There is in folklore the classical political speech by a candidate who signs off with a flourish: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them I can change them."

Tom Parlon may well be a man of principle, but if so, he does a good job of hiding it. His is a road less travelled. He has been a farm leader, a role which often brought him into conflict with the road building construction industry. He has been a TD for the Progressive Democrats, a group who before his arrival wouldn't have known one end of a Fresian bull from the other.

Today, he enjoys a fatcat salary as a lobbyist for the construction industry, where he beseeches government to loosen purse strings that he himself was in control of a few short years ago. The man gets around.

His role as director general of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) had him in the news last week. The Irish Independent reported that the government was ignoring its own guidelines by failing to approve of "value for money" fixed price contracts on state projects. This follows intense lobbying by the construction industry, through its lobbyist, former minister Parlon.

The fixed price contracts were introduced following the spiralling cost of a number of projects – such as the Luas and Port Tunnel – which ended up costing far more than the tender price. It was gravy all the way for developers.

Now, before the new dawn of fixed price contracts emerges, Parlon – who has defended his actions – has managed to persuade the government to allow €150m worth of projects to go ahead under the old rules, where a few million euro here and there can be added on by the developer.

The news throws into sharp relief once more Parlon's shift from politics to lobbying. During his tenure in government, he was the junior minister overseeing the Office of Public Works, which engages in much of the government's building programme. He was also in charge of the ludicrous decentralisation programme, which was manna for the country's developers.

Then, a few months after losing his seat, he transferred to the CIF, and a handy annual salary of €250,000. Therein, his main function is to put on the poor mouth and lobby government. He was a gamekeeper on behalf of the people of Ireland. Now, armed with his knowledge and contacts from the people's parliament, he acts for an industry hungry for the people's money.

At the time of his appointment, there was some kerfuffle that he was allowed to take up a lobbying role so soon after departing government. A civil servant, for instance, must endure a cooling off period of a year before he or she can effectively switch sides. There was no such constraint on the bould Tom.

On Monday, he said on Morning Ireland that he took up his role on 1 October last year, five months after his election defeat. Maybe so, but his appointment was announced on 11 July, a mere six weeks after the people of Laois/Offaly gave him the bum's rush.

He told Richard Downes that he only had one official meeting with Brian Lenihan in the last number of months. "I can meet him on the street like anybody else can – officially I only met him once," he said, evoking images of Tom strolling up and down outside Leinster House, waiting for the minister for finance to appear so that they can bump into each other.

"There are inferences there that there is a cosy relationship that is absolutely not the case," he added. Cosy relationships between Fianna Fáil and builders? Whomever could dream up such crazy notions.

Apart from that story, Parlon is a constant presence in the media in these troubled times, informing the public that what the country needs now is more houses, and that the price of property is about to shoot up again. This might be described as wishful thinking, or alternatively, attempting desperately to instill confidence where there is only well founded skepticism.

Whatever about principles, he has been stalked by luck. Prior to the 2002 general election he was approached to stand for Fine Gael, traditionally the party of big farmers like himself. Instead, he opted for the Progressive Democrats, a smaller outfit that looked more likely to retain a role in government and could offer swift advancement.

On his first day in the Dáil, he was appointed junior finance minister, a plum role overseeing the OPW. Then, after his election defeat last year, when his only prospect was a senate seat with a party about to wither on the vine, along came the builders, calling on his acquired expertise in construction and the state.

From Coolderry in Co Offaly, the father of five was educated in Roscrea CBS and Gurteen Agricultural College and became involved in the Irish Farming Association at a young age. He was appointed president of the IFA in 1997 and is generally credited with doing a good job on behalf of farmers, even as their lobbying power was declining.

During his tenure as president his wife Martha looked after the family farm. By the time his tenure was completed in 2001, Fine Gael were already sniffing around.

He was elected at the expense of prominent FG man, Charlie Flanagan in 2002, securing 9,000 first preference votes in what was a stunning victory. His time at the OPW was uneventful. He heralded decentralisation by putting up "Welcome To Parlon Country" posters on the day after Charlie McCreevy announced the programme in 2003. As he shared a constituency with Brian Cowen, McCreevy gave him a public dressing down for jumping the gun.

In 2006, when Mary Harney resigned as leader, Parlon did a deal with Michael McDowell that saw him appointed party president. The future looked relatively bright. By the time the election came around, the PDs were in trouble. McDowell flip flopped over Bertie Ahern's finances, alienating FF voters who decided to withhold their second and third preferences.

Parlon's vote was more than halved, plummeting to 4,200. He was taking a break from the count in a pub when he saw McDowell's televised resignation. Within days, he was declared front runner to lead the party from the senate, but fate had greater things in store for him.

The CIF beckoned with their big bobs, and Tom was once again on the pig's back. Thereon, he remains, doing what he does best, telling it like it is to the great unwashed.

CV

Name: Tom Parlon

Age: 58

Occupation: Director General of the Construction Industry Federation

In the news: Thorny issue of swift changing of horses from politician to lobbyist raised again. Also, constantly in the news trying to talk up house prices.