Federal Government
WINNABLE: Private polling shows Bennelong could be Liberal gain
Following the reports of the Bennelong Liberal preselection tussle this week which saw John Alexander win in a first-round triumph over local rising star Alex Chan, there has been an increasing amount of speculation about why there’d be such interest in the seat.
NSW Liberal sources tell VEXNEWS that they have private polling showing they can win back the seat, despite published polls showing that federal Labor would get a swing to it across Australia.
COAXING
Those party insiders explain that Alexander was not interested in pursuing the marginal Labor seat until he was given a briefing on the private polling by backers keen on setting up a celebrity face-off between the former tennis and sports commentator star and Labor’s former ABCista Maxine McKew, who is now a Rudd government Parliamentary Secretary and is considered a likely promotion candidate should she survive the next election and endure the Mark Arbib selection trial by ordeal.
Alexander’s backers have publicly pointed to a campaign by a Liberal friendly local Residents Against Inappropriate Development in the area, who have been attacking large state government public housing projects that are going into the seat. Labor strategists hope this will add to the cultural diversity of the area and boost Labor’s vote in this knife-edge seat. VEXNEWS understands that Greens party members and supporters have infiltrated this group and that they will be agitating to put McKew last for doing nothing about community concerns about the public housing projects.
NIMBY POWER
It’s a similar phenomenon to that occurring in some of Melbourne’s suburbs where anti-development groups shift away from their traditionally left-wing position to an anti-Labor position that includes opposing housing for the most disadvantaged people. In Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west, a notorious group called SunRRA, which has been linked to race hate campaigns against community leaders, agitates strongly against social housing projects arguing there is “already enough poor people” in the area.
In Bennelong, there’ll be more polling done before resource allocation decisions are made by the federal Liberal secretariat but it’s expected to be a top priority for party director Brian Loughnane. In addition, Alexander is very well connected around the Sydney property development and cocktail circuit set and is expected – according to one source – to raise a “small fortune” to “blast McKew all the way back to the ABC.” Our source understands that Alexander’s personal fundraising target will be in excess of $500,000, making him a formidable opponent for McKew.
Discussion
85 comments for “WINNABLE: Private polling shows Bennelong could be Liberal gain”
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I love a good private polling. Welcome to Wahroonga, David Clarke!
Will this sheep bite the sheep dog, or will he also betray the Menzies Dream?
Baaaaaaaaaaa.
Anyone who gets rid of Maxine gets my vote.
The Smith Dynasty will be alive and well in 2013.
Private polling? Yes thanks!
I was just ‘push polled & poll driven’ in the far cubicle in the Wahroonga male public lavatory by Byron.
Anything I can do?
White City Tennis Club members won’t be donating to the war chest.
The media keep saying: ‘Tony Abbott is taking Australia backwards’. Tony can take me backwards whenever he fancies.
I for one will be handing out how-to-vote cards in Bennelong. JA all the way.
I note the CNN headline today “MP makes indecent Christmas party proposal.”
Is Ken Capar a member of the Swedish parliament now?
private polling what they asked themselves?
andersons closet will be opened and then its game set and match McKew
Well the Tali have proven that they are the New New Group, getting on board with the Group’s candidate to screw over the Right-Wing Conservative in the contest. The only person in the contest who has done ANYTHING for the party.
Good work Tali, whether it is the Smiths, the McCoys, the Perrottets or the Clarkes they continue to prove they are the real AMBITION faction!
I’ll bend over forwards to get John inside my grecian cave. Perhaps then a bit of ‘cave to mouth’ might come into play.
My private poleing indicates that I have two inches of support but it is quite soft. I like people who are prepared to examine my pole to see what might cum up in the future.
JA is a tosser (whoops, a ball tosser) who like most would-be politicians actually represent nobody.
Maxine is doing a magnificent job meanwhile. Even if it came to a tennis match between the two, Maxine would probably trounce him.
