Hinch meetsThe Age in a window bench of the Gentleman George Bar&Burgers,just a block from his St Kilda Road apartment,where he enjoys a post-lunch sauvignon blanc (“watered down” – he adds,in reference to his liver transplant) garnished with ice cubes.
In the space of 30 minutes,he fields acknowledgements from 10 well-wishers.
The candidate says he wants to wipe out graffiti and have a more orderly system for Lime bikes and scooters – but not ban them. Similarly,he wants bike lanes,but not too many. “We don’t want to become Clover Moore in Sydney.”
A firm believer that “COVID hasn’t gone”,he wants to lessen its impact on the city and bring people back to the CBD by converting office blocks into apartments.
He does not want the council debating global issues such as Gaza,as it did recently.
“I mean,that is junk. We can’t affect it. And it can,as the acting lord mayor said,cause division in this town,which we don’t want.”
Hinch spent about a week mulling his decision to run after he was approached by people “in the city council”. He won’t say who it was or detail his backers.
He estimates he will need only $250,000 for his campaign,which he doesn’t currently have. “If you have a good brand and Hinch for Mayor is a good brand.”
Born in New Zealand in 1944,Hinch was a radio star for decades on 3AW,part of a careerThe Australian Media Hall of Fame labelled “spectacular and controversial”.
He lists his own biography on social media site X where his handle is @HumanHeadline:“Journalist 60 years. Elected Senator 2016-19. Jail 1987. Fifty days jail contempt 2014. House Arrest (5 mths) 2011. Liver transplant 2011.”
He was jailed over a contempt of court case involving a paedophile priest and was under house arrest for publishing the suppressed names of sex offenders. He served as a federal senator from 2016 until 2019 (the oldest first-time elected senator),and says “part of me died” when he wasn’t re-elected.
His Derryn Hinch Justice Party won three seats in the 2018 state election,but none were re-elected and he dissolved the party last year,which he said was one of the saddest days of his life.
Hinch’s partner is formerCop Shop actor Lynda Stoner,now an animal rights activist to whom he was engaged to 30 years ago.
“I still have fire in my belly,if I didn’t I wouldn’t do it.”
Long a champion of independents,he saw the victory of the teal candidates at the last federal election as a form of vindication,and pointed to how he had a bigger influence,such as persuading the Coalition government to institute a child sex register.
In a few weeks he will announce a running mate,which he wants to be a female former member of parliament,but he won’t say whom.
“We’re not proud enough of Melbourne. And there are reasons currently why. And I think it can be improved. It can be fixed.”
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