Eyebrows were raised among Victorian Liberals when returning opposition leader Matthew Guy announced last September that his new chief of staff would be marketing expert and celebrity wrangler Mitch Catlin.
Catlin, known for his Birdcage antics at Flemington and rehabilitating the image of Today show host Karl Stefanovic after his divorce, had little political experience, several Liberal MPs demurred.
Others questioned whether he would be able to juggle the demands of the job with his private marketing company and another venture, Buy Aussie Now, launched during the pandemic to support local businesses.
Across the Yarra, public relations mavens were also sceptical, although for different reasons.
“I did question it, not because he couldn’t do it, but because it was so far removed from his world,” one PR executive reflected this week. “Mitch is absolutely at home in a place like the Birdcage, working – and mingling – with the celebrity set. I genuinely couldn’t imagine him behind the scenes at parliament.”
Now, less than a year after he was hired, Catlin has resigned after the Age reported he had proposed a donor make more than $100,000 in payments to his marketing company, Catchy Media Marketing and Management, for services described as “supporting business interests”.
The government has referred the saga, including any part Guy had in it, to the anti-corruption watchdog, the ombudsman, the electoral commission and state and federal police.
Liberal colleagues were irate the party would have even considered supplementing a staffer’s salary through a donor.
“Politics is not a glamorous gig,” one MP said. “You don’t do it for the dough. I know of many MPs on our side of the chamber who have taken a pay cut to this job, myself included.”
Guy said the proposed payments were considered as part of Catlin’s employment as his chief of staff, telling reporters on Tuesday: “Of course that was part of the discussion.”
“But the point is that was not considered transparent enough … and nothing was ever [acted] on,” he said.
“Mitch and I believed it was better to have everyone employed through the budget, which is what it is today.”
It is believed Catlin put his hand up to help the Liberals during the pandemic – who under the leadership of Michael O’Brien were failing to land any blows on the premier, Daniel Andrews – citing his ability to get a message across.
If the reported arrangement had gone ahead, Catlin’s business would have begun invoicing the donor from 7 September 2021 – the day of Guy’s successful leadership coup – until the end of this year, totalling more than $140,000.
A former television journalist, Catlin moved into PR and marketing in 2005 and was soon heading up publicity at Myer, where he worked closely with model Jennifer Hawkins, before leaving to join to Swisse vitamins.
When Swisse entered the Birdcage marquee at Flemington Racecourse in 2011, Catlin and his team turned a no-show by Kim Kardashian into a social media phenomenon by installing a cardboard cut-out of the reality star for guests to pose with.
Later branching out on his own, Catlin worked with basketballer Liz Cambage, former swimmer Geoff Huegill, rugby player James O’Connor and Stefanovic.
When Guy was reinstalled as leader, Catlin appeared to be working his marketing magic again.
The Bulleen MP – who in his previous stint as opposition leader came to be known for his aggressive style – appeared to be reformed. In his first press conference, Guy was optimistic, spruiking a positive plan for Victoria and a united team. He sounded like a new man from the one whose poor 2018 election showing was attributed to the “lobster with a mobster” saga and a focus on African gangs.
There followed a series of solid policy releases, including new hospitals for regional Victoria and a commitment to legislate an emission reduction target of 50% by 2030. In parliament this week, Guy planned to focus on integrity, an issue where the opposition was considered to have the upper hand in light of the recent report from Ibac and the ombudsman on Labor’s culture.
But now, Liberal MPs have said they’re going to struggle to campaign on the issue.
“While you cannot compare this to what the government has done, it really doesn’t help me when I was doing well [campaigning] on integrity in my seat,” an MP said. “Voters are now going to paint all pollies with the same brush.”
Former leader O’Brien was outspoken during a Coalition meeting on Tuesday, saying MPs and staff took pay cuts to be in politics and described it as a service to the public.
“This shouldn’t be a place for people doing a side-hustle,” one MP recalled O’Brien as saying.
Another Liberal source conceded the party found it hard to attract like-minded people to parliament given the private sector paid “much, much better”.
“I think we’re all a little bit mad, the ones of us who chose to work in this place,” they said.
Guardian Australia has made attempts to contact Catlin.
