But this small detail has not prevented Liberal hopefuls from beginning the push to replace the long-time party operator when he departs the Senate later this year.
Arthur Sinodinos will head to Washington DC later this year.Janie Barrett
Jim Molan,who missed out on a return to the Senate after the Coalition placed him fourth on the Coalition ticket,is the first name mentioned by insiders.
It is usually followed by the phrase “over my dead body”.
Knowing he was unlikely to win re-election,Molan’s backers ran an unauthorised below-the-line campaign that offended the party's sensibilities and made him very unpopular among some.
But if defence and foreign policy expertise is needed,we hear former Lowy Institute fellow turned RSL NSW presidentJames Brown has already expressed some interest in the gig.
Brown happens to be married toDaisy Turnbull Brown,the much more sensible ofMalcolm Turnbull’s children who quietly campaigned and held fundraisers for party golden boyDave Sharma.
Meanwhile,it also turns out that NSW Liberal treasurerMichael Hughes — brother ofLucy Turnbull and son of barristerTom Hughes — may be interested in the spot.
He’s been a formidable fundraiser and,while notionally aligned with the party’s conservatives,is known to be close to moderates including factional heavyweightMichael Photios.
Other candidates already being canvassed include NSW Liberal vice-presidentKent Johns,who had successfully been prevailed upon (by Turnbull in 2016 and Prime MinisterScott Morrison's apparatchiks more recently) not to challenge Hughes MPCraig Kelly for pre-selection.
The former Labor president turned Liberal Democrat turned Liberal candidate in Gilmore,Warren Mundine, would also be “taken seriously”,according to some factional powerbrokers.
His election would be a real sliding doors moment considering it was seven years ago that Mundine quit Labor in a huff afterMark Arbib’s Senate seat was given toBob Carr over him.
Maybe he could give the Australian Conservatives a try if it doesn't work out this time.
Also considering a tilt:former deputy state directorRichard Shields,now the chief lobbyist at the Insurance Council of Australia.
But replacing Sinodinos comes with a couple of catches.
First,there will only be two years left in the job by the time Sinodinos is out.
Second,they face demotion to a (likely unwinnable) spot on the Coalition ticket come the next election thanks to an agreement to elevate a Nationals candidate up the list.
Spinning out
Another departure from Morrison’s Cabinet will be Communications MinisterMitch Fifield,due to replace senior diplomatGillian Bird as Ambassador to the United Nations.
His chief-of-staff,Luke Tobin,took over after his predecessorLuke Coleman departed the office late last year and turned up as head of government affairs at international telecommunications company Vocus in January.
We hear Tobin will not be sticking around for another government job. We sure he'll be snapped up quickly.
But Fifield’s senior media advisorGeraldine Mitchell,once aHerald Sun reporter,has already lined up a new position for herself — and she starts next week.
Mitchell is the new head of corporate media relations at Vodafone Australia.
On Macquarie Street
Parliament House may be back in session today,but it was deserted yesterday.
We did,however,see NSW Labor leadership hopefulJodi McKay ducking into Labor MPYasmin Catley's office — it's no secret who she's backing.
Meanwhile,former Liberal Upper House MPPeter Phelps also made an appearance.
He was in the foyer and,as we strode past,quipped:“I’m a lobbyist and this is the lobby.”
Flight of Folau
Israel Folau,currently in a stoush with Rugby Australia,was spotted heading to Los Angeles over the weekend. Illustration:Matt Golding
Dedicated evangelist and controversial rugby starIsrael Folau spent last week in talks with Melbourne silkStuart Wood,QC,plotting next steps in his battle with Rugby Australia,which terminated his contract over a homophobic post he made on social media.
And now he’s off overseas,with spies aboard Qantas’ Saturday night Melbourne-to-San Francisco special spying Izzy boarding the plane a touch before it took off at 8:55pm.
The Wallabies and Waratahs back boarded the QF49 flanked by two mates,with the trio all taking their seats in premium economy,perhaps a novel experience given the luxe treatment afforded to the Qantas Wallabies.
Folau’s reps wouldn’t tell us if the trip was for work or pleasure.
Curtain raiser
Meanwhile,fashion designerCarla Zampatti threw open her Woollahra home on Saturday for a major fundraiser in aid of chamber opera outfit Pinchgut Opera.
Our correspondent spotted Federal Court Chief JusticeJames Allsop,former Commonwealth Bank executivesAlden Toevs and former AMP chairmanPeter Mason.
Pinchgut chiefSarah Gilchrist encouraged the crowd to dig deep — credit cards accepted.
Many of the guests were seen reaching for wallets and purses at the end of the evening.