The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 10

10 www.smh.com.au WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1998 Labor is leading in: Eden -Monaro THE VETO1CT Meet Queensland's unlikely giant killers Vl 11 Died uper UT- smssi--r rw -insr- rT. 1 yT'Mv- VOTE ferf review By GREG ROBERTS Rod Henshaw and Cameron Thompson are an unlikely pair of giant killers. But the gentlemanly former ABC presenter and the blokey ex-public servant have succeeded where others have failed, in wreaking havoc in the careers of Australia's two most prominent women politicians. The similarities between Ms Cheryl Kernot's apparent failure to win the Brisbane seat of Dickson and Ms Pauline Hanson's loss in the neighbouring rural electorate of Blair are evident. Both women were standard-bearers for their parties, with Ms Kernot's defection from the Democrats underpinning Labor's lift in the polls and One Nation seemingly rudderless with the loss of Ms Hanson.

Ms Kernot spat the dummy on Saturday night when she suggested Labor should have given her a safer seat. Ms Hanson threw the media out of her get-together when it became clear the voters of Blair had rejected her. Tall poppies both. According to their Liberal opponents, both women might have taken their election for granted, paying a price for spending so much time in pursuit of loftier goals instead of campaigning locally. Ms Kernot still has a chance.

Mr Henshaw, a former morning radio host in Brisbane, said he was "cautiously optimistic" of winning Dickson. He said that talking to voters while campaigning in Dickson made it clear why support for Ms Kernot was not as strong as Labor had hoped. We are a parochial lot here in Dickson and we ran on the theme of having a local bloke," Mr Henshaw said. "She wasn't perceived as a local but as somebody who lacked loyalty because of her defection. We Imore Farrer, Gippslan Two-party preferred NAIRN.

Gary (LP) WHAN, Steve (ALP) Vote lead of vote 50.14 49.86 143 Lyons Two-party preferred SMITH, Warwick (LP) O'BYRNE, Michelle (ALP) Vote lead of vote 49.84 50.16 127 Herbert QLD Kennedy Two-party preferred LINDSAY, Eamon John (ALP) LINDSAY. Peter (LP) Vote lead of vote 50.17 49.83 94 Kalgoorlie WA Northern Territory O'Connor Primary vote BUTS0N. Clark (ALP) HAASE. Barry (LP) CAMPBELL, Graeme (Australia First) of vote 28.68 27.17 23.45 cvr.vnv 0 ft Bass V. 4 9 if Dawson Grey 1 like defeating Ms Cheryl Kernot "She wasn't perceived as a local." Mr Henshaw said Ms Kernot's election night suggestion that she should have been given a safer seat was an insult to her local supporters.

"I can understand the frustration but that is the time you should be thinking about the people ho voted for you and helped you." Similarly, Mr Thompson, 37, who had worked for the former Queensland Treasurer, Mrs New One Nation leader 'better at some things than Hanson' Photograph by GREG WHITE happened for the people, except the place became known as the home of One Nation." Mr Thompson said there appeared to be resentment in Blair that the electorate had been taken for granted by Ms Hanson. "It was everything else first and Blair second. Everything they did just didn't strike a chord locally. People wanted a local politician who ould do a local job." the police to evict journalists from one event, Ms Hanson said the media had failed to report on One Nation's policies. "We put out some very good policies which the public had no knowledge of because the media did not tell the public about our policies," she said.

Mrs Hill confirmed One Nation was considering the possibility of Mr Oldfield joining her staff as an adviser. She also said Ms Hanson's role as a full-time, paid president would free her up to campaign for the party. She described as a "media beat-up" reports that One Nation members would seek a radical restructuring of the party organisation at One Nation's national convention next month. Joan Sheldon, believes Ms Hanson's absence from Blair and her role as One Nation's leader helped him win the seat "I focused on doing something for the local people while she was doing battle with Pauline Pantsdown and running a three-ring circus with the media," Mr Thompson said. "People looked at Oxley, where for 2Vi years nothing election campaign.

