Kingsford Smith was created with the enlargement of parliament in 1949 around Clovelly, Coogee and Randwick in Sydney’s inner south-east. Originally held by Labor with narrow margins, their positioned was strengthened when the Maroubra area at the northern entrance to Botany Bay was first added in 1955. The only time their hold has been threatened since was with the 1966 landslide, when the margin was reduced to 1.5%, but there appears to have been a steady trend towards the Liberals in evidence over the past two decades. The seat was held by Hawke government deputy prime minister Lionel Bowen from 1969 to 1990, and then by senior Wran-Unsworth state government minister Laurie Brereton, who served on the front bench from 1993 until his surprise retirement announcement shortly before the 2004 election. The then leader Mark Latham took the opportunity to secure the endorsement for Peter Garrett, nationally famous since the 1980s as the lead singer for Midnight Oil and more recently the president of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Garrett was promoted to the front bench as Shadow Environment Minister when Kevin Rudd came to the leadership in December 2006, and he maintained the portfolio in his government. However, his status was been diminished on two occasions during the first term. After the election win Rudd created a separate climate change portfolio, which was entrusted to Penny Wong. This followed a difficult election campaign in which Garrett was pilloried over a “jocular” comment in a casual conversation with talk radio host Steve Price to the effect that Labor would change all its policies when in government. The second occasion resulted from the problematic insulation batts program, for which Greg Combet assumed responsibility in February 2010 through his new position of Minister Assisting the Climate Change Minister.
In common with other Labor members throughout Sydney, the 2010 election took a large bite out of Garrett’s electoral margin, which was reduced from 13.3% to 5.2%. After the election he was reassigned to the school education, early childhood and youth portfolio, defying expectations he would be dropped from cabinet. The portfolio had originally been entitled simply schools, early childhood and youth, but this was changed when it was pointed out the word “education” had not appeared on the cabinet list, its responsibilities having been divided between Garrett and Chris Evans as Jobs, Skills and Workplace Relations Minister. A report that the Prime Minister intended to drop Garrett in the reshuffle conducted in December 2011, but was dissuaded by a threat from Garrett to quit parliament and bring on a by-election in his eminently loseable seat, was firmly denied by all concerned. Having been similarly unable to relegate Robert McClelland due to resistance from the New South Wales Right, the size of cabinet was contentiously increased two places to 22 so the Prime Minister could accommodate her desired promotions.
Early in 2012 the Liberals preselected Michael Feneley, cardiology professor and director of the heart lung program at St Vincent’s Hospital. Feneley was also the candidate in 2010, and ran for Maroubra at the March 2011 state election. There were earlier suggestions that former Parramatta MP Ross Cameron might be interested in seeking a comeback in the seat. In July this year, the ALP determined to pursue a fast-track preselection process that would secure endorsement for Garrett, among others. There had been speculation that local resident Bob Carr might like to use the seat which encompasses his old state electorate of Maroubra to transfer from Senate to House, and there have also been suggestions the seat is of interest to Ben Keneally, husband of the former Premier and mayor of Botany as of the local government elections of September 2012.
The people at Bing Lee Marrickville (very decent and helpful they are too, call in if you are in the area) are just up the road from Albo’s office. I wonder if they had a word with head office?
[@Colvinius 60th anniversary of the British Govt nuclear tests in Oz on Wednesday. @forgottenvets dying of cancer & still refused recognition]
Speaking of Menzies …
MenziesHouse said:
[To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Perhaps we could all do with a little more forgiveness in our lives.]
This from people who at any other time know of only one “god” — the almighty dollar with its invisible hands and its provenance in “the wisdom of crowds and “common sense”. What an astonishing and self-serving appeal!
Alan Cash-for-Comment Jones knows only one way to err, and it is in the service of the dispenser of said dollars. And when he dispenses them, as he did in the direction of Karl Stefanovic, he expected Karl to “err divinely” in his favour. He was not disappointed and forgave him the interest. The monkeys employed by “Singo” also sing for their supper. Years ago Blot was opposed to poker machines as a dreadful scourge and one of the marks of bogan life. He wanted them banned. When Singo became his boss he took an entirely different pattern to his erring and found them to be an expression of his kind of political rectitude — they were the sound of freedom from the nanny state.
MenziesHouse operates the same way. They are funded by big polluters and big tobacco. They err divinely in their favour all the time but unlike most religionists, they don’t like calling their gods by name.