Anything’s better than an Alex Hawke stooge. He’s the last thing that party needs right now. Mark Chan is not right wing at all. Everyone knows that.
Baaaaaaaa said the sheep
Woof said the dog
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr said the tiger
First I rode the wave with Clarrkke and the Right crushing the Lefties like Phartioos all in the shadow of the conservative giant J W Howard.
Then things changed. We lost the election the election and the soul of the Liberal Party was up for grabs. It was time to wedge. I’d damaged the left so now it was time to strike the right. I screwed them over in preselections, I was leaking like an incontinent sixty year old woman. When Malcolm came in I was set my leftward lurch looked set to hand me a promotion. but then…
Alan Jones started Hawkebashing like it was going out fashion, there was that Downfall video and the infamous “call the cops” debacle. Then Malcolm got the chop and Tony was sworn in and I was left drowning in factional no man’s land.
Now the right and the left have figured out who the real enemy is and knocked my stooge Chan out of Bennelong. The clock is ticking…
and still no promotion. *sniffle*
Labor is using the cover of Federal Economic Stimulus funding to shift public housing tenants and pro Labor voters into knife edge seats. The legacy of being in power at all three levels means that this happens with ease irrepsective of planning merits.
Sometimes, pesky local communities trock the boat but Labor Planning Ministers can fast track these projects without regard to obejctors.
Can we please identify the electorates ( Fedeal, state – both assembly and where relevant, the upper house , location of the public housing projects and number and type of occupants here.
Thi spolitical scam will make for a very good royal commission or as a basic start, an auditor general’s inquiry.
[...] VexNews reports: NSW Liberal sources tell VEXNEWS that they have private polling showing they can win back the seat, despite published polls showing that federal Labor would get a swing to it across Australia. Read the story. [...]
I haven’t had it up the old Wahroonga for almost five hours now. Come on chaps!
We always knew Clarke was f^&*ed. Backing that Bulldogs Lebo for Cook. Who is that Marie Ficarra mafiosi anyhow?? Did someone say McCoy?
Cannon Abbott on yours knees my son you are about to take communion
Bennelong will stay Labor.
The anti-Liberal swing will see net gains for Labor, not the other way around.
Abbott = disaster.
Bennelong will stay Labor but a 1.5% swing to Libs at the next election if Abbott can hold the line and not stuff up, But a week is a long time and a year is a lot longer in politics.Labor will not have the funds to throw around and the Libs will state they have to get us back in the black.
Reality Check let us see in 6 months if Abbott is a disaster or saviour.
The shift of 1.5% across most other seats but not Bennelong which should be a safe Labor area now.
Labor is using the cover of Federal Economic Stimulus funding to shift public housing tenants and pro Labor voters into knife edge seats. The legacy of being in power at all three levels means that this happens with ease irrespective of planning merits.
Sometimes, pesky local communities trock the boat but Labor Planning Ministers can fast track these projects without regard to obejctors.
Can we please identify the electorates ( Fedeal, state – both assembly and where relevant, the upper house , location of the public housing projects and number and type of occupants here.
This political scam will make for a very good royal commission or as a basic start, an auditor general’s inquiry.
‘Fed.Eco Simulus Inspired Voter Shift’ needs to take a big enema. You are a dreamer like Andy! Maxine will easily shuck off John Alexander in straight sets!
Why are you lot so obsessed with poofters? Every other comment is about arse sex. Who gives a fuck whether someone is gay, in the closet or straight?
The site is no longer a political blog. It’s for sad, pathetic wannabes who are more interested in the sexual proclivities of each other than anything else.
There is next to no discussion of the real stuff of politics – polls, numbers, policies, strategy – you know, the stuff that actually gets parties elected?!
Can you imagine any of our leaders engaging in this kind of shit for entertainment?
I hope you enjoy sitting at your keyboard in a cave because that’s about all you are good for.
