By Tom Cowie and Kishor Napier-Raman
ABC head of communications and former News Corp journalist Nick Leys is departing the public broadcaster to take up a job as chief of staff for Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece.
Leys has spent most of the past 10 years spinning for Aunty, aside from a brief spell at the Australian Energy Council, and CBD can reveal he will finish up soon as spokesman before joining Town Hall on Swanston Street.
The ABC’s head of communications Nick Leys is joining Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s office.
Reece, a former ALP state secretary, was elected as lord mayor at last year’s Victorian council elections, recording 61.5 per cent of the vote after preferences to comfortably beat the rest of the field.
“Nick Leys is one of the best behind-the-scenes operators in Australia,” said Reece. “I look forward to Nick joining Team Melbourne – and helping us get good done.”
Hopefully Leys’ first move is to drop that “get good done” slogan.
Before he joined the ABC, Leys was a senior journalist with the News Corp papers, including a stint as media diarist for The Australian.
“Melburnians know they live in one of the world’s great cities,” Leys said. “Lord Mayor Nick Reece is passionate about his vision for the city and the opportunity to work with him and play a role in the Melbourne story is a privilege and honour.”
Leys, who is married to ABC journalist Louise Milligan, was known for his bolshie defence of the public broadcaster, particularly when it came under fire from his former employers in the Murdoch press.
“All Australians, regardless of their politics or social views, should value the important contribution the ABC makes every day,” he said.
In his new role, Leys will also work with Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell, the former Liberal candidate for Aston who is married to Herald Sun journalist James Campbell.
He also joins another ABC alum at Town Hall, Chaser funnyman Andrew Hansen, who took up a role last year as a speechwriter for Reece.
Safe harbour
While the NRL head honchos were sleeping off their Las Vegas hangovers, the AFL made a bold play for enemy territory, holding its 2025 season launch at Sydney’s Luna Park on Tuesday evening.
What else says round zero (sorry, opening round) like a glorious early autumn evening on the harbour?
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon speaks at the AFL season launch at Luna Park in Sydney.Credit: Getty Images
Tuesday evening’s festivities followed a dramatic day for the league which, hours earlier, had finally made the sensible decision to postpone its opening round clash between Brisbane and Geelong at the Gabba, scheduled for the same time Cyclone Alfred is forecast to make landfall in Southern Queensland.
It was clearly front of mind – chief executive Andrew Dillon mentioned the season opener delay three times in the first minutes behind the mic.
Dillon, who took the reins after the 2023 season, is slowly emerging from the very long shadow of his predecessor Gillon McLachlan, who’s now boss of betting giant Tabcorp.
He’s baaaack. Gillon McLachlan at the AFL season launch.Credit: Getty Images
But despite moving on from footy after a seemingly endless retirement tour, Gil still managed an appearance to receive his AFL life membership on Tuesday evening.
Also getting a life membership gong was former GWS Giants chair and former Sydney stadium supremo Tony Shepherd. His successor as chair, Business Council of Australia president Tim Reed, was spotted in the crowd, as was defamation lawyer and Giants board member Rebekah Giles.
CBD also caught sight of Port Adelaide chair and former Sunrise host David “Kochie” Koch, ex-Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy, Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany and Seven’s cleanskin CEO Jeff Howard.
The Sydney launch was a projection of the AFL’s strength and financial muscle – cocktails and canapes by the harbour, the Luna Park big top decked out like a nightclub, every premiership trophy this century on display in a Twin Peaks-themed red carpeted lobby.
It wasn’t just the cyclone that caused problems. The country’s most powerful sporting code also had to deal with a technical failure when, about a minute into legendary presenter Bruce McAvaney’s voiceover accompanying a montage of the 2024 season, the video sputtered, froze and cut out.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Dillon said.
Unfortunately for Sydney Swans chair Andrew Pridham, the problem was fixed in time to show a highlight reel of his club’s nightmarish grand final defeat to the Lions last September.
Playing poker
Victorian question time was briefly shut down on Wednesday after angry doctors, nurses and patients from north-east Victoria and southern NSW shouted “shame”, “disgrace” and “people’s lives matter” at Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas.
CBD can report the protest started a few hours earlier and moved to a distinctly ’70s beat.
Protesters – including doctors and nurses from Albury – outside Parliament House on Wednesday. Credit: Justin McManus
The 200-strong crowd – including local Liberal MP Bill Tilley, Indi independent Helen Haines and her opponent James Trenery – were singing along to The Gambler by Kenny Rogers blasting on loudspeaker. Specifically, the lyrics: “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em”.
The song was chosen as Thomas had quoted that same chorus to local mayors during a recent meeting about Albury Wodonga Health. Well played.
The Allan government is pushing ahead with plans to rebuild Albury Hospital on its existing site, while the local community wants a completely new hospital.
Thomas didn’t hear the tune, but was told about it later. She would be well-advised to prepare for the stakes to be raised.
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