Backroom Baz: Life can be real tough in the big city

As councils go Melbourne isn’t even one of the biggest in the state, so eyebrows headed north when new City of Melbourne chief Alison Leighton last week declared it “Australia’s largest city”.

New City of Melbourne chief Alison Leighton. Picture: Nicole Garmston

New City of Melbourne chief Alison Leighton had a rough day one on the job on Tuesday.

She is the replacement for Justin Hanney, who quit last year in the fallout of a donations saga after he received thousands of dollars in anonymous funds for a yacht race without declaring it.

(Take note, dear reader, the council found Hanney had not intentionally or recklessly lodged incorrect returns.)

Leighton has been filling in since October, but on Tuesday was announced as the full-time replacement – on a lazy $464,299 a year, and another $49,751 in super, if you don’t mind.

But eyebrows headed north after Leighton declared on Tuesday “as Australia’s largest city, I look forward to supporting council to deliver on what matters most to our growing community, (blah, blah, blah)”.

Largest city? To be fair, Melbourne’s greater population surged ahead of Sydney’s last year. But dig down to council level. Melbourne isn’t even in the top 10 biggest councils in Victoria, much less Australia. Brisbane has 1.2 million residents, and Sydney close to 220,000.

Here in Melbourne? On June 30, 2022, an estimated 159,810 people were living in our city. Leighton’s day one also featured the threat of Supreme Court action over the council’s decision to close the city’s only floating nightclub.

Baz suspects she’ll hit these pages again soon, too.

A rumoured “targeted executive restructure” at Town Hall sure to upset some.

Watch this space.

The royal bash at the Windsor Hotel.

Cocktails fit for a king

If you wandered past the Windsor Hotel on Saturday night you may just have heard a startling rendition of God Save the King.

Inside, Liberal MP for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, together with her husband, the former federal member for Corangamite, Stewart, was hosting a royal bash to celebrate the coronation of King Charles.

The Earl of Loudoun, the only Australian to have played a ceremonial role at the coronation, was a special guest.

Alas, Baz couldn’t make it, demand for tickets was exceeded only by the demand for tickets to Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour.

But he dearly would have like to hear McArthur again pay tribute to our King, as she did in parliament recently.

“King Charles has demonstrated in his life to date that he will fulfil the role we grant him with aplomb. The example of his mother the late Queen Elizabeth will guide him – and so too will his dedication to us. King Charles will be a great representative of a great system, and so I offer the King my congratulations on his coronation, my best wishes for his service to us and my thanks for his assumption of all the constraints, the challenges and the constant obligation his role will place upon him. Long live the King!” she said.

A sign of respect

The sign at the end of the road says it all: endurance.

And you need plenty of it to finish the Kokoda Trek.

Perhaps it was the endurance needed to survive in the political wilderness with the Liberal Party as your stablemates that got Nationals MPs Peter Walsh, Tim Bull and Melina Bath through the gruelling 126km trail from Owens Corner to Kokoda this week.

The trio trekked alongside 15 schoolkids, retracing the steps of so many who have gone to pay their respects at the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942.

It included walking through the Kagi Gap and into the moss forest commonly regarded as “nature’s wonderland”, a world away from the horrors of war.

The trek also followed the crest of the hill to Mission Ridge, referred to as “Butchers’ Ridge” by the Diggers of the 2/27th Battalion because of the carnage that occurred there.

A truly impressive feat.

Nationals MPs Peter Walsh, Tim Bull and Melina Bath survived the gruelling 126km trail from Owens Corner to Kokoda.

Jaala signs up for Sayers

Following in the rush of former state government ministers securing cushy jobs, once employment minister Jaala Pulford has signed on as a special adviser to the Sayers Group.

This perked interest because of Premier Dan Andrews’ supposed tightness with Luke Sayers, amid chronic rumours that they will do something together when Andrews leaves Spring St, and when Sayers returns from Europe, assuming he ever will.

Pulford is also a collaborator, alongside former DPC secretary Chris Eccles, on the new Dux Project.

It’s being headed by former Jobs department secretary Simon Phemister, who like Eccles is best known for his hotel quarantine, er, fame.

The project draws on the “depth and breadth of their collective experience” to design programs for public purpose leaders.

They must be good.

The “Leadership Excellence” program is $12,500, plus GST!

Former employment minister Jaala Pulford has signed on as a special adviser to the Sayers Group. Picture: Luis Ascui

Ruff day at the office

When you see MPs starting to count their pennies, you know times are tough.

So Baz was alarmed to learn this week the Animal Justice Party had logged a new registered officer’s address: a digital one!

Yep, at just $9 a week for a 24 month deal, Baz reckons it’s the cheapest office going around.

The first political party to run by virtual office? Things must be tight.

Overheard

“That’s it folks! Thank you, it’s been an honour.” – Former Warrandyte MP Ryan Smith signs off after almost 17 years in parliament.

Guess who?

Which recently retired MP will be the next to bob up with a plush government appointment?