Get your hand off it chaps or go and look at the sites that Conroy is banning which seems to be more your sort of thing.
Like it. I recall our maxine saying when she left aunty she had no intention of going into politics. So obvious she was. Would like to see her a 1 term wonder.
Let’s be clear.
Channy never really had the numbers or the support from Campbell and Hawke. A nice enough bloke but really a victim of a much bigger game that he never really had a chance in.
What really happened:
Secretariat (Shields and Neeham) was going around saying the John Alexander should be the candidate (private polling, etc, etc). Everyone knows that Shields and Neeham owe their jobs to Campbell and are subservient to his wishes and don’t fart without Campbell’s approval (let alone support a candidate).
So, while Campbell was getting his Johnson & Johnson employee Tim James to be campaign manager and give the impression that Chan had Campbell’s support he was getting Secretariat to talk up Alexander.
And while Alex Hawke was talking up Chan’s candidacy at the YL Ball and privately, he knew Channy couldn’t really win – best case scenario for Chan was that he would (using words fed to SMH’s Phil Coorey) “fall over the line.” Hawke knew that Chan’s best case had a low probability of success.
So, what they really did, was screw over Chan but tried to blame the Right all the while making it look like they supported Chan.
The narrative blaming the Right started privately before and publicly the day before the pre-selection with Coorey’s SMH piece (note he has been fed information before by Hawke, which is why he’s been talking up Hawke as a ‘rising star’ and frontbench likely).
In summary, Campbell and Hawke up to their usual Machavellian tactics.
Don’t forget, Campbell and Hawke have been doing deals with the Group all year. And they have been hammered by Alan Jones (a very close friend of Jones). So, by getting Alexander up, they please the Group and Jones and they get to blame the Right. In the Machiavellian world of Campbell and Hawke, that is the perfect win-win-win outcome.
What they didn’t factor in was that mainstream and middle of the road voters thought John Alexander was a much better candidate, as has been borne out by the media since the pre-selection. So their was a landslide in John Alexander’s favour.
This made them look bad and their narrative about the Right looked pretty unbelievable.
All the while, Chan still believes that the Right, in particular, the Smiths moved more than 30 votes against him. Quite fanciful.
Chan, this should be the time to develop some independent thought processes.
Bennelong will go back to the Libs because of the same reason the Libs lost it in 2007: McKew. She is a f*ckwit.
Has anyone seen my portfolio ? I never leave home without it.
Senator Lundy:
“What I think is important here that we challenge Mr Rudd on his propensity to want to inflict his personal religious views, very strongly held, on the rest of the Australian population.”
It’s Tony Abbots’ religious views that mainstream Australians are really worried about.
“Reality Check” – you seem to appreciate irony.
How are Abbott’s religious views any different to Rudd’s?
- and given that they are the same, then why would mainstream Australians give two figs about Abbott’s views when they are not concerned about Rudd’s?
It was fortunate that we prevented Turnbull from inflicting his environmental views on Australians living beyond the latte curtain.
Reality Check reminds me of one of those dance remixes. Repetitious, with the name preceded by important information in brackets.
In his case it should be:
(I need a) Reality Check
Investigate NUS! Like rats from a sinking ship!
Hahahaha, I remember Clarke’s words to Nathaniel Smith before the Ryde preselection.
“Nathaniel, we’re right behind you!” hahahaha
Please don’t make visit Mr Abbott’s bedroom again Cardinal Pell.
LBCB, you don’t seem to complain about the antics of Milton Orkopoulos or the Ghost of Bob Collins.
Why is that?
Don’t want the truth to get in the way of a basless partisan attack?
Tony Abbott’s religious views are being actively translated into public policy.
Kevin Rudd’s religious views, for the most part, are not.
That’s the difference, and that’s why mainstream Australians are more concerned about Abbott than they they are about Rudd.
Labor win elections because their secular humanists are better organised than those few remaining in the Liberals.
