Lord Mayor Robert Doyle wishes potential rival Sam Newman luck

LORD Mayor Robert Doyle said if Sam Newman ran for his job he would wish him luck, “but not so much luck that he knocks me over”.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is taking Sam Newman’s possible bid in good humour. Picture: Mark Wilson

LORD Mayor Robert Doyle said if Sam Newman ran for his job he would wish him luck, “but not so much luck that he knocks me over”.

As revealed by the Herald Sun today, the Footy Show star is considering a tilt at the top Town Hall gig on an anti-political correctness platform.

Cr Doyle, a former state Liberal leader, will seek an unprecedented third term as lord mayor at the October elections.

“I remember Sam used to say he’d quite like to run for State Parliament, but in the seat of Malvern, which was my seat,” he said.

“And now he perhaps wants to run as lord mayor — hmmm, maybe it is personal.”

Cr Doyle seemed to take Newman’s possible bid in good humour, saying democracy was served by having as many people as possible stand.

“And if Sam puts his hand up I’ll wish him the very best of luck, but not so much luck that he knocks me over,” he said.

Today, Newman appeared to be backing away from the idea when he said: “I’m probably not fair dinkum but I would consider it.”.

Sam Newman is considering a tilt at the top Town Hall gig on an anti-political correctness platform.

“We would be delegating ... you’d get someone who knows actually what they’re doing to run the joint, I’d just be a figure head,” he told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.

Newman, who is a proud supporter of US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, said that among his Melbourne gripes were graffiti, litter and speed zones.

“If we are trying to encourage people to come into the city, if they want to bring their car let’s not nail people for being 10 seconds over a parking meter limit,” he said.

On last night’s Footy Show, Newman weighed into the Caroline Wilson “drowning” issue, saying she had become an embarrassment and “the jig’s up”.

City of Melbourne councillor Stephen Mayne, who recently put up an unsuccessful anti-Trump motion, accused Newman of misogyny.

“He epitomises everything that is wrong about blokey, sexist, television buffoonery,” he said.

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