Backroom Baz: Nervous Nellies among Victorian Greens after Adam Bandt wipe-out

Does the Greens’ nightmare federal election campaign — headlined by Adam Bandt — bode ill tidings the Greens on Spring St?

There’d be some nervous Nellies among the Greens on Spring St this week after their federal counterparts were comprehensively wiped out of the lower house in last week’s federal election.

The Spring St treehuggers who have become more known for stirring division and outrage in the community, and performing dangerous stunts inside Victoria’s parliament house, might find they too could be out of a job unless they change the way they go about their business before next year’s state election.

Speaking of which, Baz wonders whether former Melbourne MP Adam Bandt might consider a run at state politics to keep him busy for a while?

Stranger things have happened. Watch this space.

Adam Bandt is gone. Is it a bad sign for the Victorian Greens? Picture: David Crosling

Push for new party president

Victorian Liberal Party president Phil Davis sent off his last post-election email?

Davis lamented the party’s federal drubbing in an email to members this week, thanking volunteers for their work but keeping his powder dry as to any other comments of note until a more thorough post mortem of the election could be completed.

As president, the party’s poor performance here falls well within Davis’s remit, and there is now a fresh push to replace him as soon as possible.

Senior party sources said former MP Gordon Rich Phillips was being courted to run for the role, in a move backed by Opposition Leader Brad Battin. During his time as the upper house member for southeastern metropolitan region, the party lost four sand belt seats – Bentleigh, Carrum, Frankston and Mordialloc – at the 2014 state election.

Battin’s backers are believed to be nervous about the likelihood of him getting Rich Phillips – who is understood to have yet been convinced to run for the gig – across the line.

An alternative candidate is shaping up to be former Victorian Liberal senator Karen Synon. Synon was appointed as a deputy president of the administrative appeals tribunal in 2020 and has a strong background in the west, a target region for Battin’s Liberals in 2026.

Could this be a watershed internal party election for the hapless Victorian Liberals?

CPSU ecretary Karen Batt and Trades Hall Council Secretary Luke Hilakari staged a rally outside Premier Jacinta Allan’s Melbourne office in protest against proposed public job cuts.

Tide turns in union

Does the end of an era loom for one of Victoria’s unions? As secretary of the Victorian Branch of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), Karen Batt has had a stranglehold on the position since 1993. More than 30 years on and she is facing a genuine challenge to the role.

Opponents are spruiking the challenge as a no-confidence vote on her leadership, which they say no longer represents the interest of union members. It comes amid the union’s battle to keep thousands of public sector jobs off the chopping block as part of this month’s state budget.

“Our union has lost its way. The executive doesn’t represent our best interests. Our hardworking delegates, organisers, and health and safety reps aren’t supported in their vital work, and rank-and-file union members don’t get a say in how our union is run,” opponents say. “We want to build a bold, democratic and united union ready to (act).”

Long-time activist and delegate Jiselle Hanna has her hand up to take over as secretary. Elections take place next month. Watch this space.

Vic’s come-hither top cop

The announcement of the new Victorian Police Commissioner stirred more than just the press gallery this week.

Government workers, press secretaries, business figures and online sleuths have all declared there’s a new sex symbol in town after the government unveiled the crime-fighting silver fox from across the ditch, Mike Bush, as the new police commissioner.

Everyone was a flutter over the man in uniform and his beautiful stare that drew comparisons with the likes of a young Kevin Costner. Victorians haven’t been this excited over an official figure since former health chief Brett Sutton, dubbed the “Chief Swoon Officer”, with his images gracing bedspreads, pillows, and other merchandise, fetching up to $200 online during the pandemic.

But, of course, Sutton eventually found himself politically strangled by former leader Dictator Dan.

Here’s hoping our new come-hither commissioner enjoys a happier ending under Jacinta Allan’s watch.

Victoria’s new top cop is turning heads. Picture: Ian Currie

Switched off leader a hard cell

Opposition Leader Brad Battin surprised a few this week, when he admitted to turning his phone off for 30 minutes a day to keep his mental health in check.

Battin revealed the new age management technique to 3AW’s Jacqui Felgate. And caused more than a few of his colleagues to spit out their cucumber sandwiches.

The idea the leader would be uncontactable for any part of the day was too much for some colleagues. Others applauded the modern-man approach, and thought it would appeal to younger voters.

All questioned whether, five months in, the pressure of maybe the toughest job in Victoria was starting to get to Battin. Watch this space.

Originally published as Backroom Baz: Nervous Nellies among Victorian Greens after Adam Bandt wipe-out