Wide Bay has covered a variable area around Maryborough about 300 kilometres north of Brisbane since its creation at federation. Maryborough is currently at the northern end of an electorate that extends south along the coast to Noosa, which was gained at the redistribution before the 2007 election as its southern neighbour Fairfax was drawn southwards by population growth on the Sunshine Coast (which Wide Bay accommodated in its entirety for most of the period prior to 1949). The electorate also extends inland through Gympie to Murgon and Cherbourg.
Now a secure seat for the Liberal National Party, Wide Bay was one of 15 seats across the country won by Labor at the first election in 1901. Its member from then until 1915 was Andrew Fisher, who served three terms as prime minister and won the party’s first parliamentary majority at the election of 1910. Labor was narrowly defeated at a by-election held after Fisher retired due to ill health, and for the next 13 years the seat was held by Edward Corser, first as a Liberal and then in the Nationalist Party that succeeded it in 1917. The seat passed to the Country Party upon Corser’s death in 1928, when his son Bernard Corser was elected as the party’s candidate without opposition.
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Teal and red numbers respectively indicate size of two-party majorities for the LNP and Labor. Click for larger image. Map boundaries courtesy of Ben Raue at The Tally Room. |
Brendan Hansen’s election in 1961 gave Labor its first win in Wide Bay in nearly half a century, and he retained the seat until defeated amid a statewide swing against the Whitlam government in 1974. The seat has has since had two National/Country Party members, the present incumbent Warren Truss succeeding Clarrie Millar in 1990. The general trend over this time has been for increasing Nationals margins, with Truss retaining the seat by 8.5% amid Labor’s strong statewide result in 2007 and boosting his margin to 15.6% in 2010, before a narrowing to 13.2% at the 2013 election.
Warren Truss emerged through local Nationals ranks as a councillor for the Shire of Kingaroy from 1976 to 1990, before winning the party’s endorsement to succeed Joh Bjelke-Petersen as member for Barambah at the by-election which followed his retirement in 1988. However, Truss suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Trevor Perrett, a candidate of the eccentric Citizens Electoral Council who joined the Nationals a year later. He was amply compensated with endorsement for Wide Bay at the federal election two years later, and was elected without incident despite a 3.9% swing to Labor.
Truss served as a junior shadow minister in the consumer affairs portfolio after November 1994, but was cut from the front bench when the Nationals’ reduced share of seats within the Coalition reduced its share of the spoils of the 1996 election victory. His opportunity came in October the following year when the travel rorts affair garnered three ministerial scalps including Nationals MP John Sharp, resulting in Truss’s return to the consumer affairs portfolio together with customs. After the 1998 election he was reassigned to community services, and he then attained cabinet rank in July 1999 with his promotion to Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister. In July 2005 he secured his party’s deputy leadership and traded his portfolios for transport and regional services, and was again reassigned to trade in September 2006.
Truss was elevated to the leadership of the National Party when Mark Vaile resigned in the wake of the 2007 election defeat, although it has often been noted that his profile is a good deal lower than that of Barnaby Joyce, who moved from a Queensland Senate seat to the New South Wales lower house seat of New England at the 2013 election. As well as being Deputy Prime Minister, Truss has served as Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development since the election of the Abbott government.
A Gaza street –
[1047
Sir sustainable future
The neo-con/far right agenda is to have a fearful and uneducated population – they can be convinced to vote against their own self interest and see progressives as ‘bleeding heart’/’politically correct’ elites to be despised – and also buy the election year bribes and advertising campaigns (and murdoch media reporting). At the end of the day the agenda is to have a disenfranchised and disengaged public who hate their politicians and don’t see government as a way to better their lot through fairer distribution of wealth and opportunity creation.]
This is their real aim.
sortius @sortius 11m
This “audit” is so contradictory it’s not funny. One minute not enough experts opinion sought, then panel of experts referenced #auspol #NBN
Effect of Fracking on Wildlife is unknown – scientists:
http://www.popsci.com.au/science/nature/effect-of-fracking-on-wildlife-is-basically-unknown,390591
“How might this effect wildlife? Scientists don’t know, and that’s the problem. “If you look down on a heavily fracked landscape, you see a web of well pads, access roads, and pipelines creating islands out of what was, in some cases, continuous habitat,” says Sara Souther, a conservation fellow at the University of Wisconsin, who is the first author of the paper. “What are the combined effects of numerous wells and their supporting infrastructure on wide-ranging or sensitive species, like the pronghorn antelope or the hellbender salamander?””
