The big Melbourne names who stumped up for Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s campaign
Nick Reece raised a war chest of almost $1m in his bid to become Lord Mayor in what’s believed to be the most ever raised by a candidate in a Victorian local council election. Here’s who chipped in.
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Nick Reece raised nearly $1m in his bid to become Melbourne Lord Mayor, buoyed by a bumper $60,000 donation from the powerful Electrical Trades Union and $25,000 from high-profile theatre company the Marriner Group.
Mr Reece’s massive war chest of more than $950,000 is believed to be by far the most ever raised by a candidate in a Victorian local council election.
It was also triple the amount raised when he ran with Sally Capp as her deputy in 2020.
It can also be revealed that Melbourne fashion entrepreneur Erin Deering spent $152,000 on her failed tilt at Town Hall.
Ms Deering ran with former deputy lord mayor Arron Wood as his running mate, but the Team Wood ticket gained only 10 per cent of the primary vote.
The Wood ticket’s spending worked out to $65 per vote, while the Reece ticket’s spending came to $43 per vote.
Mr Reece himself tipped in $62,000 – the single biggest donation for his election campaign.
The Marriner Group operates the Regent Theatre, which is part-owned by the council.
Mr Reece courted controversy during his campaign when he pledged to sell off Town Hall’s 50 per cent stake and reinvest the money in the arts scene.
He made the announcement one week after he accepted the $25,000 donation from the Marriner Group.
The revelation has fuelled speculation the company is seeking to add the heritage-listed building to the growing collection of venues it owns and operates.
It currently owns the Princess Theatre, Comedy Theatre and the Forum.
The Marriner Group was contacted for comment.
Candidate donations were only made available to the media on Thursday during an in-person viewing at Town Hall where photography was not permitted.
They will not be published online – and open to public scrutiny – until the week beginning December 16.
Mr Reece collected 23 per cent of the primary vote, finishing ahead of the Greens’ Roxane Ingleton 62-38 on a two-ticket preferred basis after the allocation of preferences.
Despite Mr Reece attracting money from a string of businesses, unions and prominent Melburnians, he described his campaign as “people-powered” in a pre-prepared statement.
“We ran a people-powered campaign that involved over 100 volunteers and thousands of hours spent door knocking and talking directly to Melbourne voters,” Mr Reece said.
He went on to spruik his desire for campaign finance reform.
“I support reform of campaign finance arrangements for local government,” he said.
“I am committed to working with my newly elected fellow councillors and the Victorian government to achieve this.”
The other big union donation came from the Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union, which provided a $40,000 boost.
Other prominent Melburnians who helped return Mr Reece to office, along with running mate Roshena Campbell, included Australia’s former chief scientist Alan Finkel ($523) and billionaire businesswoman Naomi Milgrom ($2091).
Leading businesswoman Carol Schwartz, part of the Besen family, donated $10,000, while Chemist Warehouse chairman Jack Gance gave $5000.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, where Mr Reece’s wife Felicity Pantelidis is deputy chief executive, provided $10,000, while the firm’s chief Jacob Varghese also tipped in $5000.
Melbourne media lawyer Justin Quill provided $5226 to the campaign, while TG Affairs, part of his Thomson Geer firm, tipped in $10,000.
Elit Lawyers donated $25,000, while Gordon Legal and Slater & Gordon gave $5000 each, along with prominent Melbourne lawyer Leon Zwier from Arnold Bloch Leibler.
Audi Centre Melbourne made a $20,000 donation, as well as Robin Bishop and Ben Gray from private equity firm BGH Capital.
Library Board of Victoria president Christine Christian handed over $3000, while high-profile entertainment figure Grant Smillie, from the Botanical Group, gave $2000.
Donations totalling more than $580,000 for the Wood-Deering campaign showed that the Marriner Group handed over $25,000, matching the financial commitment to the Reece ticket.
Mr Wood tipped $70,000 of his own money into the bid.
Style queen Nadia Bartel gave $2000 to Mr Wood and Ms Deering, while Melbourne fashion icon Christine Barro committed almost $2500.
Philip Le Liu, who was elected as a councillor on the Wood ticket, provided $38,000 in social media services and $55,000 in cash.
A Kevin Louey provided $4000 to the Wood campaign, but the Herald Sun has been told the donor is not councillor Kevin Louey, who was elected on Reece’s ticket.
Anthony Koutoufides’ bold bid to become lord mayor cost $450,000, with his running mate Intaj Khan tipping in $325,000 of that total.
Koutoufides himself spent only $1500.
Former Liberal federal MP Gladys Liu, who was elected as a councillor, donated $25,887 to the team’s campaign, while fellow candidate Zaim Ramani gave $20,000.
Elected Liberal councillor Owen Guest dumped $32,000 into his successful campaign, backed by $20,000 from his father James, a former state Liberal MP.
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