Backroom Baz: Major change in the wind for Victorian Liberal Party

There’s a major change in the works for the Victorian Liberal Party and it’s coming from the youth of the party, which could be good news for embattled leader John Pesutto.

There’s major change in the wind for the Victorian Liberal Party and it could be good news for leader John Pesutto. Picture: David Crosling

There’s a major change in the wind for the Victorian Liberal Party and unexpectedly it’s coming from the youth of the party.

In a telling shift for the Young Liberals, moderate-aligned Dean Dell’Orso snatched power from the conservative faction after their six-year reign as 300 members gathered at Scot’s Church in the CBD last Saturday night.

As former president and failed political candidate James Moody stepped down from the role after one year, political staffer Lenny Shepherd was left to fight for the conservative faction to retain power. But the 213 to 86 vote proved the YLs were desperate for change.

Moderate-aligned Dean Dell’Orso snatched power from the conservative faction last weekend.

One young Liberal said the historic turn out for the new president showed “promising signs of a much-needed rejuvenation in the youth of the party”.

The thumping victory for the moderate-aligned has also scored John Pesutto an extra ally on the administrative committee – a win for the OL after a rough few weeks fending off competitors.

JP may have a new buddy and favourable polls behind him but will it be enough to save the little man at the top? Watch this space.

Eid

There’s no time like a cultural day for self promotion.

And this week there was no shortage of Victorian MPs posting about Eid – an Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor, Member for Kororoit Luba Grigorovitch, Eltahm’s Vicki Ward, Southern Metro’s Ryan Batchelor, Sarah Connolly, Enver Endrogan and Pascoe Vale’s Anthony Ciaflone were all on board.

But government leaders, including premier JA and deputy Ben Carroll, appeared not to have gotten the memo, which perhaps is more a sign of the demographics in their seats.

Government services minister Gabrielle Williams shared a photo of her munching on some homemade Shirpera.

Regardless, it was Government Services Minister Gabrielle Williams’ social media post that took the cake.

Rather than opting for the boring Labor Party Eid template that appeared on most social media pages, the minister instead posted a daring photo of herself delicately chomping into some homemade Shirpera to celebrate the breaking of the fast.

Now, it’s widely acknowledged that eating food in photos is almost certainly a recipe for disaster for the political class – think former Australian leader Tony Abbott taking a bite out of an onion on the campaign trail, or former PM hopeful Bill Shorten hoeing into a sausage sandwich the wrong way much to the ire of the internet.

Fortunately for Gabby her post didn’t make the gag list with likes all around.

Finish line

After two years it appears the ALP are finally ready to elect a state secretary … or are they?

Talk to some groups, on both the right and the left, and they say that Steve Staikos is a shoe-in.

Especially after he recently resigned from the Labor Party state presidency.

But still, others maintain that current acting secretary Cameron Petrie will not be hanging up his boots. While the final vote will come down to the numbers, Baz hears there’s plenty of meetings going on and that everyone is hoping for a leader to be in place ahead of the Labor State Conference in May.

Disappearing messages

The Opposition’s David Davis is pushing for communications to be released in a bid to find out what exactly went on when Dan Andrews canned the Commonwealth Games.

But, he was left frustrated in recent weeks when he was told some of the requested communications simply no longer exist.

Have the documents been destroyed by loyal backroom Labor minions, or, is big tech innovation to be blamed?

Disappearing message tools can be switched on at the touch of a button.

Savvy politicians and their operatives will tell you that nowadays WhatsApp, Signal and Slack have become the favoured forms of contact over text and email – especially for any potentially risqué communication. All have helpful, but dodgy, disappearing message tools that can be switched on at the touch of a button expunging everything from the record in as little as 24 hours.

One Labor source confided in Baz this week that they are not surprised about missing messages given that many damning and sometimes hilariously boozy communications have been known to have been wiped from the record by these functions.

It’s also common knowledge that current FOI laws simply are too outdated to deal with it. But Premier JA maintains the state’s information laws are glorious and robust, so no sign of a remedy any time soon.

Jessie McCrone LinkedIn

It’s no secret that former Chairman Dan’s Fab Four have left politics to set up their own firm but it appears one of the members has already gone missing … missing online that is.

Dan’s former chief of staff Lissie Ratcliff, former strategist Ben Foster and former media director Adam Sims have all been out and about online spruiking their new firm FMRS Advisory.

But former deputy chief of staff Jessie McCrone – who helped shape Dan’s social media strategy – strangely has no online presence with links to a LinkedIn account inactive.

Baz is wondering why the social media expert in the team appears to have no need for a profile on the world’s biggest business platform. It’s very curious indeed.

Overheard

“Oi remember that really F--ed up thing the Allan Labor Government did by ignoring their own parliamentary inquiry which recommended a ban on duck hunting? Well the season starts today.”

Upper House Animal Justice Party Member Georgie Purcell not mincing words on duck hunting season.

Guess who?

Who was the mystery man seen lunching with former Premier Dan Andrews in the front window table at Grossi Florentino on Bourke St?