[ The term “Puff Adder” is gaining currency. ]
The long hand of PollBludger. No escape is possible.
People power.
Finally!
[Well, sort of].
a read of the woolworths facebook page is amusing, every item posted seems to have been jonesed
Menzies House (The Cory Bernardi Times), spawning ground for right wing nutjobs
[This little black duck
Posted Monday, October 1, 2012 at 4:23 pm | PERMALINK
Very good “house boys” wonder how many are kept?
The ones that aren’t rented.]
Rented out I guess
35,059. Only ~15,000 to go.
TLBD,
You are in full flight today, my friend – soaring!
fiona,
Just wait till I get stuck into the white.
Some butler action at the Jones place.
[The broadcaster says he may have been wrong to chide the Prime Minister, writes Liz Hannan.
David, private butler and chef to Alan Jones, has prepared a three-course meal which would not be out of place at Aria, sourcing coral trout from Queensland and tomatoes from the broadcaster’s farm in the Southern Highlands.
2GB is inscribed in cream in my host’s soup, SMH in mine, a surprise soon forgotten when Jones says something wholly unexpected: ”I think I was most probably wrong.” That’s right, wrong.]
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/regrets-maybe-just-a-few-20110318-1c0kl.html#ixzz281hI5ME1
TLBD @2932
Now 35,366 and climbing.
Just wondering why this Jones stuff was released by the Daily Terror on Sunday and not midweek seeing that it was recorded on the previous weekend.
Anything to do with newspoll out in the field until Sat. night or do they still poll on Sundays
rossmore
like the old days, on the streets. re vietnam, we had to be seen now you can protest from home
i was just thinking about this hour ago.
the young ones dont seem to go out and protest like we did
perhaps they dont have to. this is the new way.
but then again to be seen in a big group like the Carbon price support rallies where very good as it encouraged other people
and that wonderful show of support in melbourne this week
we still need to be seen
mari,
As I understand it, the House Boys are on high rotation. 😉
I seem to remember an incident from Chris Masters’ biography of Alan Jones(and wouldn’t we all like to get a hold of that again from the library? 🙂 ),whereby one of the young men, who had come from Asia to work for Jones and who was unaware of Australian rates of pay and conditions of employment, as he wasn’t getting them,threatened to take Alan Jones to court to get his full entitlements and the appropriate termination payment, after his employment was abruptly ended. I think because Jones got wind that he was being aided by the Union that covers these people, to get what was owed to him.
[Lisa Wilkinson @Lisa_Wilkinson
@vanOnselenP Apropos of nothing (much) @bandannawriter just rang 2GB wanting 2discuss #alanjones & was told “not taking calls on that today]
What a surprise!!
poroti,
Pity about the trout, I was hoping for pufferfish with the lot.
BH
[Just wondering why this Jones stuff was released by the Daily Terror on Sunday and not midweek seeing that it was recorded on the previous weekend.]
AFL GF Saturday,RFL GF Sunday, public holidays in several states.Best chance to muffle the nuclear blast, not that you can muffle a nuclear explosion but their best bet. The journo involved from his track record would not have let the story not run so it was coming out at some stage.
[Lisa Wilkinson @Lisa_Wilkinson
@vanOnselenP Apropos of nothing (much) @bandannawriter just rang 2GB wanting 2discuss #alanjones & was told “not taking calls on that today]
Peta’s got the word out. “CIRCLE THE WAGONS!!!”
poroti BH
waiting for newspoll to be finished?
[C@tmomma
Posted Monday, October 1, 2012 at 4:35 pm | PERMALINK
mari,
As I understand it, the House Boys are on high rotation.
I seem to remember an incident from Chris Masters’ biography of Alan Jones(and wouldn’t we all like to get a hold of that again from the library? ),whereby one of the young men, who had come from Asia to work for Jones and who was unaware of Australian rates of pay and conditions of employment, as he wasn’t getting them,threatened to take Alan Jones to court to get his full entitlements and the appropriate termination payment, after his employment was abruptly ended. I think because Jones got wind that he was being aided by the Union that covers these people, to get what was owed to him]
What a nice man, Alan Jones is
lyne lady
[
poroti BH
waiting for newspoll to be finished?]
The cherry on top 🙂
Gawd help us. Morris, on Agenda, justifying Jones’ comments because ‘he speaks at so many fundraisers, etc. and whoops he might just say something wrong at one of them’!!
Morris says it will fade away.
