Backroom Baz: Polling puts John Pesutto, Jess Wilson and David Southwick in trouble

He’s their great hope for the future but polling spies say John Pesutto is among the big name Liberals facing an election fight.

John Pesutto is recontesting the Hawthorn seat he lost in 2018. Picture: David Crosling

Ask an MP about polling and they’ll always say they take no notice.

But Baz reckons there are plenty taking notice of latest Liberal polling spies are showing worrying things in blue riband seats of Hawthorn, Caulfield and Kew.

Baz understands latest data shows all three seats are on a knife’s edge – meaning John Pesutto’s hope of regaining his seat of Hawthorn could soon be over, and Jess Wilson could struggle to take the Kew seat being vacated by Tim Smith.

Meanwhile, the party would be left to find a new deputy if David Southwick loses his seat of Caulfield.

Despite early fears to the contrary, it’s understood the polling is showing Brad Roswell in Sandringham and James Newbury in Brighton could both be safe, despite challenges from Teal independents.

Jess Wilson could struggle to take the Kew seat vacated by Tim Smith. Picture: Aaron Francis

Zooming around the backstreets

If you drink and drive, you’re a bloody idiot. Spring St knows that.

But what about Zoom and drive?

Baz reckons Animal Justice warrior Andy Meddick could be set for a visit from Mr Plod after footage was leaked of him dialling into an integrity in politics meeting on Thursday while on a long drive.

Meddick wasn’t even trying to hide the fact he wasn’t at his desk, at one point unmuting, looking at the camera, and asking a detailed question – even telling all online he was driving out the back of Bacchus Marsh at the time.

Oh dear.

If the Pugh fits

An older, wiser, colleague once warned Baz that indeed as age took hold, so too would political conservatism.

Baz is yet to see the lesson play out personally.

However it appears the same can’t be said about Liberal Party admin committee member, and now Federal Council delegate, Ian Pugh.

That is if it is indeed the same Pugh who ran for the ALP at the 1996 Victorian election.

And Baz is assured it is.

Ian Pugh in his days with the ALP.

Pugh snared a respectable 34.1 per cent of first preference votes, which in today’s money would be just about enough to parachute him straight into parliament.

Alas, in 1996 it didn’t come close to toppling long-serving Liberal MP Martin Dixon, who ran away with 51 per cent of the vote. If you can’t beat them, join them, hey?

Perhaps it’s not religious infiltration the Liberal Party should be concerned with.

Cath is all smiles on campaign trail

Dan rolled out the campaign bus this week, and the First Lady of Victoria, Cath, couldn’t have been more hospitable.

Journalists boarding the great big bus were treated royally Cath, who was all smiles and chat as the election campaign got underway.

Journalists were treated to salami sandwiches, health slices, chips and mini muffins.

Plenty of chocolate on board the bus, too.

Quite the contrast to 2020 when Mrs Andrews was accused of going full “mean girls” after it was revealed she blocked two female journalists on Twitter – who attend the daily briefings to question her hubby over his pandemic response.

Baz is pleased to see the hatchet appears to be well and truly buried.

Cath and Dan Andrews jump off the campaign bus at a dog park. Picture: David Crosling

Wait for me!

Daniel Andrews has often been accused of throwing people under the bus, now he’s been busted throwing someone off one. Sort of.

The Premier’s famous big red bus, which many Victorian motorists will become well acquainted with over the next four weeks, hit the road for a second day of official campaigning on Thursday.

And it came home with one less passenger than it set off with.

ABC state political reporter Bridget Rollason was helping her cameraman load his equipment into the car when she looked up and noticed the Danmobile disappearing fast off into the distance.

Baz is told poor Bridget was left feeling “sad, neglected, disappointed, left out and all alone” in Epping after a visit to the Northern Hospital.

Of all the journos, in all the world, Baz reckons Dan would have wanted to keep his friends from the ABC close.

But he’d need two hands to count the number of journos he reckons Dan would love to leave behind. Happy travels.

The race to break up

You can’t break up with me, I’m breaking up with you!

Last week Baz revealed former Liberal member Fred Ackerman was outed for encouraging a leak because of some sloppy deleting on a group email.

Baz wrote at the time that he had his membership torn up but Ackerman himself has reached out to say he resigned before that could happen.

“Indeed, it would be correct to say that I tore my own membership up,” he wrote to our mailbag.

This would contradict what Baz’s reliable spies have said but it’s best to put all the information out there.

Guess who

Which Victorian MP has been spotted in the press gallery of an international parliament recently?