Backroom Baz: Tim Wilson outs Teal mole within his ranks
New Goldstein Liberal MP Tim Wilson has been quick to out a rat within his “blue tsunami” ranks as he celebrates victory in the blue-ribbon seat.
Victoria
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It was truly heartwarming to hear the umpteenth declaration of victory in the seat of Goldstein last week, the latest from Liberal Tim Wilson (again). The battle for the blue ribbon seat, which turned a different shade for the first time when Zoe Daniel won under the teal banner in 2022, has rivalled the Melbourne Cup for a race that stops the nation.
Well, maybe not quite, but Baz has enjoyed the energy that young Mr Wilson has displayed since deciding to recontest the Brighton-based electorate. Some of that energy, which some of his constituents have a different word for, was on display in his WhatsApp group for volunteers, aptly titled the Goldstein blue tsunami.
Parts of those conversations were leaked to the media in recent weeks, including Wilson noting “the EXTREME necessity for scrutineers to be available” to ensure informal votes for Daniel were knocked out.
Baz couldn’t help noticing that the follow up from Wilson in the blue tsunami group wasn’t as widely reported. Once he realised there was a rat in the blue tsunami ranks, Wilson decided to address the elephant in the chat room directly. With a waving hand emoji on either side of the message he merely wrote “hi Teal Mole”.
As Baz’s source – or mole? – said, it was nice that Wilson gave the leaker an honorific in the form of a proper noun.
Hot favourite emerges to replace Paul Guerra
Another name has been added to the list in the race to replace outgoing Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry boss Paul Guerra.
Former City of Melbourne chief executive Justin Hanney – who quit that post in the wake of a cash-for-yacht fundraising controversy – has emerged as a hot favourite. Baz is told Hanney has a strong connection with the VCCI board and is firming up as a frontrunner.
Another name to be mentioned this week was that of former Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood who failed in his bid for re-election to Town Hall in last year’s mayoral race. Watch this space.
Not everyone’s happy inside Allan’s private office
Jacinta Allan may have fended off a potential leadership challenge, for now, but don’t be lulled into thinking it’s all happy times inside her private office. Despite the pressure being off, Baz is told the Director of Policy has decided to call time on the gig, apparently not too happy with how things have been going in recently particularly amid the change in chief of staff from Matt Phelan to Damian Karmelich.
There are rumours of further changes, too. One staffer the Premier will be keen to hang on to is head of digital Deon Savage who has completely transformed Allan’s social media presence and given her the voice we didn’t know she had since taking over from Daniel Andrews in September 2023.
In just over a month Savage has given Allan a complete social media makeover that hasn’t gone unnoticed in Labor circles. So impressed are some ALP types that Baz is told Savage has had an approach from Anthony Albanese’s team to go and work with the Prime Minister. Allan will be hoping she can keep onto this one.
New Love on Spring St
Baz loves baby news, and there’s been plenty of it on Spring St over the past 12 months. So much, in fact, they’ve opened a childcare centre of parliament.
Well, add one more to the growing list of political bubs: Lachlan Love, son of Sky News’ Spring St supreme Simon Love and his wife Emma. They welcomed the littlest honorary member of the Press Gallery on Mother’s Day, and let dad have sometime off his new parental duties to get back to cover last week’s state budget.
Baz is told mum and bub are doing well, and dad has quickly got into the swing of covering his new beat. Congrats all and welcome, Lachie.
Originally published as Backroom Baz: Tim Wilson outs Teal mole within his ranks
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