Backroom Baz: Rich lister Erin Deering considering running for deputy mayor of Melbourne
Is a bit of glamour about to hit Victoria’s political scene? Rich lister Erin Deering is considering a career change, and politics could be firmly in her future.
Opinion
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Is a bit of glamour about to hit Victoria’s political scene?
According to extremely well placed sources, style queen and rich lister Erin Deering is considering a career change, and politics could be firmly in her future.
Deering co-founded global powerhouse Triangl swimwear with her ex, former AFL player Craig Ellis, in a move that made the pair an estimated net worth of $35m.
The entrepreneur, fashion designer and mum has lived all over the world – in London, Hong Kong and Monaco – but sources say Melbourne is her true love.
And now she is seriously considering bringing her skills to the political scene, as an elected representative.
Multiple sources have suggested Deering might be planning a run for deputy mayor on the ticket of a high profile candidate.
Watch this space.
More than 40k call for Dan to be stripped of King’s Birthday honour
The numbers are in. More than 41,000 signatories have added their names to a petition calling for Daniel Andrews to be stripped of his King’s birthday honour. The petition, organised by Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh, was sent to Governor-General David Hurley for action last week.
Walsh wants that action to be the GG removing the honour, however unlikely that might be.
“Mr Andrews failed Victorians, and by extension Australians, with his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and we are all still paying the price,” he said when launching the petition.
“Melbourne was left floundering in lockdown for a total of 262 days – the longest in the world – under Mr Andrews’ draconian laws. Mr Andrews also oversaw a bungled and ill-conceived hotel quarantine program that cost the lives of almost 800 Victorians. Victorians have been left to pick up the pieces, now burdened with record debt because Mr Andrews couldn’t manage money.
“Under no circumstances should Mr Andrews retain the Companion of the Order of Australia.”
The decision to recognise Mr Andrews with the nation’s highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for his service to Victoria, public health, policy and regulatory reform, and to infrastructure development, sparked widespread backlash this week.
It is usually slapped on premiers after they leave office, so Baz reckons this one is here to stay. Still, Baz will be watching.
Pesutto joins push to keep Lord’s Prayer
Since taking leadership of the Liberal Party following the 2022 election John Pesutto has often been criticised for being too moderate, or Labor-lite.
Well, let that be no more! Pesutto is one of the stars of a new campaign by the conservative Australian Christian Lobby which is lobbying to keep the Lord’s Prayer a permanent fixture of parliamentary sittings.
Debate about getting rid of the prayer has been going since Baz was a boy, but has picked up in recent years as an increasing number of Left-wing MPs boycott it.
So the ACL has teamed with a bunch of Coalition MPs as part of a new campaign. Pesutto’s moderate, centrist views are too often at odds with the more extreme right wing views of the party.
So is this new teaming part of a delicate balancing act to cater for the needs and wants of opposing ideologies among its membership?
Baz is told it has raised some eyebrows within party circles, particularly given the Lord’s Prayer isn’t a top priority.
Bull ready for another Kokoda trek
Doing Kokoda once is tough enough. So spare a thought for Nationals MP Tim Bull, who is about to embark on his fourth trek.
Bull is one of a group of MPs heading to Papua New Guinea on Tuesday to lead a group of 25 Victorian school students along the well-worn path first walked by Australian soldiers during World War II. Bull will lead a group from Kokoda in the north, while former Narracan MP Gary Blackwood will join another group in the opposite direction on the nine-day trek. Opposition Leader John Pesutto will also make the trek.
Vale, Barry Pullen
Baz was saddened to learn this week of the passing of former Cain and Kirner government minister Barry Pullen.
In his 17-year stint in parliament there isn’t much Pullen didn’t do. He was minister for housing and construction, agriculture and rural affairs, the arts, education, and conservation and environment.
After leaving politics he stayed deeply connected to both the Labor Party and his local community of Fitzroy, where he was a councillor and long time activist. Vale, Barry.
Guess who?
Which department head this week read senior executives the riot act over constant leaks to the media telling them it was a “gross betrayal” of their roles?
Overheard
“Any speculation is just that – speculation and scaremongering”. Jacinta Allan hoses down talk of massive budget cuts to Victoria’s hospitals.
Originally published as Backroom Baz: Rich lister Erin Deering considering running for deputy mayor of Melbourne
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