By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
To the badlands of Brighton, where daily crime – break-ins, robberies, car thefts and so on – are sometimes met with indifference by the rest of Melbourne. Or even open hostility, if brand ambassador Bec Judd gets on the case and happens to post to social media about it. As if crime should be treated differently if victims are people in big houses.
Anyway, no one is immune, not even members of Bayside City Council.
City of Bayside Deputy Mayor Alex del Porto was a victim of crime last month.
This masthead reported how councillor and former mayor Hanna El Mouallem in August last year raced home from his Dendy Deli eatery to find a man trying to break into his black Toyota SUV after his security cameras pinged an alert.
He kept the incident secret until revealing it to The Age earlier this year.
Now crime has hit another Bayside councillor, Deputy Mayor Alex del Porto, who has been on the council for 16 years and is this week acting mayor.
The councillor, who according to his council webpage says he would like more secure bike paths, enhanced playgrounds and a centrally located public hydrotherapy/warm pool to cater to seniors, had one of his cars set alight at 5.55am on July 30.
The council said it would not comment on a “private matter” and del Porto did not respond to us.
But police said: “Emergency services responded to a suspicious car fire in Brighton East.
“It appears the offender attempted to set fire to two other vehicles, however, was unsuccessful. The exact cause of the fire is not yet known, investigations remain ongoing.”
The police urged witnesses or anyone with footage to contact CrimeStoppers.
WILL THE GONG GO?
It was back in June that Nationals state leader Peter Walsh cottoned on to what he must regard as a sure-fire winner: an anti-Daniel Andrews petition.
But this one was with a twist. It called on the governor-general to rescind the King’s Birthday award – the Companion of the Order of Australia, the highest honour available – for the polarising premier’s service to Victoria, public health, policy and regulatory reform.
Some, including Walsh, were not impressed at Andrews’ gong.
“For it to happen in less than 12 months [after leaving office] seemed to be indecent haste,” Walsh told CBD.
Daniel Andrews farewelled politics last year, but was this year honoured with a King’s Birthday award.Credit: Getty Images
“Given the mess he left Victoria in, given what happened during COVID, he wasn’t deserving of it.”
We had thought that this online petition had the vibe of all similar online petitions, in that it was a complete stunt. But it swiftly attracted 18,000 signatures just days after it was launched and concerted coverage in all the intended outlets, namely Sky News and Facebook.
We should never have doubted Walsh’s sincerity, as he made good on his promise/threat/agreement. The petition eventually attracted more than 40,000 signatures and was dispatched about a month ago to Yarralumla, where it was inherited by new Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
“I would hope that I get the decency of a response,” Walsh told CBD. He hasn’t thus far.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn was sent the petition calling for Andrews’ award to be rescinded.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
A spokesman for the Honours and Awards Secretariat told CBD: “The terminations and cancellations ordinance (under the Constitution of the Order of Australia) has detailed processes which must be followed before an appointment or award can be terminated or cancelled. The council does not comment on individual considerations.
“In all matters relating to appointments and awards in the Order of Australia (or the termination or cancellation of honours), the governor-general acts on the advice of the council.”
Reading between the lines, that sounds like a no to us.
TOP GIFTS FOR TOP BRASS
Nobody joins the public service for the perks. Sure, if you rise high enough through the ranks you get access to the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge, but the gifts and benefits registers of the country’s top mandarins show that senior bureaucrats are mostly given random trinkets by visiting dignitaries.
Richard Marles and Angus Campbell, pictured in April, received generous gifts.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
It’s a different story over in Defence. Last year, then-chief Angus Campbell received a $14,000 watch from the Sultan of Brunei. Turns out that’s pretty standard for the military top brass, who are used to receiving rather extravagant prezzies.
In April, Campbell was given a $5000 wooden sword from the Tongan military. Lord knows what he’d do with that, but the Department of Defence said it was on display at its premises. Campbell retired last month.
As head of the air force, Robert Chipman was given a $1479 wooden dagger from the Indonesian Air Force – a rather more peaceful gift than the shotgun Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto gave Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in March.
Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, meanwhile, received a $500 barbour jacket from the Brits and a $349 bottle of cognac from the French. Sounds like useful stuff to us.
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