Mask free pictures of Matthew Guy and Kevin Sheedy spark hunt for next slip-up

When the Liberals found themselves in hot water for sharing maskless pictures of Matthew Guy and Kevin Sheedy, fingers started pointing.

The Facebook snaps that sparked a police mask investigation.

You have to feel for the Victorian Coalition, they tried to start their year off right by getting Essendon great Kevin Sheedy in for a rev up only for the event to turn into a Covid restrictions drama.

Yes, just when you thought we were done with scandals over rulebreakers the Liberals helpfully shared photos on social media of their politicians going maskless indoors.

Spring St locals will know it took no time at all for the media to be briefed and for police to say they were assessing the pictures.

Not to be outdone, the Coalition were by the end of the week issuing a please explain over images circulating of Deputy Premier James Merlino maskless while addressing a crowd.

But this was met with an explanation that came under the same rules that allow politicians to remove their masks at press conferences.

A counter photo was then circulated showing Merlino wearing a mask after his speech. I bet Victorians are stoked our MPs are back on the tools.

Apparently some legislation was also passed this week …

The maskless snap of Deputy Premier James Merlino.

TIM ISN’T CRASHING BACK IN

Car crash MP Tim Smith made a blink and you’d miss it return to parliament in the past week.

A nice surprise for the first sitting week of the year. Baz missed him.

But it was a very different Tim that returned after three months away, with some of that time spent in the mother country.

Far from the reputation he carved out as a loudmouthed government headkicker, Smith popped up only briefly in Question Time, but didn’t say a word.

Such is his desire to stay out of the limelight, Baz is told Smith has even taken to blocking journalists (some who used to be on speed dial) from even being able to contact him.

And don’t get Baz started on Smith’s move to delete his Twitter account. All very dull.

And to think the fun the old Timmy would have had this week!

Baz was glad to see the Kew MP had appeared to have patched up his relationship with former bestie, Opposition leader Matthew Guy.

Though the cosy relationship has raised some eyebrows among Liberal ranks.

I Spy Tim Smith making a quiet comeback — I think he’s seen us too. Picture: Ian Currie

GOING POSTAL

Among lots of other Spring St noise this week, there was much chattering about plans by the Andrews government to outlaw political parties distributing postal votes ahead of the Victorian election.

If successful, hundreds of thousands of voters would not receive applications to vote normally sent by parties.

Instead, the Victorian Electoral Commission would send packs only to people pre-registered for postal voting.

Cue objections, not least from a chorus of Opposition MPs all too eager to scream about the injustice.

As deputy Liberal leader David Southwick pointed out, many voters in his electorate of Caulfield are not able to vote on Saturdays for religious reasons, and changes to the voting system would make postal voting that much harder.

Of course Opposition cries would have been much easier to fathom if they had have said something when they had a chance.

Say, for example, when Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and colleagues Wendy Lovell, Bev McArthur and Bruce Atkinson sat on the committee that made the recommendation to make such a change.

Bit late once you’ve signed off on the recommendation, no?

David Southwick wants voting forms as well as doughnuts delivered on a silver platter. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

CHEEKY CARPARK

Has a cheeky former MP been taking the mickey out of their lifetime free carpark?

A perk for MPs who survive two terms is access to the Parliament House carpark for life (as long as its not a sitting day).

Inquiries are underway, but Baz swears he saw a former MP park up recently, then scoot round to the front steps to take part in an anti-mandatory vax protest. Seems a bit rich.

Watch this space.

WHAT A WEEK

As first sitting weeks back go, this one was a doozy.

Never before has an Andrews government MP crossed the floor and broken ranks with the Labor Caucus.

So when backbencher Kaushaliya Vaghela did it to try and force a fresh investigation into her party’s Red Shirts election rort, no one could quite believe their eyes.

As she stood to vote with Opposition MPs and the majority of the crossbench, government MPs could be heard telling her to sit down.

Some even suggested President Nazih Elasmar gestured to her to drop.

But to no avail, the rebel MP was having none of it.

She now faces certain expulsion from the party, but was on the way out anyway, so no love lost there.

Kaushaliya Vaghela is facing the chop after crossing the floor.

OH, LORD

Word has reached Baz that one hopeful Liberal has been politely asked to strip himself of their self-styled “Lord” honorific running for preselection.

The term ‘Lord’ has been used in the UK since 1066 when William the Conqueror carved up the land into manors with titles which he bestowed on his loyal barons.

Very well, but handing out business cards with the term not so cool in Melbourne’s outer suburbs in 2022.

Especially when, as Baz has been told, the title was purchased for a couple of bucks online.

It came with a free patch of grass in the UK, too. Oh, Lord.

A TASTE OF TRUMP

Matthew Guy launched his election campaign on Sunday, releasing a detailed plan to get Victoria back on track.

His slogan: Make Victoria Number One Again. How very Trumpian.

2018 team Guy looked to the UK for slogan inspiration before settling on Get Back In Control, a nod to the Take Back Control mantra of the UK’s Brexiteers.

GUESS WHO

Which minister was spitting chips recently after being thrown under the bus by a bureaucrat at a Parliamentary hearing?