Hunter's Best

Is the ALP dominance in the Hunter affecting our share of government funding?

Article by: Andrew Milliss

A quick internet search reveals that out of the four House of Representatives electorates that are in at least part of the Hunters boundaries three of them are held by members of the Australian Labor Party, the Member for Patterson is the sole Liberal Party member in the Hunter Valley. The seat of Charlton has been represented by a member of the ALP since 1984, the seat of Shortland since 1949 and the Newcastle seat has been a left wing stronghold since Federation.

An examination of the sitting member’s websites shows the Patterson MP is proud to announce his achievements, happily listing federal funding to the very marginal seat in recent times. Now I am sure that the ALP members have done a fantastic job of getting their fair share of funding for their local constituents but on their websites the incumbents seem to be a bit more modest in listing federal grants to their electorates.

Crean defends Combet's Newcastle move

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Opposition frontbencher Simon Crean has defended former ACTU leader Greg Combet's decision to live outside the electorate he hopes to represent.

Mr Combet, Labor's star candidate for the NSW seat of Charlton, and his wife have reportedly bought a $940,000 beachfront terrace in Newcastle.

The house is more than 10km from the electorate of Charlton, which covers the city's working-class southern and western suburbs.

Mr Crean said Mr Combet already had moved from Melbourne to Newcastle in his desire to enter parliament and that was good enough for him.

"I understood that Greg always said that he would, if elected, live in Newcastle," Mr Crean told ABC Radio today.

"He was based in Melbourne, he's made the big shift up there.

"My understanding is that the place that he's bought is only a few minutes out of his electorate. He's living in the area."

Mr Combet was parachuted in as Labor's candidate for Charlton earlier this year, having built himself a national profile as ACTU leader campaigning against the government's workplace laws and seeking compensation for victims of James Hardie's asbestos products.

If Mr Combet wins Charlton, he would not be the only MP living outside his or her electorate.

Prime Minister John Howard's home is in Wollstonecraft on Sydney's lower north shore, but his electorate of Bennelong is several kilometres further west.

Combet defends house outside electorate

Source: ABC Online

Federal Labor candidate Greg Combet has defended his decision to purchase a house outside the New South Wales electorate he is running for.

The former ACTU boss has bought a property in Newcastle East, which is outside the electorate of Charlton in the Lake Macquarie area.

Mr Combet says he is confident the electorate will understand his decision to allow his family to live near the beach in Newcastle.

"I think everyone knows I'm not a local candidate in Charlton, I've lived the last 14 years in Melbourne, and it's extremely important for me that in relocating my family that they are happy in the new house," he said.

"And my wife and son found a house they fell in love with and we've bought that house in Newcastle, but that will not prevent me doing my absolute best for the people of Charlton."

Hawke backs Combet as Charlton candidate

Source: ABC Online

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke has defended the ALP's decision to parachute high profile candidate Greg Combet into the federal seat of Charlton, in Lake Macquarie in the New South Wales Hunter region.

Earlier this year, the party decided against a rank and file preselection by dumping sitting member Kelly Hoare in favour of the ACTU boss.

Mr Hawke and former premier Bob Carr are among several prominent ALP figures (who attended) a campaign fundraiser for Mr Combet in Newcastle (last week).

Mr Hawke says the Mr Combet is an outstanding candidate. "What the rank and file of the Labor movement need and what the working people of this country as a whole, whether they are members of the union or not, need, is a change of government and the Labor Party could not do better than acquire Greg Combet in its ranks, he'd be an outstanding candidate for the ministry," he said.

Become a part of the Kevin07 community

Its hotting up in Cyberspace!

Kevin Rudd will launch today Kevin07, a US style election website designed to motivate voters and tap into the Web 2.0 generation.

It announces, "Become a part of the K07 community. Here at KEVIN07, we're doing things differently."

The website goes through a range of hot topics such as education revolution, job security, economic prosperity, climate change, and iraq. Voters can donate money or what I see as a fashion icon in years to come, the Kevin07 t-shit or bumper sticker.

Throw-in a few a ordinary Australians revealing why they will vote Labor...what no actors? and you get Aussie cyber politics.

To see the site go to www.kevin07.com.au

Kevin Rudd: economic conservative - Youtube

Beware this is a party political broadcast on behalf of the Australian Labour Party

Kevin Rudd on why "economic conservative" is label he wears with pride: his plan to keep interest rates low and the budget in surplus, increase productivity and help Australia go forward with fairness.

'I trusted Milton' - former MP to police

THE former Newcastle MP Bryce Gaudry has admitted he should have followed up allegations against Milton Orkopoulos rather than take the word of the sacked Aboriginal affairs minister, a court has been told.

Orkopoulos, who turned 50 on Sunday, was yesterday committed to stand trial on 52 child-sex and drug charges allegedly relating to three young boys and spanning 10 years from 1996.

Orkopoulos committed for trial on child sex charges

Source: AAP

Former NSW Government minister Milton Orkopoulos has been committed to stand trial on child sex and drug charges.

Orkopoulos, 49, appeared in the Newcastle Local Court before magistrate Richard Wakely today.

He was committed for trial, with an arraignment hearing to be held on August 2.

Youtube - Presidential Debates

American politicians can do it...can Aussie pollies?

Yes...debate on YouTube! Monday's first-of-its-kind U.S. presidential debate in which candidates answered questions submitted by YouTube users on video. Reknowned for wackiness, YouTube users are showing their serious side for a chance to have a voice in the presidential race. The GOP candidates get their turn in September.

Here's question 3 & Hillary Clinton's answer:

John Howard and Kevin Rudd in Myspace

Youtube and now its the turn of Myspace

Federal election only months away and it's hotting up in cyberspace with both political leaders trying to engage the electorate.

The two major candidates are vying to become the next Australian leader and have traded barbs on cyberspace ahead of the federal election.

This begs the question, can we use Myspace's own polling system 'Number of Friends' as a possible predictor of how the boys are going to do in the election?

Thursday's Myspace polling results:

John Howard has 12237 friends

Kevin Rudd has 7289 friends

At the moment, John Howard is getting a boost in the Myspace polls, but will this translate in to real votes on the day?