Radio legend abandons lord mayor bid
Radio figure and former senator Derryn Hinch has abandoned a tilt to become Melbourne lord mayor
Taking to social media on Tuesday, the 80-year-old said a campaign would have cost between $250,000 and $300,000.
“Money I don’t have and wouldn’t expect to raise … Would have loved to have given it a shot. Sorry,” he posted.
The New Zealand-born journalist served one term in the Senate from 2016 as leader of Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party.
The party got three MPs into the Victorian parliament in 2018; one MP quit to become an independent, and the other two lost their seats after one term.
Mr Hinch then dissolved his political party.
The Lord Mayor campaign almost lasted a month. Mr Hinch announced his intentions at the end of February ahead of the October local government elections.
The decision to not contest the mayoralty came after talking to advisers about the potential campaign bill, he told his social media followers.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp AO won a second term in 2020. She has not confirmed if she is running again.
A former stalwart of Melbourne’s 3AW radio station, Mr Hinch acknowledged in announcing his candidacy that he did not have the funds to pay for a campaign.
He is also contending with skin cancer and had a liver transplant in 2011.
