Backroom Baz: Liberal MP’s electorate office in Port Fairy can be a bit shy of staff

A bit of quiet around upper house MP Bev McArthur’s electorate office in Port Fairy has locals concerned as there isn’t always a staffer on hand to deal with issues, writes Backroom Baz.

Locals reckon things have been a bit too quiet around Bev McArthur's electorate office.

Port Fairy is one of Baz’s favourite destinations for a bit of R&R.

But some locals reckon things have been a bit too quiet of late around upper house MP Bev McArthur’s electorate office on the town’s main street.

It seems there isn’t always a staffer on hand to deal with constituent issues, while phone calls to the office often divert to another number.

That might have something to do with the fact that the Liberal MP’s key electorate officer is often on the road with her in her Western Victoria electorate.

Another of McArthur’s staffers is actually based in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs, and doesn’t regularly make the eight-hour round trip to the office. Instead, he’s usually doing what his boss describes as “specialist research and legislative work” out of Parliament House.

Baz’s spies have pointed out that the young Liberal also has a questionable track record on social media, sharing and liking some extreme conservative takes.

Some in the party would like to see McArthur move her office to Geelong to win back seats for the Coalition.

That might also ease the turf war between McArthur and Roma Britnell, who called in the cops after McArthur posted a threatening letter purporting to be from the South-West Coast MP.

Police are still investigating that unsavoury chapter although Britnell maintains the letter was a fake.

A FINE BROMANCE

The bromance between the daggy dads of Australian politics was in full swing this week.

Daniel Andrews and Scott Morrison stood side-by-side as they spruiked their $367 million boost (read: massive cost blowout) to the Monash Freeway, praised their “genuine partnership”, and even finished one another’s sentences.

Daniel Andrews and Scott Morrison. Picture: Mark Stewart

It was almost too much for 3AW political reporter James Talia, who loudly remarked after one of the Prime Minister’s especially bromantic answers: “That’s beautiful.” But not everyone was feeling the love, especially Morrison’s state Liberal colleagues.

Baz’s spies say Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien’s office was left in the dark about the Prime Minister’s trip to Officer with Andrews.

And some Liberals are wondering when — or even if — Morrison will be willing to turn on his new Labor BFF to help the Coalition bring him down in 2022.

For now, he seems quite happy to borrow Andrews’ “getting it done” rhetoric, and with the next federal election almost as far away, there’s no sign of the love affair thawing any time soon.

 

ALP’S LOVE ISLAND

The red wine was flowing at Phillip Island late last week.

Labor’s state caucus love-in was in full swing and, boy, would Baz have loved to have been swilling shiraz alongside the comrades at Silverwater Resort.

The penguins wern’t the only ones on parade at Phillip Island last week.

In a swan song of sorts, outgoing secretary Sam Rae addressed the troops, along with Premier Dan Andrews, of course.

With 72 mouths to feed and water — Will Fowles wasn’t there — the staff were kept busy.

It was a pretty positive pep-up, from all reports, although Multicultural Affairs Minister Dick Wynne was a bit grumpy about how few multicultural events his colleagues attend. No doubt fresh-faced MPs took that on board and communities will start noticing enthusiastic MPs joining them at the opening of an envelope in the next few weeks.

 

BRUCE GOES HIS OWN WAY

Colourful Liberal Bruce Atkinson is known far and wide for being something of an individual.

Bruce Atkinson.

And ever since the former Upper House president returned to the backbench, after being toppled by Labor’s Shaun Leane, it appears he has continued to march to the beat of his own drum.

While most opposition MPs let shadow whip Bernie Finn know when they want to speak in the chamber, Atkinson refuses to conform to the norm and simply signals the new president when he has something to say.

His colleagues have told Baz’s spies that while it is not uncommon for some MPs to circumvent the official channels occasionally, it has been humorously noted that Atkinson delights in being different.

 

OVERHEARD BY BAZ

“Vienna’s beaches are rubbish so I’m sure we’ll both get on top of them in the years ahead”

— Scott Morrison’s geography is off the mark as he defends Melbourne and Sydney’s liveability

GUESS WHO?

Which novice Liberal MP has been likened to the character of Jonah Ryan on the hit TV political comedy Veep?

GOT ANY POLITICAL SCUTTLEBUTT FOR BAZ?

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