‘I enjoy baking’: Jacinta Allan’s cooking confession in parliamentary recipe book

A tough week for the Victorian Labor government. No doubt MPs bruised over continuing Building Bad revelations are seeking solace in their cooking.

Now, readers can as well, thanks to Labor of Love, a glossy collection of recipes from state Labor MPs.

Premier Jacinta Allan kicks off the fundraiser cookbook with an astonishing personal revelation that she enjoys baking, particularly the choc chip biscuit that she makes for her kids’ school lunch boxes, although she also admits some of them make their way into her own lunch box. Desiccated coconut looks like the secret ingredient.

The book was the brainchild of Paul Mercurio, MP for Hastings since 2022.

He had the idea in February 2023 and one Labor MP told CBD that the Mornington Peninsula MP had basically pestered caucus for months, standing up at every meeting and listing MPs who were yet to submit recipes.

It worked a treat, with a 159-page book with 69 recipes.

One Labor source said the caucus paid to produce the glossy book, which was selling for about $50 a copy as a party fundraiser.

“No public funds have been used in the production of these materials or for the event. All funds raised go towards Victorian ALP state campaigns,” reads a disclaimer from Victorian Labor state secretary Steve Staikos.

We also particularly liked this disclaimer on an inside page reminding readers that recipes were provided by MPs and “they have not been independently tested”.

Perhaps the most honest came from Industry and Creative Industries Minister Colin Brooks, who submitted Pasta alla Mel, named in honour of his wife Melissa. “It would be dishonest of me to claim to have any skills in the kitchen. I stick to making toast and cooking the obligatory BBQ.”

Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn offers up her family’s Christmas cake, recalling childhood memories of cutting up kilograms of dried fruit in preparation every Melbourne Cup weekend.

Many reached into their heritage – Kat Theophanous and her yemista (Cypriot stuffed tomatoes), Steve Dimopoulos’ Hellenic pastitsio, Michael Galea’s Maltese refashioned timpana, er, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll’s spicy coconut dahl.

Let’s hope the recipes are not as bland as many of the anecdotes offered up by the MPs, with the exception of Police Minister Anthony Carbines, who recalls tuna patties, which was “weekly fuel for the long days and nights as a cadet reporter at the Geelong Advertiser compiling the shipping news”.

The meal, he recounts, meets with disdain from his daughters, who tell him: “Dad, this is depression food – this isn’t 1930.”

Sporting boss courts Netflix, Amazon

Few topics have dominated chatter within media circles over the last year quite like the high expectations set by Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys heading into a fresh round of negotiations over the NRL broadcast rights.

The NRL top boss, who also serves as chief executive of Racing NSW, has expressed confidence that he can get more for the NRL rights than the $4.5 billion broadcast deal struck by the AFL in 2022. We shall see. V’landys has even gone so far as to warn the code’s current broadcasters, Nine (publisher of this masthead) and Foxtel, against colluding on a joint bid.

So, naturally, our ears pricked up when we heard V’landys quietly met with streaming platform Netflix just before Christmas. But that meeting, we’re told, was primarily to discuss a racing project. Victoria Racing Club chairman Neil Wilson, are you reading this? There have also been NRL discussions with Amazon Prime Video. AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon, are you reading this?

What is PVL up to? The chatter suggests V’landys is exploring the possibility of a Drive to Survive-style series tied to the NRL. The AFL has enjoyed success on the Seven Network with the pre-season Hawthorn documentary Full Sweat, and just launched No Holds Barred, a documentary featuring Greater Western Sydney. Netflix and Amazon declined to comment.

V’landys confirmed that the NRL broadcast rights have officially hit the market. “We had a record year last year,” V’landys told CBD. “We’ve started and we’re talking to some interested parties. But one of the things that we’re going to be very, very careful about is not to ruin the experience for the fans.”

Nine and Foxtel, the latter of which was acquired last year by global streamer DAZN in a $3.4 billion deal, have both indicated that they’d like to continue having some sort of relationship with the NRL. The current agreement is worth $1.7 billion and expires in 2027.

And there are a few different ways the next deal could ultimately be carved up. But as with everything, we expect it’ll all come down to price. Let the posturing begin.

Right-wingers Advance

We look forward to the wash-up on this one. The usual suspects are set to descend on Sydney’s Darling Harbour on Friday for a carnival of right-wing politics hosted by the ultra-conservative lobby group Advance Australia.

Conference-goers can look forward to an early panel appearance from Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who will front the audience before former prime minister Tony Abbott throws some red meat to the base with his musings on immigration in a session forebodingly titled: “Mass immigration across the Anglosphere must cease”.

Then, an anti-China rant from Dr Bradley Thayer in his session, called, “The CCP’s Unrestricted Warfare: The threat to Australia”, before settling into dinner, a prayer, and a national anthem singalong performed by Mr Jacinta, Colin Lillie. Senator Alex Antic will give an address over supper for good measure. And that’s only the first of two days!