Multi-cyclones:
http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/genevieve-eastern-pacific-ocean/
“NASA and NOAA satellites have been supplying forecasters with data developing tropical cyclones in the Eastern and Central Pacific Ocean and over the last several days. There have been as many as five tropical systems at the same time. On Monday, August 4, there were three tropical systems stretching from west to east: Tropical Depression Genevieve in the Central Pacific, Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio in the Eastern Pacific”
Just Me
[The neo-con/far right agenda is to have a fearful and uneducated population – they can be convinced to vote against their own self interest]
Why not? Works a treat in the South and Deep South of the good ol’ US of A.
Essential is out:
51:49 ALP;LNP (no change)
Primary 41 LNP (O), 39 ALP (+1), 9 Greens (0), 4 PUP (-1)
[“How might this effect wildlife? Scientists don’t know, and that’s the problem. “If you look down on a heavily fracked landscape, you see a web of well pads, access roads, and pipelines creating islands out of what was, in some cases, continuous habitat,” says Sara Souther, a conservation fellow at the University of Wisconsin, who is the first author of the paper. “What are the combined effects of numerous wells and their supporting infrastructure on wide-ranging or sensitive species, like the pronghorn antelope or the hellbender salamander?””]
So essentially nothing at all to do with fracking – very intellectually dishonest.
…and Essential (in its sloth-like way) is suggesting the post-MH17 shift to the Coalition might have stopped.
psyclaw@1025
It is clear, and has been for a long while, that Israeli strategy is to drive all Palestinians out of Palestine and incorporate the land into Israel.
I would like the world to say ‘enough’ and start rolling the Israelis back to their internationally recognised borders.
A slow, continual drift from the minors to Labor (and yes, Essential is within MOE) is what I’d expect to happen from now on.
[@andwcampbell: NSW set to be Aus’ largest solar producer with Moree 56MW #solar farm to go ahead http://t.co/Qu0r5GkGnH via @BusinessSpec #auspol ]
This is almost exactly what I’ve been banging on about for years: out in the bush, on level ground, and easily upscaleable. You build it as you go, and at all times it’s fully operational to capacity.
Provides employment, commerce to the town, and cheap electricity, because you don’t have to build it full size right from the start.
The idea that these solar farm have to be 100% replacements for fossil fueled generators – the “All or nothing at all” theory – is poppycock. They can fill in the gaps. At night or on lolw sunshine days you can use the fossil fuel generators for a top up.
Other things that solar power can do is pre-heat water to be boiled in fossil fuel boilers, so that not so much energy is need from non-renewables. Obviously these kinds of solar installations would be installed adjacent to fossil fuel generators, not in Moree, but t it’s the principle of the two systems working together – at least for a while – that’s important.
We could have solar farms like the one in Moree in Sydney, on land between Parramatta and Penrith (for example). They wouldn’t have to be big, just big enough to make a contribution, to augment existing power generation facilities.
Having to put solar cells on your roof is madness. It’s dangerous, expensive, ugly, and very often inefficient as trees cast shadows etc. MY neighbour has 16 cells on his roof, facing north, and half of them right now are not working to capacity as a very tall blue gum is casting a shadow on 8 of them.
[Why not? Works a treat in the South and Deep South of the good ol’ US of A.]
Sad but true. I know people like this, including disability pensioners who never let a chance go by to sneer at every other social security recipient, and endlessly run the whole ‘socialism is evil, deregulated free market is good’ schtick, with not the slightest shred of self-awareness or shame. You know, the “Keep your government hands of my Medicare” type.
The amount of cognitive contortion and distortion they have to go through to rationalise consistently voting against their own interests is astounding, and more than a little disturbing.
But dare call them out for it? Be prepared for a flood of irrational violent filth coming your way, and them becoming even more intransigent and implacable in their opinions.
