Federal Government
MARGINAL: Happy little Corangamites vie to fry the Cheeseman
The field for Corangamite is reasonably clear, despite the secretive Tony Nutt’s attempts to keep the nominees’ identity quiet.
He clearly spent too much time in the PMO carrying around important looking files marked RESTRICTED, SECRET, PROTECTED, CABINET IN CONFIDENCE and such. Think Hollowmen meets the Adam’s Family meets Spooks.
The Geelong Advertiser’s Jeff Whalley, an enthusiast for Rastafarian music, has been able to forcibly extract the identity of Tory candidates vying for the opportunity to run against Labor’s Darren Cheeseman.
Patriots will recall that Cheeseman ought never have been the Labor candidate elected by rogue Labor Right votes that went astray. The Kim Carr aligned Socialist Cheeseman is no genius but did work like a Trojan in his campaign, perhaps realising this the highest income earning opportunity he would ever have. The rest is history, he bumped off the decrepit Stewart Macarthur after personally calling and door-knocking literally thousands of people.
So Liberals in the Geelong precinct will be hopeful of knocking him off. We have our doubts about this given Newspoll and the fact that outer Geelong keeps growing in the boundaries of Corangamite.
But what Rasta Jeff describes as a “strong cast” of candidates has emerged, he says local Liberals saying “the seat is seen as there for the taking.”
There’s Sarah Henderson, a former ABC 7.30 Report host. We don’t ever remember that show even remotely looking like it was presented by a Lib, she clearly kept her blue light under a bushel while working at the ABC. Wisely so. Her mum – Ann Henderson – was the MP for Geelong and was one of Jeff Kennett’s favourites back in the day when his blessing was all you needed to run things, get a casino licence and build a toll-road or two. Good times. She very narrowly lost her seat of Geelong, costing the Liberals government in 1999 in the most unexpected of circumstances. Legend has it that had the Geelong Football Club not been on an end of season trip that she might have won.
Michael King runs a funeral business named after his favourite person. He employed a particularly feral Geelong councillor who was once accused of moon-howling, in the form Barbara Abley. If King isn’t successful in Corangamite, he’ll probably take another crack at South Barwon where Michael Crutchfield holds court, with Blackberry in hand.
Simon Ramsay hasn’t announced his intention to run but is also an impressive candidate, running the Victorian Farmers Federation. The Baillieu people would probably support him.
Rod Knockles is also running, and is a committed Kroger-Costello factional operative. Bluster is his strong point, critics say. Challenged Stewart McArthur unsuccessfully for preselection last time.
Rasta Jeff say na much about their allegiances but he reads this site so now he knows.
And who’ll win? Probably Ramsay but Knockles has a nice little base down there so is not to be ruled out. Sarah Henderson certainly looks presentable and good on paper. Now for the acid test.
Discussion
13 comments for “MARGINAL: Happy little Corangamites vie to fry the Cheeseman”
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Sarah Henderson hiding her blue light. What a load of crap. Didn’t you ever read her Liberal Party cheer quad pieces she used to write for the Hun.
Love the fact that her mum lost her seat because of Bill Brownless (best thing he ever did). She lost by 8 votes and he took 3 hours off in the middle of the day from handing out to have a counter meal and place a few bets.
I am not sure who your source is but Mr Cheeseman did not do much work in his campaign, and he has followed through on that by doing even less since winning. He will struggle to lose by less than 4000 votes. The Liberal who wins the preselection for Corangamite should go and start checking out flats in Kingston straight away.
what about bev?
The fact that so few have responded to this article thus far, says alot about the care factor in relation to Corangamite.
Go to the Kooyong story. It is like a Greek Tragedy, but minus the Greek and lots of comedy.
And we all know what Greek’s are So partial to?
BACKDOOR!!
Regardless of who will get preselected – cheesemans gone
Anon – I wish I shared your enthusiasm.
Corangamite is held by less than 1%, but given how well Kevvie and Co are doing in the polls, only the most optimistic Coalition supporter would pencil in Corangamite as a definite win at the next federal election.
Of course a lot can happen between now and the next election, but the most probable outcome is that doofus Cheesman will get a second term.
Corangamite will not be winnable at the next election, but it will be at the one after that.
That’s why I will be nominating in 2013.
these Liberal candidates will have a hard time beating Joe Taylor in 2010!
C’mon, The Cheese is terrific, has taken to the job like a duck to water. He is there for two more terms.
I see in the Geelong Addy that there are 6 candidates: Henderson. King. Ramsay, Knockles, Simon Price and one other. Preferences could be interesting!
I wonder who will get the 10%?
Only King will get anywhere near Joe Taylor. Oops, I mean Darren Cheeseman.
The good people of affluent Apollo Bay and Lorne spoke very clearly on election day 2007.
Apollo Bay booth: 11% swing to Labor.
Lorne booth: 14% swing to Labor.
I think that with the current hopeless state of the Libs – this result will consolidate at the next election.