She broke her media silence to rule out taking over Mrs Hill's Senate seat "I've always said Heather wins that seat, she's won it in her own right," she told ABC Radio. "I would not ask her to step aside." Instead, Ms Hanson would remain as president of the party and take over running One Nation, setting up a national office in Queensland. Mrs Hill would be leader, as its only representative in the Parliament She denied her move was aimed at shutting out Mr Oldfield and the party's national director Mr David Ettridge, both of whom have been blamed for an election campaign that at times looked more like high farce than politics. Despite locking the media out of some launches, even calling By STEPHANIE PEATLING The Minister for Finance, Mr Fahey, indicated yesterday that he would review the Federal politicians superannuation scheme to prevent younger parliamentarians walking away with multi-million-dollar payouts, a system which the Prime Minister also concedes is surrounded by Following reports that 33-year-old Queensland Senator Bill O'Chee would receive $1.4 million if he loses his seat, Mr Fahey said he was entitled to take his superannuation immediately under the scheme. "But I think we should look at not the individual but the fact someone who may have been in Parliament for nine years and then leaves Parliament in his or her mid-30s, and consider the benefits that accrue to such a person," Mr Fahey told ABC Radio.

Mr Howard acknowledged the sensitivity surrounding the superannuation scheme but said he thought the rules were reasonable considering they made a larger contribution than most people. "I know there's a lot of controversy about the size of Members of Parliament's superannuation and you can argue it from different points of view For 18 years I made a contribution of 1 1 per cent. "I don't know that there are many people in private industry who would make an 1 1 per cent contribution themselves, in fact I don't know of any. And that is a very significant difference. "This idea that we don't make any contribution at all is not correct" A parliamentarian who loses office after serving a minimum of eight years is eligible for an annual pension of 50 per cent of his or her final salary (580,251 for a backbencher and $201,142 for the Prime Minister).

The figure increases to 75 per cent for an MP who has served 18 years or more. In 1996 Mr Fahey unsuccessfully attempted to review the system, including the age at which politicians receive their .1. 1 ft Federal Treasurer, Mr Peter has never been exposed Mr Costello was in Sydney to promote his new book, Streets of Hope, about his 10 years in ministry at St Kilda in Melbourne. The book explains how he went from "the buckle of the Bible belt" to hanging out with "sex workers and super and the practice which allows them to "double-dip" into their entitlements while still working for the Commonwealth in other capacities. Mr Howard also questioned the motives behind a decision by the shadow Treasurer, Mr Gar-eth Evans, to leave politics after he learned he had been returned to his Melbourne seat of Holt, a career move that will see him leave with an estimated 51.3 million in superannuation.

"I think people might accept somebody who has been a prime minister going if he is defeated but even then they wonder why you don't stay for a while to front up to Parliament and be there during the time that your successor is installed. I would When one runs for Parliament, they do so first and foremost to represent the constituents in the electorate whose support they seek to get them in Parliament It is a contract with them to be their representative for the term of the Parliament, barring exceptional circumstances. EOIN CAMERON, Liberal backbencher like to think that that ought to be the norm rather than the exception," Mr Howard told a Sydney radio station. Meanwhile, the Liberal backbencher Mr Eoin Cameron has resurrected his private member's bill which would penalise MPs who retire early from Parliament, causing a by-election. "When one runs for Parliament, they do so first and foremost to represent the constituents in the electorate whose support they seek to get them in Parliament.

It is a contract with them to be their representative for the term of the Parliament, barring exceptional circumstances," Mr Cameron said. PAGE 16: Editorial. drug It was in St Kilda, "where rich and poor live side by that he began to make the connection between religion and politics and where he was "exposed to things Peter has never been exposed He wrote his book because "everyone kept asking me why are you different to your brother. I thought maybe if I write a book, they'll stop asking me." The pair, who Phillip Adams has called "the most interesting brothers since Cain and illustrated, Mr Costello said, the triumph of "the politics of grace, where even though you disagree, you keep the conversation going" over the "politics of tribalism, where you hate the person if you disagree with But not all responsibility rests with the Government, says Mr Costello. His book stresses the importance of community relationships.

"It will take 10 years for the implications of Mabo to sink through. It means we white Australians are rich today because we perpetuated the destructive myth that the land is ours, empty. We have to do more to help Australians understand that" to construction being halted. "The World Heritage Bureau will consider placing Kakadu on the World Heritage in danger list later this month. International boycotts are being actively pursued and supported in Europe and North America," he said.

