Backroom Baz: New Deputy Lord Mayor puts his best face forward

What had colleagues giggling while one MP was yellow, black and utterly blue? And why was the new Deputy Lord Mayor looking like the kid who got the rude haircut on photo day? Backroom Baz has all the insider pollie gossip you never knew you needed.

Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece. Picture: David Caird

Newly elected Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece turned up to the swearing-in of the new Melbourne City Council sporting what Baz can only describe as a terrible looking moustache.

Of course he grew it for Movember, but for Reece — a former ALP state secretary and senior adviser to former PM Julia Gillard — the charity is close to his heart.

Reece is one of the original Mo Bros who promoted Movember in its early days and he is currently the charity’s global chairman.

“My mum actually called me on the morning to suggest I shave the thing off. I felt like the school kid who got the rude haircut on class photo day,” he told Baz.

“I did get plenty of weird looks and some questions, which was a great chance to talk about Movember and men’s health. I don’t mind having a laugh at myself and Movember it such a great cause.

“Men die on average six years earlier than women but Movember is helping change that through its support for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.”

Talk about taking one for the team.

Former attorney-general Rob Hulls.

HULLS WIGS OUT AT LEGAL DEBATE

Did Baz hit a nerve? He hadn’t even made it to Spring Street on Monday when former attorney-general Rob Hulls got in touch after reading last week’s piece on the age-old debate between which is better, QCs or SCs.

Of course, it was Mr Hulls in his former life who did away with the QC title.

He told Baz: “It is true that, in attempting to modernise the legal profession, one of the things I did was to abolish the title of QC.

“I took the view that the title, emanating from England in the 16th century and relating to a lawyer appointed by the monarch, was no longer applicable in a 21st-century justice system. I also wanted to abolish wigs in court … but assured those who opposed the move that if they wanted to wear them in the privacy of their own homes, that was entirely a matter for them!”

Baz thinks the former honourable member doth protest too much!

Richard Marles looking yellow, black and very blue in Parliament.

YELLOW, BLACK AND FEELING BLUE

Baz never did see Richard Marles looking so strong or bold. Why then was he looking so defeated in the House of Reps?

The poor old honourable member for Corio, deputy federal Labor leader, and fanatic Cats fan, sported a dashing yellow and black tie in parliament this week.

The story behind such treachery was that the unfortunate Marles lost a bet to a Geelong businessman over who would win this year’s AFL Premiership.

True to his word, Marles rocked the tie — paying tribute to the Mighty Tiges — all day long, very much to the amusement of his colleagues.

DON’T BANK ON GYM’S HYGIENE

While we desperately wait to hit our COVID-normal, it seems for our Canberra cousins it’s all now just a distant memory.

How else to explain whispers in Baz’s ear that the new gym at the Reserve Bank won’t need to comply with COVID-safe deep-cleans. Nope, just a wipe with a disinfectant and good to go. A tender has gone out for new management of the gym, and interested parties have been told COVID deep cleaning is not required.

A vaccine may be close, but Baz didn’t think we were quite out of the woods yet. What a difference a state makes.

Victorian deputy premier James Merlino. Picture: Aaron Francis

HE’S THE LEADER OF THE PACK

Deputy Premier James Merlino was spotted looking a little sheepish last week when he hurriedly ducked into parliament’s back door only to realise he had taken the wrong one and hit a dead end.

But when he did an about-turn, he realised closely following behind him was a pack of journalists who witnessed his minor faux pas.

In his usual style Merlino giggled off his wrong turn and headed merrily on his way.