Bemused #1109
Count me in too.
And we “worry” about T-Party types in the US.
They are in power in Israel.
I’m guessing Labor has just gained some of the potential PUP voters who was going to preference Labor over LNP?
BK @1058..
Try this one:
http://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/2014/08/04/scandinavia-making-great-tv-heres-watch/
Thanks markjs – I agree with every word the article said.
CTari@1101
[A Gaza street]
Good grief! It looks like Stalingrad of the middle east.
It continues to get worse.
[Isis brings its war to Lebanon – and it could be a key part of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s masterplan
After all the warnings and all the clichés about a war that would “spill” over Syria’s border, the savage fighters of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Sunni Muslim “caliphate” have at last arrived in Lebanon.]
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-brings-its-war-to-lebanon–and-it-could-be-a-key-part-of-abu-bakr-albaghdadis-masterplan-9648009.html
Peter of Marino @1083..
Agree about American re-makes …but Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson have co-produced, & co-star in a superb, and very dark TV drama (8episodes)called True Detective. Well worth chasing down..
Maybe the start of some decent US TV drama for a change 🙂
markjs
I am just watching the first episode of “The Politician’s Husband”, a new BBC series. It looks like it’s going to be a cracker!
Meanwhile on Mars a bit of Australia as it were. A nice picture from the Mars rover of a place named ‘Windjana’ named after a gorge in the Kimberly.
BK @ 1120..
I have already seen it & yes it’s very good …downloaded it legally & free via https://tvchaosuk.com
[I have already seen it & yes it’s very good …downloaded it legally & free via…]
Free, certainly. But legal?
mike
[It looks like Stalingrad ]
Yep. The Israeli’s going well and truly overboard.
[
Agree about American re-makes …but Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson have co-produced, & co-star in a superb, and very dark TV drama (8episodes)called True Detective. Well worth chasing down..
Maybe the start of some decent US TV drama for a change 🙂
]
The start! The last 15 years have been a golden age of US TV drama
Oz
The West Wing
The Sopranos
The Wire
Deadwood
Breaking Bad
Sons of Anarchy
Mad Men
Just to name a few. And yes, True Detective continues the fine tradition laid down by the above mentioned shows.
Cyril
Yes, but there is just so much overburden to get over when seeking these nuggets.
There is nothing illegal about “downloading”. It’s uploading (using peer to peer) which is illegal.
This site has lots of overseas TV
http://jannajives.blogspot.com.au/
[Essential is out:
51:49 ALP;LNP (no change)
Primary 41 LNP (O), 39 ALP (+1), 9 Greens (0), 4 PUP (-1)]
I know I am a pessimist but I find these figures very dispiriting.
Arguably the most radical government in Australia’s history in its first year and pretty much inept and the polls are near enough to 50:50!!!!.
They have yet to get their budget changes through but they are sure to cobble together something.
They will have significantly moved Australia further in the direction of injustice and inequality.
Then they have two years to do their selling and raise in people’s minds fear of the total waste waste waste, soft on terrorism, soft on ‘borders’ of a return to an ALP government.
The ALP, as a united body, seems to have difficulty in knowing what it stands for anymore. It often develops better policies that seemingly come out of “that’s a good idea” department, rather than based on a collective commitment to a coherent vision of society that has been developed with the community and consistently explained, discussed and defended and CONTRASTED with the LNP’s dystopic vision.
(The ALP’s attitude to Public v Private ownership of infrastructure is a case in point. It seems to be developed on a case by case basis depending on political expediency.)
[
Yes, but there is just so much overburden to get over when seeking these nuggets.
]
BK
I don’t follow. I’ve seen all of these shows via DVD, Blu Ray or Digital. They are dead easy to find.
[ markjs
Posted Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at 1:59 pm | Permalink
Peter of Marino @1083..
Agree about American re-makes …but Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson have co-produced, & co-star in a superb, and very dark TV drama (8episodes)called True Detective. Well worth chasing down..
Maybe the start of some decent US TV drama for a change
]
——————————————————
Hi Markjs – I have tended to find there is ‘bubblegum’ US TV shows and HBO Network US TV shows – with the latter generally being of a very much superior quality in terms of writing , plot etc – in particular I really enjoyed Deadwood, The Wire etc etc .
