The central Queensland electorate of Capricornia has existed since federation, with Rockhampton as its constant as boundaries shifted over the years. It currently has Rockhampton at its southern coastal end, from which it extends northwards to the southern outskirts of Mackay and westwards through farming and coal mining communities as far as Belyando 250 kilometres inland. Rockhampton has kept the seat strong for Labor for most of its history, the party’s only defeats after 1961 coming with the demise of the Whitlam and Keating governments in 1975 and 1996 (the margin on the former occasion being 136 votes).
The proverbial baseball bat having been wielded in 1996, the seat was recovered for Labor in 1998 by Kirsten Livermore, member of the “soft Left” tendency associated with Martin and Laurie Ferguson. Livermore picked up an 8.8% swing on her debut and retained the seat with reasonably comfortable margins thereafter, until an 8.7% swing in 2007 boosted it to very safe territory. Then came a 0.7% redistribution adjustment followed by an 8.4% swing amid the Queensland backlash of 2010, which reined it back to 3.7%. In December 2012 she announced she would not seek another term, as she wished to spend more time with her family.
A preselection to choose Livermore’s successor was held in February and won by Peter Freeleagus, a Moranbah miner, former Belyando Shire mayor and current Isaac Regional councillor. This was despite the local party ballot being won 65-37 by Paul Hoolihan, who along with most of his Labor colleagues lost his seat of Keppel at the 2012 state election. However, Hoolihan was overwhelmed by a 41-9 to win for Freeleagus in the 50% component of the vote determined by the state party’s electoral college, which consists mostly of union delegates. Michael McKenna of The Australian reported that Freeleagus was backed by the Left faction CFMEU, but also harnessed support from the AWU Right at the behest of Wayne Swan. The implication appeared to be that this was a counter to Kevin Rudd, whose “Old Guard” Right faction included Hoolihan. The deal was also said to require that the Left back AWU Right over Old Guard candidates in future state preselections.
The Liberal National Party has again endorsed its candidate from 2010, Michelle Landry, who owns a small book-keeping business in Yeppoon. Landry won preselection ahead of real estate agent Alan Cornick and anti-council amalgamation campaigner Paul Lancaster.
MTBW
Cry me a river. Go ahead. Vote for Abbott but do not whinge about the consequences.
GG
Hehehe……
MB
The Hon Peter Slipper is an elected MP, who had every right to take the job of Speaker. He came with excellent references, from Tony Abbott himself. He did the job well, proving he was a good appointment.
His appointment also neutralised Wilkie, who was starting to be a problem, so it was a good ‘political’ appointment.
I still do not see what he has done which so upsets everyone, and if there is something in his past, the time for the Liberal Party to do something about it was when he was offered the job. If they kept quiet then, why?
MTBW
Labor is performing well. It is the media reporting that is bad.
I watch the live pressers so I know.
This means come campaign time when voters pay attention Labor will win as they are performing well.
It is starting to dawn on pensioners out there that Abbott is going to cut their pensions.
Voters will get this information by election day despite media campaigning against Labor.
[chris murphy @chrismurphys
Haa haa! UK Tourist Lord Muckton leads 30ppl waving electricity bills protest against PM. We call that a short queue at Aldi! #auspol]
LOL
MTBW,
Been involved with the Party for 40 years. Too many campaigns to count.
But the day I spend all my waking hours whingeing and whining about the Party, it’s policies and the Leadership is probably when I’ll stop. Of course, you can’t/won’t concede this because your in such “despair”.
Maybe one of BW’s Bluepills might be the answer for you.
Boerwar
Both petulant and childish!
Well Well Well.
What about the caravan of incompetence,supposedly were going to have 50 supporters at their rally,ended up being 31,the one being the biggest incompetent of all,Laird Monckton,soothsayer extroadinaire.being that they were a little down on numbers will we now have the dynamic moron duo telling everyone they were stopped by the police at the border
MTBW,
I agree. But, hopefully you can overcome your problems.
