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Wednesday May 23, 2012

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Rooted at Rooty Hill

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 12 August, 2010 - 4:09 PM
Julia Gillard high above the people in Rooty Hill

The records will show that Julia Gillard lost the ‘battle for Rooty Hill’ in the first minute at the outer Sydney RSL club last night. The venue for the so-called old style town hall meeting.

Two hundred voters, described as ‘undecided’, turned up for an hour with Julia Gillard to be followed by an hour with Tony Abbott. They should have been on the same stage at the same stage. They weren’t. That’s was Abbott’s decision.

But it was Julia’s decision to perch on a high stool on the stage. And that’s where she lost it. She looked like a school marm up there. The only thing animated were her hands. They bear no connection to what she is saying.

Reminded me of that ‘Happy Talk’ song from the movie South Pacific.

Abbott went straight down on to the floor and eyeballed the audience. He won the night. The exit poll said it was 35% to 30% with about 25% still undecided. The Daily Telegraph, which organised the campaign extravaganza, polled 30,000 readers and Abbott won by more than 70%.

Perhaps all that shows us is on how much Labor is on the nose in New South Wales – especially out west where a state by-election saw a 25% swing against the government.

Gillard certainly got more hostile questions than Abbott did. There is obviously deep-seated resentment over the way she and her backers knifed Kevin Rudd.

Abbott’s worst moment was when he tried to explain how Cabinet rolled him over the Medicare safety net after the 2004 election.

He said: ‘I was overridden by my colleagues in Cabinet. I had the option of resigning and causing a crisis, or if you like, swallowing the disappointment.’

But then he showed a flash of hubris when he said: ‘If I’m the Prime Minister, I don’t get overridden by my Cabinet colleagues.’ A whiff of Rudd megalomania there.

One other interesting issue today, as this five-week campaign grinds into the final week: How come the Labor Party is having its official launch next Monday? A month after Julia Gillard announced the election. Weird, right?

I heard some Labor strategist saying how clever it was. They’ll get to announce some big policies and it will give a lift to the final week countdown. It’s more simple than that. And it means you, the taxpayer get screwed. Again.

You see, it’s all about money. Your money. According to the Parliamentary Entitlements Act: The majority of travel by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition during an election campaign is on VIP taxpayer-funded aircraft. The Act entitles the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to travel on those aircraft on campaign business during election campaigns. The campaign period ends on polling day.

But it doesn’t apply to other ministers and shadow ministers and staff and spin doctors and hangers-on. They have to get off the gravy train the minute their party holds its official launch. From that time until election day the bills have to be paid from party funds.

So, the free ride stopped for the Liberals last Sunday. Labor gets another week with the snouts in the trough. It’s worth a lot of money. Your money. So that’s why you have an official launch a month after the real campaign started. But then, we didn’t get the real Julia for the first two weeks, did we?

FOOTNOTE: One of the great losers of this campaign, and the results aren’t even in yet, has to be Mark Latham. And 60 Minutes.  Latham is proving himself to be a thick-skinned bore. Not far from the road rager who once broke a cab driver’s arm.

He interrupted an Abbott campaign appearance today where the Opposition Leader was talking about health benefits for former soldiers. Started talking about Pauline Hanson’s jail sentence. One of the diggers got it right when he said: ‘Get lost.’

And to think this was the man who two elections ago Labor wanted as Prime Minister. One of his most staunch supporters for the leadership was ... Julia Gillard. She supported Latham and then Rudd. I guess, now she has the job, she thinks ‘one out of three aint bad’.

60 Minutes has put out a press release with the headline Latham at Large. Old hands like Ray Martin must be cringing.

Latham told to 'p--s off'

Mark and Tony REPLAY: Mark Latham has again stolen the media spotlight at an election news conference, this time Tony Abbott's. The Opposition Leader was conducting a meet and greet with veterans at an RSL Club in Sydney but the situation soon escalated when Mr Latham walked into the room.

Blog comments Your Say

  • To you labour voters if it was the Liberals with their snouts in the trough you'd be screaming for blood but you just stay blinded to the labour tricks using and wasting our money. No wonder they get in and stuff our country up, you let them.

    Sue Monday 16 August, 2010 - 5:04 PM

  • 3aw has showed its true liberal colours in this election campaign. So I too, after many years of listening have switched off.

    cheryl windram Sunday 15 August, 2010 - 9:23 AM

  • Hinchy, you are right about one thing - DEMOCRACY in this election debate is rooted~! 3AW is just non-stop Liberal Party propaganda~!

    Lenny Friday 13 August, 2010 - 7:27 PM

  • I hope Hinch and his cronies take full responsibility for the disaster that will be an Abbott government.

    mylene Friday 13 August, 2010 - 7:10 AM

  • 3 aw is just a propaganda station for the LLiberal Party I switch off particularly when Derryn Hinch comes on and listen to anything but him. I have two radios going normally on 3AW all day but no longer. Most of my friends have been avid listeners for years used to put up with the obvious bias - but now it is too much.

    Jean Mullaney Thursday 12 August, 2010 - 4:28 PM

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