Pollies’ perks revealed, from Moulin Rouge to the Chairman’s Lounge

School is well and truly back for our federal MPs, and CBD has noticed some diligently handing in their first round of homework with filings to the Register of Members’ Interests.

Let’s start with the dog-ate-my-homework brigade, which unsurprisingly includes former prime minister Scott Morrison. Joining him are PM and Gang of Youths fan Anthony Albanese, his deputy Richard Marles, Greens leader Adam Bandt, Nats boss David Littleproud and the Libs’ leading light Peter Dutton.

CBD, for one, can’t wait for Marles to detail his extensive investment in the snow globes proudly displayed his office, which appeared in the background of a photo posted online on Tuesday. He has previously boasted about his 450-strong collection.

We can report that Barnaby Joyce’s parliamentary demotion has not resulted in a complete loss of status with the embattled Qantas, which has allowed him to retain his Chairman’s Club membership.

But maybe that’s a courtesy extended to most MPs. After all, Rebekha Sharkie also sports a pass, as does veteran teal Zali Steggall.

In the club? Zali Steggall and Monique Ryan.Credit:John Shakespeare

In that case, we assume it’s only a matter of time before passes are handed out to fresh teals Allegra Spender and Monique Ryan. While Spender has yet to file her interests, Ryan has done and revealed that – as of August 15 – she remains an outsider at the exclusive club. You can imagine the schoolground taunts. Canberra can be a cruel place, after all.

Perhaps it’s just a case of Chairman’s Club staff being too busy loading luggage onto planes at Tullamarine and Mascot airports to mail out her membership.

CBD is also pleased to report that one pollie seems to be enjoying some hospitality from his old role – Paul Fletcher, our former minister for communications, urban infrastructure, cities and the arts. His August 15 update includes a free four-day ticket to Bluesfest in April, and a John Lennon tribute concert at Sydney’s State Theatre the same month. But he was not forgotten post-election, receiving free tickets to Moulin Rouge the Musical at the Capitol Theatre in June.

BRACKS TO ADLAND

Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks will join “behaviour change” communication specialists the Shannon Company as chairman next week. It’s something of a coming-home for Bracks – the agency ran his successful 1999 ad campaign when he beat the Liberals in Jeff Kennett’s “unlosable” election.

Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks.Credit:Wayne Taylor

The Shannon Company was also behind Industry Super campaign “Compare the Pair” and portrayed banks as foxes in the henhouse during the banking royal commission. Its fingerprints were also on the “Call it Out” campaign to stop violence against women and the “Our Water. Our Future” ads during the millennium drought.

One of Victoria’s longest-serving premiers, Bracks says he hopes to inspire change on climate change, diversity, social inclusion, food safety, health crises and fossil fuels.

“Now more than ever, governments and businesses need to look at better and more clever ways to help us build a more sustainable world,” he said, announcing the move in a statement.

Bracks is also chairman of law firm Maurice Blackburn, and was previously at superannuation fund Cbus. He led Labor’s review into branch stacking with former federal MP Jenny Macklin in 2020, finding the party had shown “contempt” for the rules. Ouch.

Last week he told the AFR he expected Premier Daniel Andrews to win the November state election, and to surpass John Cain’s record as longest-serving premier.

UP OR DOWN?

Yes, in case you hadn’t noticed, the Victorian state election is upon us. And the Suburban Rail Loop, and its ever-increasing price tag, is at the centre of a tug of war between the major parties.

Liberal candidate for Ashwood Asher Judah has taken up the fight against government plans to encourage higher-density development around the loop’s stations in Melbourne’s east.

“Nothing is inevitable and this rezoning can be stopped,” he recently wrote to constituents.

And Judah, teaming up with community group People Power Monash, has been spruiking a petition to scale back heights allowed under a council structure plan. Fifty protest corflutes have been seen in the neighbourhood.

About 50 protest posters have gone up around Burwood, Ashwood and Glen Waverley.Credit:Asher Judah

But the archives show Judah once advocated for high-rise developments in his former role at the Property Council. “We can’t have a situation where there are deadlocks all around town where urban renewal is not taking place because councils don’t want to work on achieving population targets,” he said in 2013 as the Property Council’s deputy executive director.

Has he had a change of heart? Judah says no, he was just doing his job.

“For 15 years I was a spokesperson for a number of industry groups representing agriculture, manufacturing, construction, property and public transport,” he told CBD in a statement. “All quotes associated with my employment with these groups represent the public views of their membership, not my personal opinions.”

He’s hoping to take Ashwood, a new nominally marginal seat formerly known as Burwood, with current Labor MP Will Fowles moving to contest Ringwood.

“This is a grassroots insurrection against Labor’s plan for high-rise in the suburbs,” Judah said.

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