Located in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Groom is dominated by the city of Toowoomba about 100 kilometres west of Brisbane, which accounts for slightly less than 80% of its population. Toowoomba is near the electorate’s eastern boundary, from which it extends westwards to Jondaryan and Pittsworth and northwards to Goombungee, along with sparsely populared rural areas further afield. The electorate was created with the expansion of parliament in 1984 as the successor to Darling Downs, which had existed since federation. Neither Darling Downs nor Groom has ever been held by Labor.
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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. |
Darling Downs was held by the major conservative movement of the time from 1901 until 1936, when Arthur Fadden gained it for the Country Party at a by-election held after the death of United Australia Party member Sir Littleton Groom, who gives the modern electorate its name. When parliament expanded in 1949, Fadden moved to the new seat of McPherson, and an agreement between the coalition parties reserved Darling Downs for the Liberals. It was accordingly won with little difficulty by Liberal candidate Reginald Swartz, who retained it until his retirement in 1972. A three-cornered contest ensued at the 1972 election, in which Country Party candidate Tom McVeigh secured a comfortable victory after outpolling the Liberal candidate by 32.3% to 22.5%. McVeigh carried on as member for Groom after 1984 and retired in February 1988, leading to another three-cornered contest at the ensuing by-election. This time the seat fell to the Liberals, whose candidate Bill Taylor outpolled the Nationals candidate by 33.3% to 28.8%. With Taylor’s retirement in 1998 the seat was bequeathed to its current member, Ian Macfarlane, who polled 33.1% on debut against 18.0% for One Nation and 15.2% for the Nationals. The Nationals again fielded a candidate against Macfarlane in 2001, but gave him little trouble.
Recognisable for a distinctive voice resulting from damage sustained to his larynx following a cancer operation in 2004, Macfarlane served as a minister in the Howard government from January 2001, first in the junior portfolio of small business, then attaining cabinet rank as Industry, Tourism and Resources Minister after the October 2001 election. He attained further seniority in opposition, holding the trade portfolio under Brendan Nelson and energy and resources under Malcolm Turnbull. When Tony Abbott became leader in December 2009 he was moved to infrastructure to make way for Nick Minchin, but he recovered energy and resources when Minchin retired from the front-bench the following March. With the election of the Abbott government he was allocated to an expanded industry portfolio that incorporated responsibility for mining and science, the lack of a dedicated portfolio for the latter inspiring some controversy.
GG and zoomster
Obama did get things done. He put in measures to protect jobs against the GFC. That was harder for him after Bush.
He got Obamacare through. More than Bill and Hillary got done in their time.
Oakeshott Country@1145
How is that proven or disproved?
Watching 4corners:
Two sad points:
1. In a two-party state the barrier reef is doomed;
2. The barrier reef made a fatal and stupid decision to position itself in Queensland.
z,
I’m actually agreeing with you as I acknowledge your astute prediction on this matter.
[OC
If that was the case its amazing 2 years and nio charges]
Yes, amazing, you’d almost think the Swedish authorities wanted to question him first… If only he’d made himself available.
*rolls eyes*
Assange was willing to give evidence in the UK where the Swedish Magistrate has no power to proceed the case. He refused to present to the Magistrate in Sweden.
Umm Henry, Bozo, how can I explain it so you could understand?
If you had 9 circuses in one competition and 8 circuses in another competition, surely it should come as no surprise that the competition with 9 circuses each weekend would amount to more betting than the competition with only 8 circuses.
The final series (which comprise the same number of games) attracts more money in the NRL 😈
[the ‘haves’ are feeling ok]
The same could be said for the last government and they still got punted.
PeeBee,
There’s actually a Court order to extradite Assange to Sweden.
It would have been far better for him to comply with the law than indulge his fantasies.
Oakeshott Country@1156
He could have given his evidence and then if the Magistrate had decided to lay charges, he could be charged and extradition sought.
1145
An existing relationship is not consent. Sleeping people are totally unable to consent.
DL
Assange has not refused questioning. He has just refused to return to Sweden to do it without guarantees of no deportation to the US.
Thats a fact however you may want to dispute it
OC
Never in doubt. Actually the amount of ball they turned over in the 2nd half was a worry – no probs in the end.
GG. Is the court order enforceable in UK?
centre,
As long as the circus plays, you’ll always have a job as a clown.
