Backroom Baz: Will Moira be deemed worthy on the speaker circuit?

She was kicked out of her partyroom but Liberal MP Moira Deeming is now appearing as a guest speaker outside Liberal circles.

Liberal MP Moira Deeming is now appearing as a guest speaker outside Liberal circles. Picture: Ian Currie

Having been kicked out of her partyroom, Liberal MP Moira Deeming is now appearing as a guest speaker outside Liberal circles.

Her first engagement is set to be held at the exclusive Kelvin Club in Melbourne Place next month. The title of the talk: Preserving democracy by standing up for one’s values. At $85 per person, the event could be a bit of a stretch for Deeming’s constituents in her self-described working-class Western Metro electorate.

Curiously, Deeming is being promoted as the “Honourable”, a title reserved for ministers. An unfilled ambition perhaps? Well, so far at least.

Dog days

Some say politics has gone to the dogs, of late. And maybe it has. In the Victorian Parliament there can be no doubt.

Sprite – the elderly rescue pup – has recently claimed the illustrious status of parliament’s unofficial ambassador.

Sprite has recently claimed the illustrious status of parliament’s unofficial ambassador.

The rescue pup has attracted bipartisan support.

And he’s achieved the miraculous feat of attracting bipartisan support.

The senior shaggy often joins his mum at the Member Services desk in the library, where he is inundated with visits from MPs from across both sides of the chamber wanting to snag a pic with him for their socials.

Although Sprite provides a little burst of joy to those who see him, he’s also helped to spread an important message. Rescued by Forever Friends Animal Rescue, the elderly boy has helped to spark a conversation about the importance of considering adoption. Welcome, Sprite. Perhaps the most loyal and friendly face roaming the corridors of power.

Slow zone

Inspired by the City of Yarra’s decision to lower streets to 30km/h, the Victorian parliament has also slowed to a crawl as any contentious piece of legislation appears to disappear into policy limbo.

Some upper house MPs this week noted that they’d never had more time to put forward motions because the government’s own agenda isn’t taking up as much time. Part of the problem is the unruly crossbench. In a departure from the last parliament, the Coalition and Greens have actually been working together on amendments and Baz hears the Bills these relate to have dropped off the radar amid fears Labor doesn’t have the numbers to block them.

In a sign of the times, the Legislative Council spent a good 40 minutes alone congratulating King Charles on his coronation. On Thursday, they knocked off at 3.30pm.

Timing is everything

Although the first Question Time after the state budget is usually one to watch, it might be worth giving this one a miss after the government passed a motion to move it forward from 2pm to the unusual noon timeslot.

Labor will argue that this sets the parliament up nicely to maintain a razor-like focus on the budget papers but those on the Opposition side of the fence believe it just means the Coalition have a diminished chance to prepare their questions.

Adem

DLP crossbencher Adem Somyurek had a parliamentary health scare. Picture: Tony Gough

Thoughts are with DLP crossbencher Adem Somyurek who was involved in a parliamentary health scare recently.

Baz’s sources say he was speedily assisted by in-house medico, Greens MP Tim Read, after becoming breathless.

Having watched some of Somyurek’s upper house speeches up close, Baz knows it takes no imagining to see Somyurek breathless.

So props to Read for not confusing the medical issue with pure parliamentary exuberance.

Somyurek was back in his seat this week looking healthy. Stay well, Adem.

Brendan’s new gig

Former Channel 7 reporter Brendan Roberts. Picture: Valeriu Campan

After six long months Baz is assured the Premier’s stellar media team is almost back to its former glory, and by that, Baz means fully staffed.

One high profile new name joining the media benches is Brendan Roberts, who is leaving his post at the police association to join Premier-in-waiting Jacinta Allan’s office.

Roberts, a former Herald Sun and Channel 7 journo, is a high profile get for the team who will surely bring some much sought after experience from print and TV to the team.

Overheard

“The Boxing Day Test should be sacred and it would unthinkable to Victorian sporting fans to lose it.” Shadow minister for Sport, Tourism and Events, Sam Groth, calls on the government to secure a long-term agreement to keep the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Guess Who

Which MP was caught with his pants down, almost, this week after an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction?