Naked Eye

Sun Herald

Sunday October 19, 2008

KERRY-ANNE WALSH and LISA CARTY

Farewell to a normal bloke

TIM GARTRELL was a normal bloke in an abnormal job, Labor elder John Faulkner said of the ALP's departing top strategist at a swish function in Canberra on Thursday night. Faulkner - a po-faced senator who transforms into a witting and entertaining after-dinner speaker - placed the outgoing national secretary in Labor's history books as one of its best strategists and advisers. Faulkner reckoned Gartrell was an oddity in the Labor Party - he knew less about sport than any man, woman or child in Australia; and, incredibly, bought only one slab of full-strength beer and one of light for Anthony Albanese's campaign launch in 1996. Faulkner organised emergency rations of another 22 cartons. Another strategist, Mike Kaiser, raised cheers from the 200-strong crowd when he declared that the country owed thanks to Gartrell, Labor's national campaign director for the past two elections, particularly for not winning the 2004 election when Mark Latham was leader. Ouch: Laborites know how to hate. Luminaries in attendance included Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd roared in after dinner to deliver a laudatory speech, then roared out to attend to another crisis somewhere.

Perks of the office

WE KNOW former premiers get perks (Morris Iemma has an office and a staffer for a year and a ministerial car and driver for 15 months) but former MPs also have a few little sweeteners, apart from their generous pensions. The NSW Parliament has a serene Former Members' Room, overlooking a garden, complete with a large dining table, comfy couches and a computer. A great place to hang out, or have a meeting or even a nap, we suspect. On non-sitting days, former MPs can access the gym (which is why a very sweaty former Democrat MLC Arthur Chesterfield-Evans emerged from the squash court last Monday) and use the dining room. But, in a cautious move, they have to pay on the spot and can't run up accounts. But the best perk of all is $15-a-day parking, also on non-sitting days. The clerk of the Legislative Assembly Russell Grove said the parking is to be used occasionally, not regularly, although a few former members had had to be reminded of that.

Breastfeeding-friendly

FEDERAL Parliament finally has designated breastfeeding rooms. Only two, but at least it's a start. The Australian Breastfeeding Association formally accredited and recognised the building late last week as a breastfeeding-friendly workplace. Wheels move slowly in the federal house of democracy. It was more than a year ago that a parliamentary committee asked the Speaker and Senate President to set aside rooms and seek the formal accreditation. But that's lightning quick in comparison to the push for in-house child-care facilities. Now under construction, the creche will open soon - 20 years after the first committee formed to establish it.

Glad he got that in

OUR favourite moment from last weeks' NSW budget estimates hearings at the NSW Parliament came when Education Minister Verity Firth was quizzed about a possible national curriculum. Tom Alegounarias, director of the Teachers Institute, made this startling contribution: "It may be worth mentioning that the chair of the National Curriculum Board, Professor Barry McGaw, has made explicit and public statements that the measure that the [board] will need to meet will be at least the NSW measure and that it would be legitimate for jurisdictions such as NSW not to participate in the implementation of a curriculum that was palpably and publicly seen to be a lesser curriculum. That would be a broad community expectation, not just a political expectation. In addition, there is explicit recognition by all members of the board of the quality of the work that has emanated over time on NSW. Further to that again, the framework papers that have been produced - and the history one is the clearest example - makes clear that the criteria and the nature of the curriculum will not be one that seeks to achieve a compromised standard somewhere in between NSW and the other states." Right then.

Burke's barbecue

FEDERAL Agriculture Minister Tony Burke is taking his duties seriously, throwing a "Burkie's Backyard Barbie" in Parliament tomorrow to show off the best of Aussie meats. He's taking over an alcove off the Prime Minister's corridor to serve up beef, lamb and goat meat. Cooked, we hope. Special guest will be Sam Kekovich, the deadpan comic in TV ads for the lamb industry who roasts (sorry) people who don't eat meat as un-Australian. Maybe now that the Government has announced it will give millions of Australians a Christmas bail-out bonus, Aussies might actually be able to afford a lamb chop or two over the hols.

The other side of Rees

MUCH has been made of Nathan Rees being a proud westie and former garbo but his passion for the arts is genuine. Rees will speak at the farewell of Historic Houses Trust director Peter Watts at Government House on Wednesday. After 27 years in the job, Watts is retiring as the trust's first and only director. Watts hands over the reigns to Kate Clark, a Sydneysider based for the past 20 years in Britain running her own consultancy advising on international heritage and conservation developments.

Hawker the hunter

DAVID HAWKER was a federal Speaker in the former Coalition years who holds Malcolm Fraser's old regional Victorian seat of Wannon. Since the Coalition was tossed from office, he's sat meekly on the Liberal backbench, uttering not a squeak. So it was surprising, to say the least, when he leapt to his feet on Tuesday to table a petition - to open up Australia as a hunting ground. The petition was organised by the International Coalition for Women in Shooting and Hunting and Hawker reckoned Federal Parliament would be doing its job well if it endorsed the right of rural Australia to welcome hunters into their communities. Hunting was a fine way to conserve species and ecosystems, he declared without laughing. Anyone hear the faint sound of banjos?

PS

UNDERPANTS dancer Matt Brown was police minister for less than three days, just long enough to run up a $261.34 taxpayer-funded bill for new stationery. We reckon one of those business cards will be a collector's item.

MAD MOMENT

The funeral of former Wran government minister Peter Cox last week brought back memories. Cox's former chief of staff Darryl Clout recalled the time he heard Cox phone Auburn Hospital to say he would not be able to attend that night's board meeting. "There was a pregnant pause and then Coxy said: 'Oh, last night? I can't come last night either'."

Feeling sheepish

FORGET the Melbourne Cup - the real race has been run and won at Brewarrina, where a mob of sheep bolting around the track drew fervent interest. Local MP Kevin Humphries observed: "The real politicians in power never venture out west - the sheep are probably more capable decision makers when it comes to regional affairs." The Mutton Marathon featured Della Botchitup, Re Baa Maa, Wayne Goose, Barnaby Voice, Kevin O'Dud, Mosman Turnbull and Joe Cocky. For a short time, Carmel Debbit was the leader but settled for second spot (as in life). The race was won by Brendan Who. Gone but not forgotten.

© 2008 Sun Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home