Morris needs to revisit Buddy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRlOI3N7Hao
Speaking of pufferfish, the pics chosen by the media to illustrate stories on the Jones Boy have, without exception, been rather unkind. Way to make a point without words 😆
After all, they’ve been doing the same to the PM. Fair’s fair.
Why are people saying Jones did the correct thing by apologising, it seems that anyone can do anything in Right Wingnut Land if it is followed by The Faux Apology – Sorry there are some things that are beyond apology, it is called the consequences of your actions.
Alan Jones lives on the 6th floor of the Bennelong Apartments building, aka the ‘Toaster’ on Circular Quay – No 1 Macquarie Street, to be exact.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennelong_Apartments
It’s renowned as Sydney’s ugliest apartment building so it’s only fitting that Sydney’s ugliest mind should live there. Jones has a butler/chef called David who lives in, but sadly no house boys. Or none that he admits to.
The guy who opined that Ms Gillard ought to be kicked to death is wondering what all the fuss is about.
lizzie,
The one on the petition is a beauty.
Muirhead got ten months in the Big House.
The Parrot is starting to look more like. http://tiny.cc/himhlw
[SHOCK jock Alan Jones has been dumped as headline speaker at an anti-coal seam gas rally on the Tweed next week, with organisers condemning him as a ‘thoughtless bastard’ for his extraordinary personal attack on Julia Gillard.]
He is geeting more popular everyday. 😆
Andy Muirhead (ABC’s Collectors presenter) sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.
Abbott has to show his ugly head some time.
Now at 37,575
poroti – yes, I can see now it would have been lost in the GF stuff.
lynelady – Morris thinks it will blow over in 48 hours or so – I think there are too many voices against Jones for it to go away so easily. I see that vanOnselen doesn’t want it to be forgotten in a hurry – interesting, eh?
Wonder when,where which Journo will be the first to ask Gillard about the Jones comment and non-apology? I hope the response is nothing more than a withering stare and not a word uttered.
leone,
I believe, and I am speaking off the top of my head here, but that the House Boys used to be employed by Alan Jones BEFORE he moved to the Toaster.
He he he my wife has just signed #sackalanjones – Now at 37,575
[It’s renowned as Sydney’s ugliest apartment building]
In a hot field, the Toaster would not even make the top 20 for this award – try anything in Pitt St Street south of Park Street for starters
It is its positioning at east Circular Quay which is controversial.
[Peter Oataway @PetefromHayNSW
Both in the @SussanLey electorate Farrer RT @mumbletwits Wow, Albury and Deniliquin radio stations have dropped Jones #auspol #directaction]
Morris now putting a good spin on the 3 month Qld poll.
[Amanda Mack @mandymcn
LOL!! RT @leftocentre Graham Morris tells Australia that @TonyAbbottMHR is Alan Jones’ mate. #doh Credlin bites through a chair leg, again!!]
Peta must be a mess!!
Hawker mentioning Poss’ blog on Crikey re the Qld poll and says everyone should have a look at it to see exactly what is happening in Qld – not newspoll today. Onya, Poss
It’s a pity that Alan Jones wasn’t capable of the same introspection last weekend when giving his so-called ‘apology’ to the PM:
No regrets? ”I’m sure if I had to examine myself there would be regrets – things you say, things you did. I think it’s a terrible thing to hurt people’s feelings.” Don’t you do that, on occasion, on a huge stage? ”I’m sure, I’m sure – and I think that’s terrible. All I know is that at the time I am not aiming to. There is a spontaneity [on radio] and then you might think ‘I’ve gone too far.’ ”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/regrets-maybe-just-a-few-20110318-1c0kl.html#ixzz281lc9REW
Poroti – true there is a certain likeness at first. But the poor blobfish already inspires pity. Alan Jones has a long way to go down the road of redemption through suffering and dawning realisation (as recommended by Dostoevsky and Solzenitsyn among others) before he’s in that zone.
BH,
Graeme Morris is nothing more than a Liberal hack. He just puts his mouth on automatic and goes for it according to the day’s daily Liberal Talking Points.
C@tmomma
That would be when he lived in a gigantic converted warehouse at Newtown.
Piers Akerman
[Despite the furore, the attacks have demonstrated that Jones is the better person.]
I’m speechless at this.
Warning: some of this tirade may offend the sensitive.
[Gillard’s policies have, undeniably, been disastrous.
She, and Labor, have lied continually.
Most of the media have ignored this.]
http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/piersakerman/