(still in need of a) Reality Check, you are wrong again.
Tony, I am not even noticing your big ears anymore. Oh please, can you spend a bit more time at the beach this summer. The ruddstar – please keep yer shirt on , and piss off.
Ahhh, Insider, I have developed independent thought processes. I independently bring my portfolio everywhere I go. How you like them apples.
Now that an ex tennis player is the Liberal candidate for Bennelong will the ALP dump Maxine and select Warrick Capper as their working class man. Cap used to hold up the STOP sign when road works were in progress. Nothing could be more Labour than that. I immagine Cap is a bit more intellectual than many in the NSW Parliamentary Labour party, which should scare them too
Maxine Mcskew – I want to see the back of you, old girl!
All I want for Christmas is a new portfolio.
Yours,
Local businessman.
Mark Chan.
I sat thru a day and a half of prison-like boredom as a Bradfield pre-selector, listening to 17 candidates strut their stuff when I already knew who “the chosen one” would be at the winning post. The point being that I also had a close-up look at John Alexander. Ol’ Ma McKew has Bennelong in the bag OK. John Alexander was given the unwinnable booby prize to keep him out of contention at other events down the track.
But what about me?
Nick, Alex – you promised.
You PROMISED.
What about ME!
Alex’s list of broken promises:
- Berger
- Miles
- Chan
Being screwed by Alex Hawke wouldn’t be such a bad thing one would think, right? But getting the shit screwed out of you by both Alex Hawke and Nick Campbell at the same time is just too much to bare! Oh dear, it looks like there’s blood all over Hawke and Campell’s hands, and what else is there, a bit of fudge… perhaps?
They can keep the fudge, for all I care, so Hawke can eat Campbell’s ‘coated cashew’.
The blood however, like all good sub-saharan blood, I hope haunts these mongrels for the rest of their lives!
Clarke’s list of broken promises:
-Perrottet x 2
-Tudehope
-Sidler
-God
But what about ME?
They told me they’d support me.
They made a fool out of me.
I feel like such a loser now.
Photios’ List of Broken Promises:
- Wife #1
- Child #1
- Wife #2
- Child #1
- Child #2
Miles, my boy, it’s time to face some facts.
You ARE a loser.
You ARE a fool.
Shambles and Hawke will never let you get into Parliament.
Why has everyone forgotten about me?
I WANT TO BE LOVED
WE WANT TO BE EMPLOYED
*burp*
I WANT A DAZZLING NEW DRESS
A KILLER SET OF HEELS WOULD BE NICE TOO
I WANT TO BE EDUCATED
Time for a new story Andrew, the natives are growing restless.
25/02/2010
A new union for Health workers, No thugs no Kathy super corruption, a new green and purple union where your dues go into looking after health workers not Kathys next overseas holiday.
A new union a better choice for all health workers
25/02/2010
A new union cheaper dues, better industrial support workcover assistance better legal advice.
Health workers want a new union that cares
25/02/2010
A new dawn in health
Jackson should not be on the board of HESTA. Does she get paid for being on the board??
Jackson and her mate Rob elliot earn 40k a year each representing hsu members interests on the board,the members have no say, why do they keep the money?
Get Princess Fegan on the Board and pay her 200k, and allow her to invest funds in Urbane Giftware.
25.2.2010
The UGU (Urban Giftware Union) will be born. Why pay Union dues, when you can pay for crappy chinese trinkets, and for the wages of malingering leechers?
Rob Elliot ‘He is continuing research – in Australia and France – into the contrasting treatment of `human capital’ under anglo-american and european company law.’ How does that help HESTA Members super, what a wanker
Rob Elliot ‘He is continuing research – in Australia and France – into the contrasting treatment of `human capital’ under anglo-american and european company law.’ How does that help HESTA Members super
Is this HSU figure Jackson aligned with Alex Hawke?
