Backroom Baz: Higgins candidate Michelle Ananda-Rajah says top health specialists ‘lack expertise’

Labor’s candidate for Higgins has lashed fellow health experts as lacking skill in pandemic planning and being part of a “clique”.

Professor Sharon Lewin has been widely praised for her work during the pandemic. Picture: Ian Currie

If Baz had to pick his heroes of the pandemic, Doherty Institute director Sharon Lewin and ex-Victorian deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng would be high on the list.

Someone who disagrees with that assessment is infectious diseases expert Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Labor’s candidate for Higgins.

And how does Baz know that?

Because in his inbox last week was a letter she wrote to Josh Frydenberg last year, which said the pair lacked “any real expertise in pandemic planning or response”.

Ananda-Rajah told Frydenberg the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee — which Lewin wasn’t on, but anyway — was a “clique” of “close friends which presents a barrier for debate”.

She asked him to get Greg Hunt to appoint UNSW expert Raina MacIntyre to the medical expert panel, saying she was “a giant” in the field and a “huge asset we are lucky to have”.

That was never going to work, given MacIntyre had attracted Hunt’s ire with several extravagant predictions, including that up to 400,000 Australians would die from Covid.

The kicker is that Ananda-Rajah then thanked Frydenberg for the government’s “fantastic” Covid response.

Baz reckons Higgins incumbent Katie Allen might pull that one out during the campaign.

Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah has been happy to share her views on other experts.

MASTERCHEFS THEY AIN’T

IT’S no secret that Josh Frydenberg would like to be the prime minister one day.

So Baz is sure he’s enjoyed his taste of living in The Lodge this month while he’s been stuck in Canberra.

Bunking down with the man he one day hopes to replace, Frydenberg said they enjoyed snuggling up for a ginger ale and an episode of “Yes, Prime Minister”.

It turns out Scott Morrison is handy at doing the dishes.

But the deputy leader’s revelations about their dinners raised Baz’s eyebrows.

“Last night it was schnitzel, and we bang it in the microwave like any other family,” Frydenberg said.

In the microwave? Doesn’t the oven work at The Lodge?

Anyway, for what it’s worth, Frydenberg again batted away questions about wanting the top job, saying he’d rather see Carlton win a premiership.

Given the chances for that are slim, maybe he could take David Teague’s job instead.

Mark Knight’s take on politics latest odd couple.

DOG ACT SPOILS O’BRIEN

Timing is everything in politics, and MPs know well that, sometimes, shit happens.

An eagle-eyed political watcher glued to Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien’s Facebook feed was distracted from the member for Malvern’s messages recently when a playful Labrador bounded into the shot and decided to relieve itself.

Thankfully the dog’s owner — Baz is quite sure it wasn’t one of O’Brien’s staff — was on hand to dispose of the mess.

Strangely, the very public social media feed distributing the broadcast said it was “not for public distribution”.

The defecating doggie was spotted in a week during which O’Brien gave a rev up to his troops, calling for them to keep a laser-like focus on mainstream issues and not be distracted by the political fringes. 

Michael O’Brien, the offending pooch and their responsible owner.

DAN DRESS-UPS

This was inevitable really.

After the meme pages and themed beers, it was only a matter of time before people started dressing like Premier Daniel Andrews.

Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece did just that at a Movember awards night (held over zoom) with his impersonation of the premier and the his purple wall.

The theme was “what have you been streaming this year”, with Dan joined by favourites from the Olympics, Star Wars and Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

“The funny thing is, three other guys came as Dan Andrews as well,” Reece told this column.

“It shows how much politicians have become part of our lives and part of pop culture.

Nicholas Reece appearing on the zoom meeting as “Chairman Dan”.

“The world needs a bit of fun and escapism at the moment, so this year we are planning the biggest Movember campaign ever.”

The whole outfit may hang on the glasses and jacket, but it is a decent likeness and for a great cause.

Be careful, Premier, the councillor might just start turning up to the press conferences.

To donate or take part visit au.movember.com

17 TRILLION JABS OR THEREABOUTS

Those of us who were bad with maths and numbers in high school have had a hard time adjusting to the pandemic.

We’ve all had no choice but to become accustomed to figures for cases, mystery cases, wild cases, daily tests and now, thankfully, vaccination figures.

But the eggheads at the federal Department of Health may want to learn not to crunch their numbers too hard.

Smashing the vaccination target.

In one daily update this week, the department reported 17,150,654 jabs had been administered in Australia and 709,819 doses in aged and disability care.

But the figures were way too close together and created the impressions there were actually 17 trillion jabs already in arms.

As Minister for (Cancelled or Postponed) Fun Martin Pakula pointed out, “This seems like a lot”. If only it were true!

GUESS WHO?

Which MP flubbed their question during an inquiry so badly they decided to cut their losses and give up on their allotted time?