Right's former sparkie to rewire NSW Labor wreck

Paul Keating may label John Robertson a destroyer but he has risen from the shop floor, writes Shane Green.

In case of power failure, send for a sparkie

"IT IS good to be a rebel and it is good to win." So declared John Robertson delivering his maiden speech to the NSW upper house in 2008.

Coach delays Young for week

DEAN Young's return has been pushed back another week after coach Wayne Bennett left the hooker out of his 18-man squad for Sunday's clash against Newcastle.

ALP short-circuits its own future

WHO is this man? After working as an electrician, he became an organiser with the Electrical Trades Union and active in Labor politics, eventually being elected to the leadership of the unions' peak body in NSW. He was also nominated by the Labor Party to a seat in the Legislative Council, before moving to the lower house to assume the parliamentary leadership at an election which saw a huge swing against Labor.

Park thanks punters with wave of support

KEIRA MP-elect Ryan Park wrapped up his election campaign yesterday the way it began - on the side of the Northern Distributor, waving to motorists.

Young return held back

DEAN Young's return has been pushed back another week after coach Wayne Bennett left the hooker out of his 18-man squad for Sunday's clash against an injury-ravaged Newcastle.

Dog day afternoon among Hay faithful

"BREAK in, make my day," says the sign on the front door.

Good-faith clause protects council certifiers

COUNCIL certifiers are subject to the same obligations as private certifiers to check self-certified building work but they are protected from being prosecuted or sued if they have acted in good faith.

Slow death of Labor

THE crowd was chanting "We want Bob" as then-premier Bob Carr took the stage on March 22, 2003.

Tatt-ooh ... that's a weird one

I HAVE seen some weird and wonderful tattoos in my travels but this one was right up there. In Melbourne on Thursday I spied a young woman with a particularly bountiful chest, wearing a low-cut blouse. And that was not the end of the near-nakedness. For though I seriously tried not to look - no, really - on each breast was the tattooed image of two more near-naked women in bikinis, leaning across the canyon between them to have a bit of a chat, and becoming ever more animated as the woman walked. Mind-boggling.

Life will soon be a highway

WAYNE Hogbin and Pamela Dawson, the couple who brought exotic homewares and jewellery to Newcastle, are planning a big life change.

Filling boots of Weyman offers Gower long innings

LIKE his famous cricketing namesake, Dragons recruit David Gower has had to be patient to achieve his biggest career goal.

Ride the wave

Mining is one of several sectors in which demand for workers is set to continue growing over the next few years.

Mining your future

There's help for skilled tradespeople to move into the resources sector.

Um, yep, I can see them in there . . .

IT SEEMED like the perfect place to unveil an Australia supercar in the making. And it would have been, had somebody not locked the keys in the car.

Tide turns in the battle for Blacktown

John Robertson's odds have improved with some help from his mates, writes Sean Nicholls.

Gillard says a carbon price must be set this year or it will never happen

JULIA GILLARD has declared this year the last chance to price carbon as she positioned her government between the two extremes of the Coalition and the Greens in the climate change debate.

LETTERS

A living hell

Keneally toasts rail work

MORE than two years after Kristina Keneally, as planning minister, formed part of a government that deferred the South West Rail Link, the Premier yesterday celebrated a million hours of work on the project.

Libs call in tradie to win Labor heartland

MARY CAPUTO, single parent, owner of the Lakedge Takeaway at Berkeley Vale, has the perfect thing on the menu for sore heads the morning after the state election.