"As far as we're concerned it's business as reconciliation document 'dangerous' Mr Rod Henshaw, who looks heard that time and time again. "People didn't see her so much as a local representativ but more as a person ho wanted a seat to enhance her own ambitions." He said the Liberals gained by Ms Kernot spending so much time away. "She was swanning around the country doing all these marginal seats while we were working our butts off here." SUVA fwst 1800 230 150 By GREG ROBERTS As an angry Pauline Hanson yesterday conceded defeat in her seat of Blair, her former adviser, Mr David Oldfield, took the extraordinary step of publicly expressing doubts about her abilities. Mr Oldfield said Mrs Heather Hill, who won a Senate spot for One Nation in Queensland, would "be able to do some things better than "Each have their own strengths and weaknesses. They're complementary to each other," he said.

He said Ms Hanson's profile would diminish but she would remain relevant as the party's president Ms Hanson blamed the media and the preferential voting system for One Nation's disastrous Federal Howard's By JULIA BAIRD The Rev Tim Costello yesterday called the Prime Minister's description of the document of reconciliation he wanted He said Mr Howard's formula for a "written understanding" where "first and foremost allegiance is to Australia and nothing else" sounded like "Deutsch-land Uber Alles. It reveals a homogenising instinct" Mr Costello, Baptist minister and brother of the Federal Treasurer, Mr Peter Costello, said the reconciliation of black and white people in a bicultural society was "the most profound issue facing He said Mr Howard did not go far enough, and a treaty was criticaL "We need a full blooded acknowledgment of what we've done We are all implicated with the taint of receiving stolen goods." Mr Costello, who publicly supported Democrats Senate candidate Mr Aden Ridgeway in the Federal election, said the treaty should include provision for representation of Aborigines in Parliament, as well as a public apology for the stolen generations. Yet another Mil til -O- (I'M it a Air Pacific, in conjunction with Boeing, is pleased to announce the launch of the new Boeing 737-700 series aircraft the first in the Pacific. The new Boeing 737-700 has new features to provide the best comfort and service available. In business class, every seat has individual entertainment units, adjustable headrest wings and wide armrests for total relaxation.

Pacific Voyager, in the main The Rev Tim Costello, Baptist minister and brother of the Costello says he has "been exposed to things Peter headrests and improved back support. There's an entertainment unit every three rows on both sides of the aircraft so you won't have problems viewing movies. And the improved performance of the Boeing 737-700 allows us to operate direct from Sydney to Suva. Twice a week you can fly to the capital of Fiji. Yet another first.

Contact Air Pacific or your licensed or AFTA Travel Agent, grab a mate now and be one of the first to fly Air Pacific's first Boeing 737-700. Jabiluka blockade gives way to the monsoon season "Up front in a treaty there has to be serious intent that owns our past," he said. "We cannot have reconciliation until we acknowledge the truth This is the sort of leadership that John Howard does not understand. group behind the blockade and opposition to the uranium mine in Kakadu National Park say they will now pin their hopes on actions by the traditional owners, the Mirrar people, and a visit by World Heritage authorities later this month. The spokesman for the local Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corpora "In religious terms, we need repentance.

We need to say we, as a government, stuffed up badly. And this led to the level of pain in the Aboriginal community and dysfunctional parenting when their children were taken away." tion, Mr Matt Fagan, said it had been important to have a strong presence at the protest site leading up to the election. "The area they're camping at the moment becomes kind of a lake during the wet and the assessment we have done is people would have basically spent the majority of the time cabin, has the state of the art seating with deep adjustable BOEING 737-700 By ANDREW CLENNELL Environment Reporter The epic Jabiluka blockade which has involved 2,500 people and led to 527 arrests since it began in March is to be shut down in preparation for the Northern Territory's monsoon season. Leaders of the environmental trying to survive," Mr Fagan said. "In terms of the money and effort it takes to keep the blockade going, we did a pro and con assessment of it" Mr Fagan said the Mirrar would now await the outcome of four court actions relating to Jabiluka which could lead Call Air Pacific Reservations on 'Conditions apply.

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