PB
Yes. Future people it will be different. They will have to charge first not issue warrant for questioning
Peebee,
Well, court orders from a specific jurisdiction are usually enforceable in the same jurisdiction.
GG
Are you auditioning for Henry’s sidekick lol
Centre,
I’ll kick any one for a good cause.
Bemused
Assange’s lawyers admitted the penetration while asleep in open court
http://studentactivism.net/2011/07/12/assange-lawyer-concedes/
Obviously consent can’t be given when asleep. Their argument is that as sex continued when she woke up their was consent to the whole episode.
Very murky and certainly not to be dismissed without consideration as some of his supporters suggest.
The Swedish Magistrature is not a travel service.
And they are not in a position to bind other states in relation to criminal investigations.
GG
[Either McCain or Hillary would not have missed the opportunities to advance their programmes that Obama has.]
It’s hard to see what would have been different.
Oakeshott Country@1170
What was she expecting to happen in the same bed?
Seems to me she was up for it and is now just quibbling about minor details in retrospect.
[The Swedish Magistrature is not a travel service.]
Well you got that part right.
Fran,
That’s because you have the green fog guiding your though processes.
Once again Sweden is an inquisitorial rather than an adversarial system
Charges are not laid until the equivalent of a magistrate’s hearing is undertaken. The Swedish system does not allow for charges to be laid at this stage.
guytaur
[ He has just refused to return to Sweden to do it without guarantees of no deportation to the US.]
Well, he has that under EU law (which covers Sweden).
Bemused
That really is offensive
GG, so the court order would not be enforceable in UK. So why would Assange’s bother to comply? As Darren says the Swedish Magistrate is not a travel service, but neither should anybody bother spending their time and money to go to Sweden to be questioned. If Sweden wants to talk to you, let them make the effort to do so.
There can be a standing consent as in an agreement that a partner may wake the other partner with sex.
For those who love digesting entrails:
http://justice4assange.com/extraditing-assange.html
guytaur
[ Future people it will be different. They will have to charge first not issue warrant for questioning]
So Sweden should change its long established practices just because of one incident?
They would argue their system is fairer than ours – they do not charge someone until that person has been given a chance to defend themselves.
GG
WOW maybe you could kick yourself and do everyone a favour – hard to find a better cause than that!
PeeBee
[If Sweden wants to talk to you, let them make the effort to do so.]
Well, Sweden has gone to considerable efforts to try and talk to Assange, including a lengthy extradiction case which they won.
PeeBee,
The extradition order is a UK Court Order.Assange submitted to the process and then ensconced himself in the Ecuadorian Embassy because he did not like the outcome.
He’s now about to be arrested and extradited as soon as he steps from Ecuadorian soil.
Although, I’m sure a health plea is forthcoming.
At least try and understand the facts before you embarrass yourself.
Q&A worth watching?
Just seen the preview, the Fat One and Penny Wong…
Centre,
It’s a bit like you and the toilet bowl. You piss and you miss.
Self kicking should be an Olympic Sport given the degree of difficulty.
I’m no longer an athlete.
Oakeshott Country@1178
In what way?
Were they there together to listen to each other snore?
Truss doesn’t believe what he is saying.
[ Assange has not refused questioning. He has just refused to return to Sweden to do it without guarantees of no deportation to the US. ]
That’s my understanding of it. I dont think would be unreasonable for the Swedes to give such a guarantee since it would have nothing to do with the assault case they are investigating and would facilitate what has become a high profile investigation.
[Truss doesn’t believe what he is saying.]
Neither does Wong.
BW
As I implied in a relationship this may have been considered a faux pas as the partners may indeed have that understanding
This seems less likely in a one night stand.
Wow, we have a class warrior on Q&A. Go John Falzon! 😀
Falzon ripping the Abbott Government a new one.
Audience loves it.
GG
[Fran,
That’s because you have the green fog guiding your though processes.]
What would have been different and better?
bemused,
Obviously, lots of Young Libs in tonight’s audience.
Heather Ridout not exactly sympathetic to the budget. 😀
Penny calmly ripping the budget to shreds, exposing the rotten values on which it is based. Go Penny! 😆
Fran,
Neither McCain nor Hillary would have wasted their majority time in the Congress and Senate trying to be conciliatory and nice to the Republicans.
It cost him popularity and his majority in the end.
He’s been a lame duck ever since. All sizzle and no steak.