France approves NBN:
http://www.zdnet.com/au/we-had-the-same-debate-france-approves-nbn-blueprint-7000012057/
http://afr.com/p/technology/labor_is_right_on_broadband_says_IhINjJTrqgHvKdsnI4mtxK
Jobs ads up:
http://afr.com/p/national/job_ads_surge_by_most_in_years_8TSikOEj7J26eDwI50jiEL
Re Grumpy old white middle class male
GG 1846
____________________
This is a rather fatuous stereotype
A few days ago a Fairfax poll showed that woman were three times more likely to be critics of Gillard than men
This would be my observation too on listening to talk-back radio where the harshest critics who often express extreme loathing of the PM are woman..notably the older women
Not much sign of the Sisterhood there!
likwise Gremaine Greer’s infamous comment on QandA on the PMs dress and the size of Gillard’s bum
so much for feminists in the 21st century…and no need for old white males as critics when you have women like thatas the PMs critics
[Simpkin has already wrongly said attendees had to show their ALP membership cards to get into the PM’s speech.]
fess – I saw that but forgot to put a facetious face on my comment.
I hope some one has tweeted Simkin so that he can get his news bulletin right for once!
Mtbw
I have a great deal of respect for The opinion of Boerwar. He has you pegged
canasta76:
I remarked earlier that Mad Monckton is so 10 years ago.
Australia has carbon pricing now, and by all accounts it is here to stay.
You betteer buy a better calendar. The election’s on September 14.
As it has turned out, the early announcement of the election date has caused a paradigm shift that the professional and amateur political pundits are having trouble getting their heads around. All know that the election date is September 14, in about 6 months time, but they are still in the mind set that, because the election date has been announced, the election is to held in the traditional 3 to 6 weeks from now.
guytaur
I have lived in nothing but an ALP seat all of my life and this seat if the polling is correct will be among the first to go. It sits on a margin of 1.5%
The State seat fell at the last State election my son’s best mate told me the other day that they cannot at this stage find anyone to run for Hughes at the Federal Election.
What is not to worry about?
DID I COME DOWN IN THE LAST QUEENSLAND SHOWER OR WHAT????
ABC NEWS24 has been running an article on the Single Parent allowance being reduced by up to $100.00 and are of the Understanding that the United Nations are now complaining to the Government that the reduction is unfair and violates human rights.
They are running an interview with a Single parent from Prime Minister Gillards electorate of Lawler. This woman pleads about the hardship… it is so unfair. She has two teenage children in the kitchen with her at the time. I would assume that the boys are hers. She wants the UN to help her.
One of the boys is filmed as he puts chocolate flavouring over his ice cream.
This is a snapshot of the woman in her kitchen from the filmclip.
Now from all the ultra modern facilities in the kitchen it would appear that the woman is doing it really hard.
If she is living in a rental I could only contemplate what a rental of that standard would cost in weekly rent. Anyone have a clue.?
I hope for the sake of her family she can overcome the hardfalls of the change to newstart and that the United Nations could help her plight.
I mean to say I wouldn’t want her to go without the fresh flowers in the kitchen everyday or the boys not to have icecream.
FOOTNOTE Of Course I do feel sympathy towards all single parents who are out there and are doing it hard.
MTBW
Cry me another river.
Stop whinging. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get yourself a stiff upper lip. Get some sang froid into you. Grow a backbone. Or go vote for Abbott. I guarantee you 100% he will give you something real to whinge about.
vic
Well there you go Victoria! I have you pegged as well.
My commnet on Farfax
____
The poll showed a 20/60 split on Gillard re critics perhaps my comment in 1911 above was ambigious
MTBW@1895
Yes, it all reminds me of something a work colleague had on the wall of his cubicle at work.
[ A thought!
“The really nice thing about
not planning is that failure comes as a
complete surprise and is not preceded by
long periods of worry and depression!”]
This currently seems to be standard ALP operating procedure and is endorsed on PB.
Confessions @1776
I sometimes despair of the rumour mongering and false pictures you often put up here.
“She told the journo to get a better microphone. He protested so she told him to take the matter up with Lachlan and then went to the last question.”
FFS it was Dave Hughes, COMEDIAN from the Project NOT a journo. He asked, laughingly WTTE “when are you going to do something about noisy trucks interrupting pressers” (For you ….. he was referring to the fact that the presser was held on a major intersection, and noisy trucks were going by).
She knows him well. She knew he was taking the piss, tongue in cheek. She joined in the banter “You’ll have to get a uni-directional mic”. He laughed and said “we’ve got no money at 10” (ie to spell it out for you, Channel 10!!!). She replied “well you’ll have to take it up with Lachlan” (again, since things seem to go over your head, the “Lachlan” is Lachlan Murdoch. Perhaps you do know that he is Rupert’s son and “arm” vis a vis Chnnel 10.)
