Backroom Baz: Blues tragic John Pesutto keeping his eye on the ball

John Pesutto may have been gutted by Carlton’s near miss in the season opener but if he can drag his own team to a draw at the next election he’ll be hailed a hero.

Blues tragic and Opposition Leader John Pesutto was spotted having a kick around the grounds of parliament during the week.

Footy’s back! And Baz couldn’t be more thrilled. Maybe just as thrilled as Blues tragic and Opposition Leader John Pesutto who was spotted having a kick around the grounds of parliament during the week.

Used to footy heartache, Baz is told Pesutto was gutted by Carlton’s near miss on Thursday night, when Richmond levelled the scores in the dying seconds of the game to force a draw in a thrilling season-opener.

Baz reckons if there’s anyone who should welcome a close result, it’s Pesutto.

Given the drubbing the Liberal Party copped at last year’s election, if the new leader can manage to drag his team to a draw next time around he’ll be hailed a hero. Until then he’ll have to endure plenty more Blues heartache. Go Tiges!

Former Premier Ted Baillieu. Picture: Alan Barber

Best wishes to Ted

Baz is sending best wishes to former Premier Ted Baillieu who has suffered a nasty fall in recent weeks.

March is turning out to be a month best avoided for Big Ted, with the fall almost 10 years to the day he fell from office, standing down as Premier.

“Can I say I love this state, I love the Liberal party and I love this role that I have had the honour to enjoy over the last two and a bit years,” he said at the time.

“I have appreciated the honour immensely of being the leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party over the last seven years but it is apparent to me that a change of leadership is in the best interests of the government.”

Mr Baillieu resigned after explosive recordings were published detailing secret deals between his chief of staff and a former adviser. Get well, Ted.

Craig Ondarchie is one of many departed MPs making recent visits to parliament.

Given politics is a rough game, you would think that departed MPs from the last Victorian parliament would be keen to keep well away from the sideshow.

But apparently the Spring St lifestyle is a tricky one to get away from and Baz has spotted more returning characters around the joint than you’d see in a ’90s sitcom.

Craig Ondarchie and Catherine Cumming have both made visits to the galleries in recent weeks while Fiona Patten likes the joint so much she’s been regularly spotted assisting the Legalise Cannabis MPs during sitting weeks.

Frank McGuire, following the footsteps of brother Eddie Everywhere, rarely misses an event around town and former health minister Martin Foley was spotted as recently as this week crashing a press conference in Balaclava in a t-shirt and jeans.

Foley’s appearance prompted a comment from former Labor colleague Colin Brooks that he not only looked relaxed, but appeared about 20 years younger!

Not to be outdone was Bernie Finn, who made great use of his parking privileges at parliament to get a free spot so he could walk to the MCG for the Richmond v Carlton season opener.

A Young Labor member (far left) turned up to parliament in a jumper sporting a rather unsavoury message. Picture: Instagram

Young Labor member causes a stir

It seems like it was just last week Baz, the snob that he is, was bemoaning the slip in dress standards at Parliament House.

That came care of the casual beach chic get-up donned by President Shaun Leane in an official parliamentary video, who stepped it up a notch by backing up the appearance in a fetching RipCurl t-shirt.

Thanks for reading, Shaun.

But Leane was given a run for his money in the dress stakes this week when a Young Labor member turned up to our great house of democracy in a jumper sporting a rather unsavoury message.

Needless to say it caused quite a stir with some MPs who told Baz they had planned to take it up with none other than Leane, and his counterpart in the lower house Maree Edwards.

“It is inappropriate to have an item like this worn in parliament, let alone when the house is sitting,” one staffer said.

Last week, Legislative Council president Shaun Leane looked ever so casual as he featured in a Parliament of Victoria video.

Media team fading fast

Four months on from the election and Baz is told the problems in the government’s media unit are worse than thought.

The major problem being: no one wants to work there.

Sources say that far from cooking on all burners, staff are having trouble getting even one lit (which if nothing else could help the government hit its bold emissions target?).

But seriously, sources say the media unit, once the pin-up of units across the country for its size and might, is now just a shadow of its former self. And it’s leaving staff exhausted and depleted. Other staff are simply leaving.

MPs embrace the long lunch

Since the Premier said it was time to get back on the beers, none have been more enthusiastic than those on Spring St. Perhaps it’s the warmer weather or the remnants of the silly season but Baz and his associates have noticed Victorian MPs have been embracing both long lunches and midday tipples during sitting weeks.

This columnist is certainly no stranger to a knees-up but it must be a steep learning curve for the fresh blood of the parliament who may have been surprised to learn how much work gets done in between bevvies.

The irony of it all is that when in opposition, Daniel Andrews once pledged state MPs would be breathalysed if he won office. The idea was eventually canned in 2015 after it was found to be impractical and unnecessary.

Overheard

“Labor’s $10m a day interest bill is crushing our ability to invest in what really matters – the people of Victoria” — shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell on the state’s mid-year financial update.

Guess Who?

Which government member was the only newly elected Labor MP to miss out on a coveted spot on a parliamentary committee?