Backroom Baz: Labor’s infamous red shirts army targeting 20 seats

The infamous Labor red shirts army will target 20 seats with a focus on the outer suburbs where the party fears they’ll lose votes.

Despite leading the polls Labor’s red shirt army will be out in force in key seats.

Despite predictions of a likely Labor win, the party is pulling out all the stops for its campaign and the infamous red shirts army will be out anywhere their vote appears to be flagging.

Baz was innocently scrolling through the party’s Community Action Network website when he noticed a call for volunteers that names 20 different seats.

Surprise, surprise they all form part of Labor’s target electorates.

There’s clearly some angst about the outer suburban vote, with Melton, Sunbury, Cranbourne, Monbulk and Yan Yean all keen for volunteers alongside the expected Greens battles of Richmond and Albert Park.

Fundraising efforts continue and it appears there’s some interesting use of geography going on.

The infamous red shirt army will be out in force where needed. Picture: AAP

Point Cook and Tarneit candidates Mathew Hilakari and Dylan Wight on Friday raised cash for their campaigns by hosting an evening with Werribee’s Tim Pallas” in the hipster suburb of Brunswick East.

Loyal westies who made the pilgrimage to support their candidates were charged $100 a ticket or could fork out $1500 to sit with the Treasurer and other Labor MPs.

Let’s hope the guest list at that table was vetted carefully!

Odds on

Baz doesn’t mind a flutter, so obviously he likes to keep his eye on the booking markets.

He was surprised to see so much money piling in for the government to be returned at the election. Simply because Baz thought the race was a little closer than the odds are suggesting.

Labor are now paying a measly $1.15 to be returned to government, with the coalition way out at $5.50.

Despite pollsters consistently tipping a tighter race than expected, punters seem to have little faith in the Coalition even being able to scramble a minority government together if needed, with those odds out at $8.50.

Asked to take the opinion of a pollster or punter, Baz would take the one who has money on the line any day.

Punching out a plan

The flurry of media releases pumped out by the major parties all too often drowns out efforts of minor players trying to have their voices heard ahead of an election.

So Baz was impressed to see Tonimbuk man Vern Hughes – the Independent Candidate for Eastern Victoria in the upper house – cut through with a release of his own outlining a comprehensive 15-point platform to rebuild the state.

“Everything in Victoria needs to be rebuilt”, Mr Hughes says.

“Government departments are politicised. Health and education have been captured by their managements. Mechanisms of accountability and transparency in government have been trashed.

“People are used to Independents who pop up offering to get more money for a hospital or school or a men’s shed. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when our governance systems are broken, it is not enough. The reality is that the career politicians in the Victorian Parliament – from major and minor parties alike – are not up to fixing the mess.

“They’re a B-grade assortment of party and union officials, with no track record of fixing anything. They are the last people in Victoria you would want to ask to fix the problems we face.”

Keep punching, Vern. We’re listening.

Vern Hughes has a 15-point platform to rebuild Victoria.

Sandy Pitcher has moved back to South Australia despite Dan Andrews past views on its liveability.

South Australia – the place to be

Remember that time Daniel Andrews smirked and told us: “I don’t want to be offensive to South Australians, but why would you want to go there?”

Well, one of his top bureaucrats, that’s who. Baz can reveal one of the state’s lieutenants during the pandemic has packed her bags and headed home to Adelaide.

After being sacked by the incoming South Australian Liberal Government in 2018 Sandy Pitcher headed to Melbourne where she joined the Department of Education and Training before heading up the health department’s Covid Contact Tracing and Case Management efforts.

She finished her time in Victoria with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and was the founding Secretary of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

She returns to Adelaide as the Deputy Under Treasurer in the Department of Treasury and Finance. Go well, Sandy.

Patten’s cancer diagnosis

Baz was shocked to learn of Reason Party leader Fiona Patten’s cancer diagnosis recently.

But he is pleased to report she’s already kicking cancer’s butt.

Patten went under the knife this week to remove a kidney days after the cancerous tumour was found.

According to Patten HQ the diagnosis was made early in the disease and her prognosis is excellent. After a brief stay in hospital she hopes to be back on the hustings soon after that. Get well, Fiona.

Last day in the office for a little while. Feeling good & confident I will be back on the hustings in a couple of weeks thanks to some amazing health professionals. See you on the other side! 😘 #SeeYaKidney#LuckyIGotABackuppic.twitter.com/bIjVJcsRIh

— Fiona Patten MP (@FionaPattenMLC) October 3, 2022

The candidate for ‘Bewick’

As an outsider Baz doesn’t reckon campaigning can be that difficult.

Knock on doors, lend an ear, make lots of promises you have no intention of keeping, and smile lots.

Spelling the name of your electorate right probably helps, too.

It’s a mistake Labor candidate for Berwick, not Bewick, Malik Zaveer made this week with a campaign launch video.

And Baz reckons it’s one Malik won’t make again. Oh dear.

How big is the Tik Tok bill?

The Liberal Party has come under fire recently for it’s increasingly bizarre Tik Tok videos. Baz will say one thing, they’re bad, but they’re getting attention. So mission accomplished. But question. How much, if anything is the party paying to promote the videos?

Baz has been told an eye-watering figure but he simply can’t believe it. Watch this space.

Guess who

Which press gallery journalist was forced off-air this week after becoming vocally challenged?