Slow death of Labor
Sun Herald
Sunday March 27, 2011
THE crowd was chanting "We want Bob" as then-premier Bob Carr took the stage on March 22, 2003.He had made history. "No government has ever won a third four-year term until tonight," Mr Carr told an audience of party faithful.Last night made Labor Party history for an entirely different reason.It was wiped out on a brutal scale, with opinion polls casting it as outsiders in a competition it had no chance of winning.There was a degree of resignation at the polling booths yesterday. Kristina Keneally refused to comment on opinion polls, saying she would fight until the close of polling. But even safe Labor seats were under pressure and candidates who had enjoyed years of popularity accepted it was a difficult election.Strathfield MP Virginia Judge asked Ms Keneally if she was "jaded" outside Burwood Girls High School, but the Premier insisted she was "pumped"."A lot of people are saying, 'Good luck'," Ms Judge said with a shrug.Ms Keneally handed out how-to-vote cards until polls closed, and greeted supportive voters with "thank you" and "that means a lot".Party insiders knew they would not win but Ms Keneally seemed omnipresent as a sign Labor would plead for every vote.Voters were over Labor. After 23 MPs were "shown the door" by Ms Keneally, she was confident the party was in a period of renewal.Part of the renewal that pundits say Labor needs so desperately is another new leader. After the dust settles, Blacktown candidate John Robertson is expected to become opposition leader.He is well regarded in the party, and as an electrician and former union boss, represents the party returning to its origins.His electorate, a Labor heartland, has only been held by the Liberal party once in 70 years. In a sign that real trouble was brewing, it was a seat that Labor strategists were not confident of winning.This presented problems for a party that accepted it needed to rebuild from an electoral devastation, the likes of which it has not seen before.Mr Robertson knew that winning his seat meant more to the party than an extra voice in opposition. He was cautious yesterday with his comments, after putting in marathon 15-hour campaigning days.He looked tired as he handed out how-to-vote flyers with his wife and two sons."I have been doing 14 to 16 hours a day pretty much since the middle of January. There is nothing more that we could have done in this campaign."I have received recognition for the things I have been delivering for Parramatta - I mean Blacktown. I have been working too hard!"Liberal candidate Karlo Siljeg said: "I have given Labor the fight of their lives. I have talked to people who have lived there their whole lives, and always voted Labor, that say they are not going to vote for them this time around."In Cabramatta the party knew it was in trouble. In the 2008 byelection forced by the resignation of MP Reba Meagher, the party felt the electorate's wrath - its safe 29 per cent margin smashed to just 7.9 per cent.Yesterday many voters were not inclined to reveal which way they had voted, though Melissa Kua said she had voted for Liberal candidate Dai Le because she was Asian.Dave and Kim Batterham said they had stuck with the incumbent, Labor's Nick Lalich, because they felt he was trying to tackle local issues. Lana Rowil said she had voted Liberal because she felt the state needed a change.In the past few weeks there have been accusations of dirty tricks and scuffles between political supporters, and Mr Lalich handing out a pamphlet authorised by the Labor Party accusing Ms Le, a former ABC journalist, of supporting the One Nation party.The pamphlet shows photos of Ms Le sitting with former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Chris Spence, a former One Nation member and the Liberal candidate for The Entrance.Yesterday Mr Lalich brushed off the claims, saying instead it had been a campaign of camaraderie. He said he had fought hard for the seat and one of the biggest issues people raised was parking in the city area.Ms Le said she had an "amazing response" from voters, particularly in the Labor strongholds of Mount Pritchard and Bonnyrigg.It is the end of an era for Labor. May the defeat teach it the humility and decency that every state deserves from its ruling party.
© 2011 Sun Herald