I see the show you have recommended ‘True Detective’ is also a HBO Network production with a very high 9.4 rating on IMDb – sounds good – Thanks for the recoomendation 🙂
ML nice try.
Cyril
I was referring to the fact that these good shows are very much the exception when it comes to US TV.
I avoid watching the “overburden” like the plague!
ML page 1.
badcat
I thought True Detective was sensational. Loved everything about it. The writing, the locations (a decaying Louisiana), the performances from Harrelson and McConaughey. Highly recommended.
badcat
True Detective was an unusual, though entertaining series full of darkness.
Essential is a slow turning ship.
The TV era has only given us two great masterpieces:
1. Tinker Tailor/Smileys People; and
2. The Wire.
But since I haven’t watched any TV for the last ten years (except Colbert and sport) my assessment is a bit rocky.
[ Hi Markjs – I have tended to find there is ‘bubblegum’ US TV shows and HBO Network US TV shows – with the latter generally being of a very much superior quality in terms of writing , plot etc – in particular I really enjoyed Deadwood, The Wire etc etc .
I see the show you have recommended ‘True Detective’ is also a HBO Network production with a very high 9.4 rating on IMDb – sounds good – Thanks for the recommendation
]
———————————–
Just got season 1 ‘True Detective’ on ebay ( $19.95 )
Thanks Markjs 🙂
[ ———————————–
Just got season 1 ‘True Detective’ on ebay ( $19.95 )
Thanks Markjs
]
————————–
Thanks Cyril and BK too 🙂
[1127
KEVIN-ONE-SEVEN
There is nothing illegal about “downloading”. It’s uploading (using peer to peer) which is illegal.]
TVChaosUK is a torrent index site, not direct download. Pretty much impossible to torrent (i.e. peer-to-peer) without some uploading involved.
Also, are you sure that merely downloading copyright files is technically legal in Oz?
[
I was referring to the fact that these good shows are very much the exception when it comes to US TV.
]
BK
To be fair, you can probably say that about most countries TV. I mean, look at some of the crap we produce.
Just Me. My understanding (don’t quote me) is that it is not a criminal offence to download (copy). Otherwise, everybody who tapes a TV show and watches it later would be committing an offence. But distribution (uploading) is an offence.
It would also appear that even the content providers admit that nobody has been prosecuted for peer-to-peer. They say that was tried in NZ and it was a disaster.
Sir Mad Cyril@ 1125..
Fair enough. Breaking Bad was brilliant & Deadwood was very good too..
UK dramas are consistently excellent & I tend to view them as the standard for all dramas..
I don’t watch any Aussie dramas now …got fed up with ‘theatrical’ acting ..poor story lines & scripts
Just me – although there may be “civil” penalties for copying (the cost of the item???).
markjs – the biggest problem with Australian shows are the scripts. We have world-class actors. But writing good scripts costs a fortune. Steven Colbert has SIXTEEN writers to produce about an hour of TV every week.
Kevin-One-Seven @1138..
Can’t agree. ‘Callan’ was a masterpiece …as was the great Dennis Potter’s ‘Pennies from Heaven’ & ‘The Singing Detective’..
Many more as well..
markjs – Just being controversial! And yes, Callan was a masterpiece.
[
UK dramas are consistently excellent & I tend to view them as the standard for all dramas..
I don’t watch any Aussie dramas now …got fed up with ‘theatrical’ acting ..poor story lines & scripts
]
markjs
Yes I used to view UK drama as the gold standard, but these days I’d say (for me) that honor is shared between the UK and the US. Still we all have different tastes and no one view is correct. I love a quality TV series no matter where it comes from. I’m currently watching a French crime drama called Spiral, which is superb.
Interestingly, I’ve always considered Sam Neil to be a one-dimensional wooden actor ..until I saw him in ‘Peeky Blinders’ earlier this year.
His acting was faultless & thoroughly convincing …script was superb, & I suspect the director was able to bring out Neil’s superb performance..
Thoroughly recommended 🙂