By Crikey reporter Lucy Morieson

While Steve Vizard may
be one of the most practised media performers in Australia, he has this
irritating credibility problem when it comes to using those media
skills to defend himself in public. But now the Vizard team has found
its public voice and spokesman – his brother Andrew.

An associate professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at
Melbourne University, it was Andrew who issued the statements in
response to last night’s 7:30 Report story on Roy Hilliard.

And it was Andrew who was the key character witness for his brother in the Federal Court, as Crikey reported at the time, painting a picture of him as the loving family man who had suffered for his crimes.

Andrew
Vizard is certainly a busy man. Besides his University commitments,
he’s the chairman and independent director of Melbourne pharmaceutical
company, Phosphagenics Limited. And as a specialist in veterinary
epidemiology – the study of the causes, distribution and control of
disease – he’s worked as a board member of the PrimeSafe (meat safety
regulator), a director of Animal Health Australia, a former director at
stockfeed manufacturer the Ridley Corporation, a director at the Sheep
Cooperative Research Centre, a board member of the Zoological Parks and
Gardens Board of Victoria and the Australian Poultry Cooperative
Research Centre, and formerly as a member of the wool industry research
body, Australian Wool Innovation.

Now he has another meaty challenge on his hands.