Yes Flo she is, a very dark cloud over the union movement
A new green and purple army for health workers with people you know and trust.
A union YOU will want to be part of
Those greens can not be trusted. They really are just fake cladding.
Who are these so called HSU clowns infesting here with their psychologically disturbed anti-Bolano rants? We don’t want to hear about your so called plans to build a new union. Stop talking about it you pathetic losers. Just go away and do it!
Back to the the topic… Bennelong is now a marginal seat with the changes. It is no longer the white-bread, middle class seat it was when Howard first one it all those years ago. With Howard gone, the seat will start to lose some of its golden jewel status and become another marginal seat to duel over. It seams to me that John Alexander could well give Maxine McKew a good fight.
Well there you go. Alex Hawke the supposedly small government conservative is working hand in hand to amass power with the union movement.
Bolano keep smokin that bong, your time is up
I often like to discuss the excesses of capitalism with my lefty ABC mates over a nice glass of champagne looking out over my water views.
…but Alex you pinky promised me you find me a seat in the Senate…
Alex, When can we do that Greek wrestling like we did the other day?
I really loved it when you covered yourself with that Johnson and Johnson Baby Oil, that Nick supplied.
You know what they say about Greeks don’t you, but I don’t care! What about if we can play Navy positions, you can be the rear Admiral.
Who cares what they say you are the only leader the New Left!
I think Alex made a mistake the other night, well you know how he can’t hold his liquor.
He promised me the seat of Bennelong. Alex was so far out of it on the booze he didn’t realize Kevin had already given it to me. I tried to tell him that I was already the member and I did not need any help from Johnson and Johnson or anyone else who continually makes false promises. Kevin dose very well with false promises.
At the end of the evening Alex finally realized what he said to me and apologized and asked if there could be a job for him and the Johnson and Johnson team when he looses the pre-selection in 3 years time. He asked me to put a good word in for him and he said he could make a new right in Labor if we needed. I can really see now how Labor can win all the time when the Liberals have MEMBERS (the vernacular) like Alex.
Alex you are a real MEMBER and you look good with the 2 Gonads who always hang around you.
Maxine McKew is absolutely hopeless. Labor have a litany of broken promises and a record of fiscal mismanagement.
In the space of 26 to 27 months Labor have pushed Federal Govt. debt from zero to nearly $300 billion. The stimulus package of over $42 billion was a waste as only 14 cents in the $1 went to infrastructure, the rest went on foreign imports. Stimulus packages should be directed towards infrastructure not consumption.
Labor promised 750 new homes and 2,500 renovated houses for Aboriginal Australians and not 1 has been built or renovated. Krudd’s Consultants have raked in over $45 million for what?
Labor promised Grocery Watch, Fuel Watch, City Watch, Natl. broadband, Laptop for every child, send the Navy to kick the Japs. out of the Southern Seas, Health takeover, keep Howard’s border protection policies in place and good economic management etc etc etc.
Would you trust a Govt. that does not keep promises? Labor is destructive and will ruin this country with a second term – this must not happen.
Labor favours high immigration, promotion of multiculturalism, is soft on criminals, anti-free markets, welfare state, preference given to foreigns over Australians. They are a pack of mongrels.
It beats me why anyone would vote Labor? The Liberals aren’t much better but I am glad Abbott has taken over as he does not believe the lies about anthropgenic climate change or the stupid excuses why Australia should become a republic. Unfortunately the Liberals also support high immigration and a disasterous Globalist agenda.
There is an Australian politic alternative wishing to represent the Australian people in Parliament. The APP do not support third world immigration, multiculturalism, so-called free trade policies nor ceeding our sovereignty to the UN.
The Australian Protectionist Party believe in protecting our families, our farmers, our industries, our way of life, our manufacturing and culture, something the ‘others’ have discarded. We need a balanced approach to trade and investment, this is clearly lacking at the moment.
For an Australian alternative pls. go to
http://www.protectionist.net