of Brimbank Council, is set to finish up later this year.

Ms Allan on Wednesday said Mr Younis had done an “outstanding job” leading the department.

“When he retires, he’s not retired yet ... we’ll wish him well,” she said.

Paul Younis became the Department of Transport and Planning secretary in January 2023.

But Ms Allan refused to say whether Mr Weimar is one of the candidates for the new job.

“I want to make it absolutely clear, I will not be making any comment on the candidates, or that process, until it’s concluded and I’ve received the advice from the Department (of Premier and Cabinet),” she said. 

Asked whether it could be assumed that Mr Weimar is the running, Ms Allan fired back: “I’m not going to comment on the process.”

“It’s fantastic that there is great interest in who’s going to be the next secretary of the Department of Transport and Planning, because it’s a big and important job,” she added.

“It’s a department that delivers the transport connections our growing city and state needs and is going to be central to building more homes for more Victorians.”

Mr Weimar is currently heading up the government’s key housing policy. Picture: David Crosling

At the start of this year, Ms Allan was forced to defend the appointment of Mr Weimar to his current role co-ordinating the Housing Statement.

His term was extended by six months in August.

The key policy announcement, made by former Premier Daniel Andrews, pledges to build 800,000 homes over the next 10 years.

Mr Weimar first shot to public prominence in 2020 when he was made the state’s Covid-19 response commander.

He was then promoted to lead the state’s bungled 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Ms Allan has this week announced a raft of housing-related reforms that she said will lead to more homes being built.

She said that highlighted the importance of Mr Weimar’s role.

“We are presenting this weekday after day a comprehensive approach looking at how we can use every lever across government,” Ms Allan said.

Originally published as Premier Jacinta Allan refuses to say whether Jeroen Weimar is in line for plum new job