Dave Hughes was playing the same role that Norman Gunston played on the steps of the old parliament house on 11/11/1975. For you …. Norman Gunston was a comedian mock interviewer….. it was really an actor, Gary McDonald.
http://essentialvision.com.au/documents/essential_report_130304.pdf
MTBW
Isn’t of wringing your hands, why don’t you go run for Hughes?
It will give you something useful to do.
mtbw
I yam what i yam. Your concern trolling fools noone
Labor should set up some booths in Western Sydney locations where constituents are asked to bring along their power bills and tax returns to have them explained and to ask questions.
They may not like the answers.
MTBW
If the robocall polling is correct.
The truth is we know how reliable one seat polling is this far out from an election campaign. That is not very.
The polls have moved down to the basement of the MOE but they have not really moved out of that territory.
Polling is not accurate as people are not focussed on the result.
To give you and idea. Compare and Contrast with polling in NSW for State election. That was dismal and steadily so with no doubt for at least a year before the election.
We do not see that with Federal Polling.
To be honest Boerwar I don’t read any of your posts so just ignore mine.
Victoria it may come as a surprise to you but I don’t really care who you have a lot of time for.
So where is daS Monkster leading the faithful in protest this time??
Obviously Bemused and MTBW are panicking if they are worried about the performance of ALP….
deblonay,
I pinged you in one, didn’t I?
To be honest Boerwar I don’t read any of your posts so just ignore mine.
I love it when bloggers respond to posts that they don’t read…
victoria@1913
Then you are easily impressed by flatulent windbags.
@abcnews: Job ads in Australia hit five-month high but economists expect the unemployment rate to keep rising.
http://t.co/39kpl9cvlX
Economists keep saying what they expect. They keep being wrong.
psyclaw:
I merely asked if anyone had seen it as I hadn’t.
Stop hyperventilating FFS.
Premier Baillieu to front up to press conference within an hour.
…. no doubt to announce the resignation of his CoS, Tony Nutt and State Lib President, Damian Mantach. It’s always the staffers who take the fall for their political leaders.
Or more sensationally, for Baillieu to announce he is standing down …
guytaur,
They used to burn witches at the stake.
Nowadays they give them a column in a newspaper.
“@sspencer_63: And governor within half an hour? RT @J_C_Campbell Premier Ted Baillieu to face press within the hour.”
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke
Cracker of a snap in the AFR – PM’s luggage for Western Sydney trip tagged ‘overseas visit.’ #rootyhillard http://instagr.am/p/Wa0ZLMwJNu/%5D
What a bunch of kindy kids.
BK:
It’s easier just to whinge than have things explained to you.
GG
😆 So true
bemused
Of course you are another concern troll. No wonder you get on famously with the likes of two bob
bemused
And another thing, i always learn something from Boerwar’s contributions. Your posts are the same drivel as two bobs. Not worth a dime
George Bludger @GeorgeBludger
Fleur Pellerin: “FTTH, you don’t lose quality of signal according to the distance, so it is definitely the best tech solution” #NBN
George Bludger @GeorgeBludger
Fleur Pellerin: “All these new uses… you will need in 5 years. I think it is a very good investment to choose the best long-term tech.” #NBN
George Bludger @GeorgeBludger
Fleur Pellerin: “Very high-speed broadband is an imp. param.. of a country & that’s why we chose what we think is the best [FTTH]” #NBN
Is it too much to ask for a break from Ruddstoration crap for just one day?
Is Bailleu’s presser on ABC or SKY – anyone heard. If it is, break out the popcorn ….
Rossmore
Just over a week ago, There was a tweet from an ABC presenter based in WA. He said something big would happen in politics within ten days. Hmmm…..
guytaur
[if the robocall polling is correct.]
I am not relying on robocall polling. I have run many ALP campaigns locally and external to my electorate.
The seat of Banks has changed dramatically over the last twenty years or so. I have detailed all of that here before and won’t go over it again.
Demographics have altered redistributions have be made and the South West on it’s own is raising real concerns for the ALP let alone far western Sydney.
victoria@1943
If you learn stuff from Boerwar’s posts then it is a testament to your ignorance.
Yours are even less informative and very repetitive.
MTBW
run off a few leaflets on the home computer and go and stuff them in letterboxes.
Doing something positive will make you feel a little less despairing.
Victoria
[Of course you are another concern troll. No wonder you get on famously with the likes of two bob]
What a charmer you are! Get over yourself!