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DREGS OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

Reader Andrew Richards challenges Labor:

I will give $1000 to charity if the ALP nominates as the candidate to replace Latham someone who is not a union official and/or a teacher and/or a political functionary and/or a lawyer.

Andrew’s cash is safe. Consider the current pool of possible nominees:

* Alex Sanchez: political functionary, Latham advisor.

* Meg Oates: teacher, ALP hack.

* Steven Chaytor: law graduate, political functionary, Whitlam advisor.

* Brenton Banfield: lawyer, council mayor.

Quality field. Incidentally, why does Whitlam still need an advisor—or, to give Chaytor his full title, “senior advisor”? Is his advice mainly political, or does it cover typical old-man issues like “Pants! Don’t forget your pants!”?

Posted by Tim B. on 01/20/2005 at 02:13 PM
  1. We should take pity on these poor creatures, grovelling in the dust like worms whose sheltering rock has been taken away…

    Posted by Bilious Young Fogey on 2005 01 20 at 03:37 PM • permalink

  2. I would LOVE to run as the Liberal Canditate for Werriwa - That seat can definitely be won from Labour now.

    Poker Machine poverty = State Labour F up
    Hospitals, schools, water = State Labour F up.

    State Labour has had 10 years of super economic growth and EVERYTHING they are responsible for is in perpetual crisis. AND the budget is massively in deficit.

    Council Bankrupted = Local Labour F up
    Werriwa federally ignored = Federal Labour doesn’t care about westies.

    There is no way that is a safe labour seat now!!!

    Posted by knuckleheadwatch on 2005 01 20 at 04:02 PM • permalink

  3. On that Emily’s list site Meg Oates is described as the Future Member for Macarthur.  A little presumptuous don’t you think?  She only lost by 19% on TPP vote. 

    Posted by Mike Hunt on 2005 01 20 at 04:09 PM • permalink

  4. The one thing Chaytor clearly has NOT advised Goof Witless to do is, “STFU, you rambling old never-was”.

    Posted by Jim Riley on 2005 01 20 at 04:12 PM • permalink

  5. nsw state labore’s had a dream run from the press even tho public transport and the hospitals are up the shit. nothing to see here folks, move on.

    Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 01 20 at 04:13 PM • permalink

  6. Senior Advisor means advising the senior. Malcolm Fraser should have had one ever since he left office and started losing his pants.

    Posted by blogstrop on 2005 01 20 at 04:24 PM • permalink

  7. Billy Snedden’s advisor didn’t have much advice to offer about the pants either, it seems. or Billy just wasn’t listening!

    Posted by blogstrop on 2005 01 20 at 04:27 PM • permalink

  8. Hmm, maybe senior advisor to Gough is more like Waylon Smithers to Monty Burns.

    Tim nailed it though, looks good on a cv, though advising him about what?

    Posted by Nic on 2005 01 20 at 04:34 PM • permalink

  9. I reckon the Libs should run with Sam Kekovich…he’d kill these hacks.

    Posted by Art Vandelay on 2005 01 20 at 04:37 PM • permalink

  10. The convenors of the Emily’s list website shop seem to be right on the money with their merchandise. The “Future Prime Minister” tee shirts they are selling only come in kids sizes. As the website states these tee shirts are a “always a favourite with Emily’s List members”. I can only assume Meg Oates wears one on each arm.

    Posted by Hank Reardon on 2005 01 20 at 04:51 PM • permalink

  11. Wasn’t Billy Snedden’s personal adviser in bed with him at the time?

    If Pat Farmer can win the neighbouring electorate for the Libs, maybe they should run a sportsman/woman in Werriwa. Mark Geyer might be available. Well, he’d be better than any of the above ALP hacks.

    Posted by mr magoo on 2005 01 20 at 04:55 PM • permalink

  12. Newsflash - ABC World Today has Leigh Sales (U.S. ) report on blogosphere mentions Margo’s site S.M.H. and Bulletin’s Tim Blair site only. More later detail.

    Posted by crash on 2005 01 20 at 05:02 PM • permalink

  13. An
    article in today’s Australian proposes Greg Combet from the ACTU as a federal Labor MP. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry: laugh because clowns like Combet and Burrow can keep Labor out for years, or cry because the buggers might just get in one day and this clown could be Treasurer or Industrial Relations Minister.

    As for teachers and lawyers running for parliament, I actually don’t see anything wrong with that, as long as they’re really teachers and lawyers - not teachers’ union officials, education department hacks, or filling in time at ambulance-chasing firms in between their previous job as a union official and their next job as a Labor MP.

    John Howard and Peter Costello were lawyers before they entered parliament, an they seem to have done okay.

    Posted by steve68 on 2005 01 20 at 05:43 PM • permalink

  14. just following up on the Greg Combet article, I’ve only seen the online version - who actually wrote this shit? The online version made me think Greg Combet was the author until I read the article itself.

    Posted by steve68 on 2005 01 20 at 05:44 PM • permalink

  15. Too late Magoo. Mark Geyer I’m sure is taken. Brogden paraded Geyer and a raft of other popularity over substance individuals at the Liberal Party State Council about 18 months ago touting them as future candidates. ALP will pick a union official or political hack for sure, I think it is more interesting as to who the Libs choose, given we’re dealing with Federal and not NSW State Libs it should attract a good candidate.

