Backroom Baz: New donation laws are forcing candidates to dig deep into their own coffers

New donation rules are forcing candidates at the state election to put their money where their mouth is to raise funds.

Lucas Moon is among state election candidates donating to their own cause. Picture: Rob Leeson

Ask any election candidate and they’ll tell you tough new donation laws are making fundraising tough.

Changes introduced by the Andrews Government in 2018 cap donations from any company or individual at $4320 per term.

This includes gifts such as the loan of an office space and paid campaign staff.

Registered political parties are able to nominate an entity that can provide gifts to them without limits, however.

Still, raising the cash is hard.

Louise Staley has chipped in $20,000 of her own money to help fund her election push. Picture: David Crosling

Maybe that’s why some candidates have dug deep into their own coffers.

Baz has been scanning the donations disclosure list and was surprised to see Liberal candidate for Eltham Jason McClintock had donated $110,000 to his own campaign.

Also donating to their own campaigns are Libs candidate in Richmond, Lucas Moon, who has chucked in $48,200, while Lousie Staley and the ALP’s Malik Zaveer, for Berwick, Darren Natale, in Malvern, Matt Fregon for Ashwood and have all chipped in a lazy $20,000.

Kennedy’s invite goes far and wide

Speaking of fundraising, just how bad are things going in Hawthorn for Labor MP John Kennedy.

Kennedy, who had a shock win in 2018 to steal the blue-ribbon seat from the Libs, caused quite the stir when he sent an invitation to an upcoming fundraising event to all Victorian Parliament electorate officers, from all parties!

Surely things can’t be that tough. Baz reckons they might be.

Word from sources on the ground is that even the “independent” Teals contesting the seat are quietly conceding former Liberal heavyweight John Pesutto has taken an early lead and will be hard to beat.

John Kennedy

“He’s running a grassroots, Teal-like campaign, and that’s going to be hard to beat,” one source said.

Kennedy on the other hand needs all the help he can get.

Baz is told the ALP are doing little to help out, given the fact they’re virtually resigned to the fact that they won’t be holding onto the unlikely seat.

Nervous about another Lib Party Ballard

After a couple of candidate scandals during the 2018 election, one would think the Victorian Greens would be hyper alert for potential controversies in 2022.

For that reason there’s likely to be a few nervous Nellies when comedian Tom Ballard hosts the party’s campaign launch for Melbourne and Brunswick this week.

Adelaide Fringe comedian Tom Ballard. Picture: Supplied by Garden of Unearthly Delights

Ballard was this year cancelled by the ABC ahead of the federal election because of a comedy festival bit where he said Covid “killed a lot of people in nursing homes, but I checked and they were all Liberal voters”.

He also called Liberal voters “cold-blooded lizards” and “soulless pig dogs”.

The set was axed from broadcast.

If that’s what he wanted to say on the national broadcaster, imagine what he’ll say in the Democratic People’s Republic of Brunswick!

Dan takes the cake

Adding an extra candle to the birthday cake gets harder every year.

Baz is unconvinced this is the fix.

Forget the fact it’s Dan, the sight of any MP on a birthday cake would be enough to put Baz off sweets. For life.

Well, Happy Birthday Christy. Enjoy the cake.

My birthday cake. My mateys drawing on the cake! And it was a surprise. I had no idea! pic.twitter.com/qBcDUYCvrF

— Dan Fan Girl 🤓 Go Dan! 🌈🥰 (@ChristyDanFan) October 8, 2022

Baz welcomes Ruairi

In some much-needed positive news Labor MP Gabrielle Williams announced

the arrival of baby Ruairi.

Described as “four kilograms of perfection” by his awe-struck mum.

And doesn’t he look it! Ruairi (pronounced Rory) is the first child for Williams, and one of the lucky few Victorians to have been featured in this fine column before they were even born.

Sincerest congratulations.

Gabrielle Williams and baby Ruairi.

Amanda turns into a silhouette

How quickly they forget.

Poor old former Liberal MP Amanda Millar is running again at this election.

But the Liberal website doesn’t even have a picture of her, just a round grey head and shoulders.

Poor Amanda. It can’t be that hard to find a photo of her, especially as she served in the

parliament as an MLC.

Don’t even get Baz started on the website the Libs are linking to, that doesn’t even work.

That doesn’t look much like Amanda Millar.

For Liberal Party reference, this is Amanda Millar.

Details go missing at long lunches

Baz was always told, if you want something done properly, do it yourself.

Advice

that would have avoided him being forced to eat a generous serving of humble pie after Trades Hall secretary Luke Hilakari was confused for his brother, Mat Hilakari the Labor candidate for Point Cook.

Apologies to both. It’s an important reminder about checking carefully the contributions to this fine column, especially by those who have enjoyed a long lunch.

Moving on, the whole saga was a stinging reminder that for whatever reason, politics is often a family affair.

Notable relatives who share the limelight to varying degrees are Nick and Steve Staikos, Tim and Peter Costello and Robert Katter senior and junior.

Let’s not even get started on the Kennedys.

On top of that are the multitudes of family members working as political staffers but that kettle of fish is a whole column in itself.

Guess who

Which Liberal MP missed the train to the Coalition’s major V/Line half priced fares announcement this week?