Mike gets a handshake, we get a shower

Golden handshakes are never popular. This is the case in both the corporate world and the political world. When a CEO receives an overblown retirement present, however, the only thing the populace can do is shake its collective fist and bemoan the greed. In politics, however, the public has a chance to speak via the ballot box. Given the impending by-elections in Ramsey and Port Adelaide and the perilous state of the global economy, it must be asked why Premier Jay Weatherill and his cabinet decided upon making such a poisonous policy decision.

While the Premier perks policy was announced in the guise of applying to “all people that have led the State for more then four years”, it is clearly designed purely for the benefit of Mike Rann. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Jay backflips on the policy in six months time, citing community disquiet). Some aspects of the policy are justified based on Mike’s particular circumstances e.g. the security detail is required because Rann introduced new bikie laws. Does it make sense to apply a policy, potentially in perpetuity, based on the individual circumstances of a particular Premier? The only logical reason for this policy announcement is that it was part of a deal struck between Mike Rann and Jay Weatherill as part of transition agreement, probably through factional intermediaries.

Last year, much of the bloody leadership transition from Mike Rann to Jay Weatherill was played out in public. This does not mean, however, that we, the public, were privy to all the sordid details. We have to assume that there were hours of brutal negotiations between Rann, Weatherill, Malinauskas and others regarding the exact terms of the transition. Given the bizarre Premier perks announcement yesterday, we must assume that this was one condition required for a bloodless handover. What else is there? How can we have any faith in the leadership of Weatherill until we know the exact nature of the hidden tethers that bind him?

When Jay Weatherill took the reigns, he went to great lengths to distance himself from the Rann style of leadership. For example, in the initial period of his leadership, he would hold regular press conferences immediately after cabinet, in which he would announce the decisions made during the meeting. It is interesting, is it not, that this Premier perks decision was made in December last year, and only comes to light now? It is quite evident that Jay’s new era of transparency lasted for a blink of the eye, and was clearly an act of spin worthy of his predecessor.

This Premier perks policy has only served to once again place Mike Rann at the centre of the South Australian political debate. With by-elections looming, the SA ALP needs the voting public to forget all about Rann and Foley, not have them splashed on the front page again. Did Jay promise any more goodies to Mike in order to get him out the door? Time will tell.