    Posted by Hank Reardon on 2005 01 20 at 06:04 PM • permalink

  16. The Liberals probably won’t run a candidate. They will stay on the sidelines like they did in Cunningham and hope that an independent or Green will knock the ALP off.

    I wish they would have the courage of what convictions they have and give the people of Werriwa a choice.

    The bottom line is the ALP offers dependency and poverty to its constituency and taxes everyone else into submission to pay for it.

    amortiser

    Posted by amortiser on 2005 01 20 at 06:48 PM • permalink

  17. Today The Age drags out one its stable of tired old lefty hacks, this time Gregory Hywood , who is yet another former editor-in-chief of The Age, to say that
    “Beazley must reinvent himself, and Labor”
    and that
    “ There are signs Labor is recognising the weakness, certainly in Victoria. A recent rapprochement between the right-wing Labor Unity and the breakaway NUW group is likely to see a major shake-out among what were once safe Labor seats but are now looking decidedly marginal. Harry Jenkins in Scullin, Bob Sercombe in Maribyrnong, Ann Corcoran in Isaacs, Gavan O’Connor in Corio, and Maria Vamvakinou in Calwell will struggle to hold on to their preselections. Even Simon Crean in Hotham could face serious challenge.. .The judgement of party heavies is that the sitting members’ performance in these seats has been woeful over the past three elections. Those earmarked to move in include Bill Shorten, the national secretary of the AWU, a man Beazley considers to have great prospects; Richard Marles, an assistant secretary of the ACTU; and Martin Pakula, an NUW branch secretary. It is a pretty union-heavy influx - without the variety of Coalition candidates. But Labor badly needs fresh blood and Beazley should push hard for a national focus on bringing in new talent.”

    Well no Gregory, it is not “pretty union-heavy” it is “100% union-heavy” and you cannot get more than 100%, even with Beazley economics.. and this is Gregory’s version of a “major shake-out”

    Posted by arnienelly on 2005 01 20 at 07:49 PM • permalink

  18. As Gough moves on in life, I suspect it’s the role of his advisor to nudge him at important moments and say, it’s men and women of Australia, remember it boss.”

    In some ways the political functionary is a positive creature (okay shoot me down now - figuratively speaking of course) because they have a knowledge of the system and how it works. 

    On the other hand, they are usually so mired in that system that they have an inability to relate to most people outside of it. 

    Posted by Major Anya on 2005 01 20 at 08:17 PM • permalink

  19. I think it’s time for labor to run with “Un-named Labor leader”.

    Un-named Democrat seemed to do wonders in US polling. What’s labor got to lose?

    ... and this from Julia Gillard http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1285514.htm

    “I’ve always found in the various leadership issues I’ve been involved in, that there’s a great deal of wisdom in Labor Party caucus, and I want to tap into that wisdom by talking to my caucus colleagues.”

    I nearly choked on my dinner when I heard that on the ABC! This incredible wisdom that has managed to lose 4 successive elections for labor… that’s like asking a 35 year old virgin for dating advice!

    Posted by taspundit on 2005 01 20 at 08:50 PM • permalink

  20. On this blog it is not mandatory to have completed the field saying whether you are a 35 year old virgin. It probably is on some of those more wacky SMH-like ones. No doubt Leigh Sales will cover this in her report for ABC. We can hardly wait.

    Posted by blogstrop on 2005 01 20 at 11:26 PM • permalink

  21. Beazley must reinvent himself, and Labor

    He could put on a Nazi uniform, that would put the cat amongst the pigeons.

    Posted by rog on 2005 01 20 at 11:46 PM • permalink

  22. Wasnt Billy Snedden giving dictation when his number was up?

    Posted by rog on 2005 01 20 at 11:49 PM • permalink

  23. Somehow I think they mean advisor when Whitlam was in government, not now.

    Posted by Nic White on 2005 01 21 at 12:44 AM • permalink

  24. Prue Ac????????

    Posted by crash on 2005 01 21 at 12:49 AM • permalink

  25. “Pants! Don’t forget your pants!”

    I thought that was Senator Kennedy’s senior advisor’s line.

    Or Bill Clinton’s.

    Posted by ErnieG on 2005 01 21 at 02:14 AM • permalink

  26. Big Mal only got caught once with his pants down but, in his prime, was rarely seen with them on after dark in the traps around Canberra.

    Posted by Henry boy on 2005 01 21 at 09:30 AM • permalink

  27. Firstly - to the person who said that Libs shouldn’t run in Werriwa and leave it to the Greens - ??
    It’s the outer western suburbs of Sydney! This is so far from being a greens heartland it’s not funny. The libs have to give themselves a chance in Werriwa if they can get the right candidate up and running.
    Look at the swings they got in similar seats in outer suburban Melbourne - like Calwell, Isaacs and Holt (Holt and Isaacs are now more marginal for the ALP than the perennially marginal Chisholm).

    Posted by medusa on 2005 01 21 at 11:41 AM • permalink

  28. Sam Kekovich would be a winner for the Libs in Werriwa.

    Posted by roxylady on 2005 01 21 at 04:00 PM • permalink

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