Backroom Baz: Fire chief’s support for UFU, out-of-date webpages and wizard duels

Fire chief Ken Block’s frustrated tirade raised eyebrows last week, but one part of the fiery rant caught Baz’s attention.

Fire Rescue Commissioner Ken Block. Picture: Sarah Matray/NCA NewsWire.

Fire boss Ken Block did his block in a leaked recording published by this paper last week. The frustrated chief let loose at 160 of his finest, warning they shape up or ship out amid growing concern that the state’s new fire service continues to be plagued by tensions between career and volunteer firefighters.

As part of his 45 minute lecture, Block spruiked the work of the United Firefighters Union and its boss Peter Marshall, who is facing a leadership challenge Baz is told is destined to fail.

So Baz was hardly surprised when pictures of Block surfaced, in full UFU regalia, mixing it with his subordinates. Just one of the boys.

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Baz suspects some Liberal party webmasters must be asleep at the wheel. Shadow education minister David Hodgett has a pretty spiffy website, one of the better ones out there. But the danger of running a website is it has to stay up to date. So whoever’s running best get back to work. “My goal and dedication is to tackle the issues facing all Victorians specifically in the areas of crime, congestion and cost of living,” the website screams. And what’s important to Dave? Tourism, roads, rail, transport, crime, employment...the list goes on. All noble causes, Baz reckons. But where’s the mention of education, early childhood, higher education or training and skills?

Liberal Party leader Michael O'Brien runs into Martin Pakula on the streets of Melbourne. Picture: Alex Coppel.

WHAT A MUGGLE

Never one to miss a photo opportunity, Victoria’s minister for fun stuff Martin Pakula was last week busily promoting the reopening of theatre hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Donning a scarf representing House Gryffindor from the famous J.K. Rowling books, Pakula was posing with witches and wizards outside the Princess Theatre when someone yelled “traitor”. The heckler was none other than opposition leader Michael O’Brien. Apparently O’Brien, who is a Carlton tragic like Pakula, thought the minister had ditched his beloved navy blue for Hawthorn paraphernalia. The Liberal leader wasn’t wearing his spectacles, perhaps explaining how he confused Gryffindor’s maroon and gold colours with Hawthorn’s brown and gold. One source said Pakula stuck to the theme when setting the record straight. “It’s Gryffindor, you Muggle”.

AND BABY MAKES FOUR

Heartiest congratulations in order for Labor MP Tim Richardson who has become a dad for the second time. Richo couldn’t hide his delight announcing the birth of Orla Rosie Richardson, a little sister for Paisley. “Just like the rest of this pregnancy, the birth didn’t go quite according to plan - but Lozzie was a superstar,” he said. “Thankfully everyone is safe and well, recovering at hospital for a few more days. Paisley is over the moon to finally be a big sister too. Thank you so much for all your beautiful messages and kindness over the journey, now back to the swaddles, nappies and feeding.” Congratulations, Tim.

The Richardson family has a new member.

David Hodgett (left). Picture: Emma Gallagher.

UPPER HOUSE FARCE

Baz understands parliament can be boring, but you’d expect the government to keep up. Something bizarre happened yesterday in the usually sleepy red chamber last week. Whilst responding to the second reading speech on an education bill, Liberal MP Matthew Bach was interrupted on the grounds that he was speaking on the wrong bill. In fact, Baz is told Labor had somehow misread the notice paper and prepared for an entirely different bill! Chaos ensues, with backbench lemmings quickly being given new talking points for a bill they had never read. “Nina Taylor – as whip – was running around like a headless chicken,” one spy told Baz.