By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
The lord mayoral election campaign of incumbent Nick Reece has attracted comment for the number of Labor-aligned advisers that have signed up for Team Call Me Nick.
Reece let it been known that his preferred prenom was Nick not Nicholas, prompting unwanted but unavoidable comparisons with former Labor premier Daniel Andrews’ switch to Dan.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece at an event for the lord mayoral candidates at Fed Square last week.Credit: Simon Schluter
CBD has previously reported the preponderance of former Andrews advisers on the campaign, which only adds to the sense we’ve seen some of this movie before.
There’s Adam Sims – a former media director to Andrews – aiding Reece’s lord mayoral campaign as part of FMRS, the newish firm he launched with ex-Andrews chief of staff Lissie Ratcliff, her deputy Jessie McCrone, and strategy director Ben Foster.
Wait, there’s more.
Team Nick’s campaign manager is none other than McCrone’s husband, Stephen Donnelly, founder of the Dunn Street consultancy, a former unionist, progressive podcast host and ALP assistant state secretary who was in charge of the infamous red shirts scheme.
Stephen Donnelly and former premier Daniel Andrews speak on Donnelly’s podcast.Credit: Dunn Street/Twitter
Readers will recall that the red shirts scandal was a 2014 election wheeze where Labor used taxpayer funds to employ campaign organisers as casual electorate officers. The staff, who wore red Labor T-shirts, campaigned in marginal seats in a misuse of parliament’s budget so egregious that Labor was forced to repay nearly $400,000. The scheme broke parliamentary rules, but the police found no crimes committed.
One wonders what Reece’s deputy mayoral candidate, the perennial Liberal Party candidate Roshena Campbell, makes of it all. Presumably all are getting on like a house on fire.
DOING THEIR BEST
The NRL grand final, rugby league’s showcase event, managed on Sunday night to get a few big names out to Accor Stadium, that charmless suburban concrete bowl named after a mid-range hotel conglomerate.
The Kid Laroi, who provided the pre-match entertainment, dropped in for a brief hello in the President’s Suite.Credit: Getty Images
The contrast with the AFL grand final the week before, with its champagne breakfasts, networking lunches for the Chairman’s Lounge set and its September Club after-party could not have been more marked.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his opposite number, Peter Dutton, were both guests at the Accor Stadium’s President’s Suite, and both backed the Panthers. Politically astute and prescient we think, given Penrith’s historic four-peat victory over respected but unloved fellow-finalists, the Melbourne Storm.
Albanese was accompanied by his Souths supporting fiancee Jodie Haydon, while also in the good seats were NSW Premier Chris Minns (a Bulldogs man) and former AFL commissioner Sam Mostyn (now better known as the governor-general).
Former AFL boss turned Tabcorp chief executive Gil McLachlan was forced to hang out with the same politicians he has so ruthlessly banned from the betting giant’s Melbourne Cup marquee.
Rounding out that political contingent were several feds including Sports Minister Anika Wells (who never misses an event such as this one) and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy, who is working with the NRL on its bid for an expansion team in Papua New Guinea. No surprises that the Pacific nation’s PM, James Marape, was also in the suite.
From the media world, guests included Matt Stanton, acting chief executive of Nine (owner of this masthead), the media company’s new chair Catherine West, News Corp executive chair Michael Miller, Seven West Media director of news and current affairs Anthony DeCeglie and Sydney Morning Herald editor Bevan Shields.
Meanwhile, The Kid Laroi, who provided the pre-match entertainment, even dropped in for a brief hello. The NRL did well in landing a relevant star, a week after the AFL spent big on a washed-up Katy Perry.
PRICE CHECK
SPOTTED: Woolworths supermarket, Camberwell market, about 4pm on Saturday.
State Liberal Party leader (and defendant in the Moira Deeming defamation case) John Pesutto assessing his options in the fruit and vegetable section.
His Majesty’s state opposition leader displaced the display box to select a bunch of tomatoes from the box underneath, before looking over his shoulder and unevenly replacing the display box, looking like it could topple at any second.
Could this be a metaphor? Time will tell, and given his “bring it” challenge to his internal critics on Monday, we may not have to wait that long.
BACK AGAIN
The Strathbogie Shire Council, which covers Nagambie, was sacked by the state government last year.
At the time, mayor Laura Binks said there was “regular unacceptable behaviour” among councillors.
“Nobody wanted to come to work on Tuesdays when we were all in the chamber.”
An investigator found some elected members (who weren’t named in the report) did not understand their roles and some were “regularly not reading their meeting papers”.
Local Government Minister Melissa Horne relieved all councillors of their duties and appointed an administrator.
Now three former councillors are seeking re-election among 15 candidates fighting over seven spots.
Ex-mayor Binks is running again, committed to good governance.
“I haven’t lost hope despite an incredibly challenging year last year,” she said. “The likelihood of a repeat of the full council suspension can’t happen again because of the changes to the Local Government Act.
“Some councillors were not performing the role as expected but the only tool the minister had was to suspend the full council and that is a pretty blunt instrument.”
Former councillor Robin Weatherald is also running again, as is former councillor Christopher Raeburn, who said he had unfinished business to serve his community and forecast better times.
“I believe the new councillors will be more respectful of each other and more respectful of the community and the staff,” he said. Wouldn’t be hard, we think.
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