Backroom Baz: Dan ditches North Face; Greens preference deal dissent in Richmond
Dan Andrews has thrown out his wardrobe staple jacket and replaced it with one that’s shamelessly spruiking a key policy.
State Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from State Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Daniel Andrews has turned into a walking billboard for his signature campaign policy, shamelessly spruiking his SEC revival promise on a new jacket.
The Premier, who famously wore an iconic North Face jacket throughout much of his pandemic press conferences, donned the catchy new uniform on Monday as he hit breakfast TV to mark the first day of early voting.
The personalised piece remained front and centre for the rest of the day – although Andrews was probably wishing he had his trusty North Face on hand as he braved the Ballarat cold for his daily media visit.
It’s unclear exactly which clothing brand is behind the Labor leader’s fresh new get-up, however it could well prove a smart PR tactic to make themselves known.
Sales for one particular style of North Face jacket more than doubled since the unrelenting Covid pressers first began in 2020.
Across Australia and New Zealand, the company sold just 11,416 of the jackets in that financial year, but enjoyed a 130 per cent increase in sales in 2021.
Of course it’s impossible to prove that the rise in purchases was due to Andrews inadvertently becoming the company’s unofficialface.
It also isn’t the first time the leader has swapped jackets between crises.
Just weeks ago, when Victoria faced the worst of its flood emergency, Andrews ditched the North Face and swapped it for amore fitting – albeit short-lived – Victoria branded jacket instead.
It now, however, appears extremely likely that Victorians will need to get used to Andrews’ new look, as he will no doubtbe wearing it for the next 11 days straight, hoping his pledge to return energy to public hands will be enough to also returnhim to power on November 26.
Going rogue in Richmond
A Liberal candidate in one of the Greens’ target election seats is encouraging voters to put the minor party last, despite a Coalition pledge to put Labor on the bottom.
Lucas Moon, the candidate for Richmond, has been distributing flyers that place Labor above Greens candidate Gabriele De Vietri.
The flyers, which he authorises himself, contradict the how to vote information on his campaign website, which urge Labor candidate Lauren O’Dwyer to appear at the bottom of the ticket.
The move has apparently caused some disagreement between Mr Moon and figures within party headquarters.
Richmond is the Labor seat most likely to fall to Greens, and Liberal preferences being directed towards the minor party would almost certainly achieve this.
Mr Moon defended the move and said exceptions could be made to the policy if there were concerns about a candidate’s character.
He pointed to a string of controversies linked to the Greens-led Yarra Council during Ms Di Vietri’s time as mayor.
“No breaking ranks here mate, we’re a united team here at the Liberal party,” he said.
Political loyalty just ain’t what it used to be.
Election time on Spring St is starting to look like an AFL trade season: pick a party, any party.
So far Baz has got former Liberal Bernie Finn teaming up with former ALP powerbroker Adem Somyurek in the Democratic Labour Party.
Geoff Shaw, once almost expelled from the Liberal Party, now dresses in yellow for the United Australia Party.
Ex-Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela is now with new party the New Democrats, former Green is Nina Springle has seen reason and is joining Fiona Patten and Catherine Cumming, once with Derryn Hinch, then an independent, is now part of the Angry Victorians party.
Apt, really. Baz can hardly keep up.
Timetable creativity flies close to the sun
In a campaign filled with corflutes, billboards and terribly awkward photos with the public, Trades Hall can always be relied upon to insert some flair into the election campaign.
For better or worse.
This campaign they are distributing pamphlets spruiking the Suburban Rail Loop, and attacking Matthew Guy, which are formatted to look like a metropolitan timetable.
The papers include very similar fonts and logos to those used on government communications and even has a lookalike PTV logo with the letters THC.
This is a reference to Trades Hall Council, not the wacky tobacky that is well-loved by the Greens.
It reminds Baz of the infamous fake Medicare cards handed out by the Australian Council of Trades Union ahead of the 2016 federal poll.
Given election ads are bound by rules misleading the public, this one might fly a little close to the sun even if it does score points for creativity.
Speedy smears end in sully
In the flurry of an election campaign, sometimes a person’s fingers can’t keep up with the speed of their political attack.
Family First found this out the hard way when they pushed back on the Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam for urging Labor to preference their party and others last, accusing the Greens of smearing their name by accusing them of transphobic or homophobic statements.
Unfortunately, in the speed of their response they accidentally sullied her name as well.
Titling the email “Ratman must withdraw ‘phobic’ slur”.
Call it even?
Lobster keeps snipping
As long as Matthew Guy leads the Coalition, Victorian Labor are never going to move on from the lobster with a mobster jokes.
It’s now hardwired in their DNA.
So much so that Police Minister Anthony Carbines was wearing lobster cufflinks when he registered to run again in his seat of Ivanhoe.
A genuine coincidence or a subtle dig?
Baz doesn’t know many people with crustacean cufflinks outside of the ALP.
Finnigan begins again
Anyone who’s met Tosh Finnigan knows they don’t mince words.
So the colourful language in the press release announcing the ex-Labor staffer, and red shirts whistleblower, as the lead candidate for the Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews Party came as no surprise.
“If you want to blow the whistle on corruption, stop the rorts, save the world and put a whistleblower into state parliament, vote 1 above the line for the Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews Party in the Legislative Council.”
So to the tweet urging Labor to back their old mate which read: “come on @VictorianLabor – show you aren’t cowards, homophobes, and transphobes by preferencing your former employee running for the Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews Party ahead of the Greens in Western Victoria Region xo”.
Baz suspects Labor’s preference whisperers will be keeping well away from Finnigan, who has accused the Victorian branch of the party of severe misconduct, bullying and failure to provide a safe workplace during their time working for Labor.
Dan’s lonely bus ride
Whispers from the campaign trail suggest Daniel Andrews has been a little lonely on his big red campaign bus.
After kicking off the campaign with much fanfare and a bus full of journalists, Baz is reliably informed that the press gallery have almost all ditched hitching a ride with the Premier and are instead opting to make their own way to daily press meetings.
Baz can’t help but wonder that given the increasingly tense press conferences between Andrews and the press pack of late, maybe all involved figure it’s just easier not to be cooped up in a travelling office together.
Rumours across Spring St this week even suggested Dan’s own bus driver had called it quits. Alas, after a few days away the driver was back on board, right after Baz put in some questions about his mystery disappearance.
A shoutout to our comrades
Baz wanted to give a shoutout to two of the Press Gallery’s finest: the ABC’s Bridget Rollason and Channel 7’s Sharnelle Vella.
Whether you watch their nightly news or not, know that they’re two of the hardest working, most decent members of the gallery.
Which is why the senseless and trivial sexist attack on them in an Australian Financial Review them was not only out of line, but completely baseless.
Baz won’t waste too much time on the trash that was printed: the Press Council will no doubt deal with that.
Save to say the clarification and subsequent removal of the offending subject matter was too little too late.
Chins up, comrades.
Guess who
Which MP was spotted having a ball at a drag show this week?
More Coverage
Top scientist to drive state’s clean energy push
The Victorian government has revealed its expert panel appointed to resurrect the state electricity commission months after the election.
Liberals win last seat in Victorian election
The Liberal Party has finally claimed the electorate of Narracan two months after the state election, bringing the Coalition to one more seat than it held after 2018.