Free tickets, big stars: Ed Sheeran, F1 and footy among freebies for top pollies

Victoria’s politicians are partial to pop stars, particularly Ed Sheeran, along with racing, tennis, F1 and footy, if the latest register of Spring Street interests is anything to go by.

Disclosure rules require MPs to fess up about, among other things such as their investments and memberships, any significant freebies – sorry, gifts – they’ve received.

The latest report, which covers February 1 to June 30 this year, makes for fun reading. Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran are mentioned, and various politicians reveal they accepted tickets to the races, the Australian Grand Prix, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian Open tennis.

Nationals MP Jade Benham mentioned that Global Ballooning had gifted her a hot-air balloon flight over the Yarra Valley.

Premier Ben Carroll detailed among his gifts two tickets to the Australian Open men’s final, four tickets to the opening night runway of Melbourne Fashion Week and two tickets to a “celebration of Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry” which included a private performance by Minogue. That event was hosted by Visy and held at Anthony Pratt’s home, Raheen, in Kew in March.

While Carroll included the invitation in his register of interests, it is interesting to note former premier Jacinta Allan did not. As was reported by The Age at the time, Allan was at that dinner as was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Among Allan’s declared gifts were memberships to the VRC, the Virgin Club Lounge and the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge along with two tickets to the Essendon president’s dinner for the Bombers v Hawthorn match in March.

The then tourism minister, Steve Dimopoulos, saw Sheeran at Marvel Stadium as a guest of the AFL and received four tickets to Harry Connick Jr’s Babe: Elaboratio concert at Carnegie Hall in New York in May. Connick Jr spends half the year in Melbourne.

Rather than listing all his freebies, Dimopoulos went for a cover-all statement saying he had been invited to “a range of sporting, cultural, tourism and industry events … that I attend in my formal capacity”.

Former minister for economic growth Danny Pearson listed being given two tickets to the Australian Open men’s final, and Liberal David Hodgett received tickets to the Australian Grand Prix.

Former treasurer Jaclyn Symes also landed freebies to Sheeran while declaring complimentary VRC passes, tickets to Heathers the Musical and Cirque du Soleil and access to the Virgin Lounge and Qantas Chairman’s Lounge.

It turns out Colin Brooks, formerly minister for creative industries now treasurer, is also a Sheeran fan. He was given tickets to the British singer’s show, as well as tickets to the Melbourne Fashion Festival and a recent exhibition opening dinner at the NGV.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson declared she had been provided tickets to an NGV Foundation dinner by Lion Capital.

Meanwhile, upper house independent Moira Deeming’s declaration showed she had flights and accommodation to London for “ARC-related meetings and a school tour” in June partially covered by the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. Deeming was at the ARC conference when the Victorian Liberal Party began the process of severing ties with her after she refused to apologise to then colleague Matthew Guy for claiming he had assaulted her at an event in May. Police investigated the claim, which Guy denied, and a decision was made not to charge.

Hird family gains a lawyer

James Hird‘s campaign to land the coaching role at his former club Essendon was unsuccessful, but he was pretty quick to get on with other things when the official unveiling of the Dons’ new leader took place on Tuesday.

Mark McVeigh, a former Essendon teammate of Hird’s and most recently an assistant coach at the scandal-plagued Sydney Swans, was announced as the new coach of the Bombers on Monday evening before being presented to the media, sitting alongside club president Andrew Welsh in his Bombers polo shirt on Tuesday.

Hird, however, had family not footy in his lens that day.

He joined former wife Tania – they quietly split in 2024 – at the Supreme Court to support their son Tom as he was admitted as a lawyer. Also there was Tom’s girlfriend, Polly McKenzie, a fellow lawyer.

Tom Hird, 25, has followed in the footsteps of both his parents, playing football – he has been with Port Melbourne for the past four years after two with Essendon – like his dad and becoming a lawyer like his mum. High performance runs in the family. His sister Stephanie was admitted as a lawyer last year.

“We are incredibly proud of Tom and all that he has achieved, as we are of all our children,” James Hird told CBD.

The Hirds were not the only high-profile family to welcome a lawyer into their midst on Tuesday.

Deputy state Liberal leader David Southwick’s son Tyler was also admitted as a lawyer. Both Tyler and Tom were law graduates at Minter Ellison.

“We are a close family and feel like we’ve been on this journey together, every assignment, exam and challenge along the way,” Southwick said. “To see Tyler admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Victoria is one of the proudest moments for all of us.”