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Reflections
by
electiontracker
—
last modified
28-11-2007 16:16
Reflecting on the election that just was.
Leah Ginnivan
It was a hectic year for my family. A couple weeks before my last exams, I called my mother and asked if we could arrange a nice little holiday somewhere, to celebrate the end of it and say goodbye to my little sis, who’s off to Phoenix, Arizona. Obligingly, she found us a place in rural Victoria, with a spa bath, a TV in the bathroom (champagne, ABC and a spa bath…mmmm).
But disaster befell us on Saturday morning as we were trying to catch some news, any news, of the last day of the campaign. And then came the horrible realisation that the TV couldn’t pick up ABC. We could hear snatches of Kerry and Tony and Anthony through static, but not any visual to speak of. It was, can I just say, one hell of a blow.
Michelle Jellet
The timely choice of election day was not only inconvenient for Melanie Howard, but also Michelle Jellett.
For the last weekend in November each year I take a road trip with friends to somewhere between Melbourne and Sydney, from Wee Jasper to Tathra. Without a doubt I know this annual weekend away will be fuelled by much political debate (independent of whether there is a general election or not!), a game of Ultimate Frisbee and a little bit of grog.
Saturday had a sleepy start, as we arose like zombies to find some food, to lounging on the beach working on our tans and dares to be the first to run into the nippy water. After the awakening cold blast of the sea, the afternoon saw us being more energetic and running off any election jitters by playing the only game I know of where you can have a beer in one hand and still participate. Ultimate Frisbee.
After our BBQ dinner, the majority of us huddled around the television to watch the election results. Being the slow eater I am, it wasn’t until I heard the cry of ‘John Howard has lost his seat!’ (maybe a tentative cry) that I ran to the box. I then sat eagerly for the next 20 minutes straining my eyes to see the electoral outcome for my marginal seat of Deakin to pop up on the TV screen. Before I knew it, I had sung, ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’ as the most marginal Coalition held seat in Victoria had now become a win for the ALP. The last time the ALP had a win in Deakin was 1983.
I made a quick dash for the public pay phone (I did not have any mobile reception) to tell my boyfriend of the exciting news. After getting it off my chest I asked him what he was up to, to which he replied that he was ‘watching the funeral’. After a few seconds of confusion I realised he was a disappointed Liberal supporter.
It was an early night for all of us in Tathra, as we Melbournians had a nine hour drive ahead of us the next day, but we all shut our eyes with smiles on our faces.
Sian White
For the second time in my voting life I have been away from home for an election.
But at least this time I was in the country, just not in my electorate.
I may have missed out on the euphoric buzz of queuing before a ballot box. I even missed out on people accosting me with how to vote cards.
However I didn’t miss out altogether. Down in the quaint, apple-growing town of Donnybrook, in the southern WA electorate of Forrest, I witnessed people of all ages pour into the town hall and determine the next three or so years of their lives. An old couple whizzed down the footpath on their zimmers - “watch out dear, we’re off to vote!”
In the afternoon the election results came as a welcome excuse to stop a hard day’s work on the organic farm. The orchards were drenched in a balmy kind of heat and even by six o’clock the sun still pelted down without a gust of wind. But on the east coast the winds of change were already building.
Forrest proved not to be a surprise. It’s a safe Liberal seat and although the incumbent was retiring, Nola Marino, whose face is just about everywhere you look around town, stormed home. Independent Noel Brunning made a last minute dash towards the finish line, but still finished behind Labor candidate Peter Macfarlane.
My own electorate of Hasluck was a little more exciting.
Liberal incumbent Stuart Henry won the seat off Sharon Jackson at the last election and despite handing out thousands of balloons with his name on and appearing in our local papers every week, Sharon Jackson was able to turn the tables on this tightly contested seat and produce a Labor victory.
The sun was beginning to lower through the gum trees and as we sat down to devour our chops and potato salad John Howard made that call followed by that speech.
With empty plates and clean utensils we watched as the “leader for the future” gave a surprisingly restrained acceptance speech.
The sun set on the end day and the end of an era. For the first time in my politically-conscious life we have a new government.
It was a hectic year for my family. A couple weeks before my last exams, I called my mother and asked if we could arrange a nice little holiday somewhere, to celebrate the end of it and say goodbye to my little sis, who’s off to Phoenix, Arizona. Obligingly, she found us a place in rural Victoria, with a spa bath, a TV in the bathroom (champagne, ABC and a spa bath…mmmm).
But disaster befell us on Saturday morning as we were trying to catch some news, any news, of the last day of the campaign. And then came the horrible realisation that the TV couldn’t pick up ABC. We could hear snatches of Kerry and Tony and Anthony through static, but not any visual to speak of. It was, can I just say, one hell of a blow.
And to make matters worse, SBS didn’t start coverage until 9:30! It would be all over by 9:30, we hoped.
Through gritted teeth we turned to the tabloid coverage- Mel, Kochie, Ray Martin. It was hilarious. The “tower of power”, the cruel shredding of photos of Coalition MPs as they lost their seats, the close ups on Joe Hockey as they tried desperately to make him cry. Mel’s barely concealed pain at the Coalition defeat. Jeff Kennett.
Nonetheless, it was a good night. There was a dash for beers and pizzas, hi-fiving, and much happiness when Maxine wove through the media pack. It was followed by a long post-mortem. What would happen now? None of us really knew at all. Dad was quickly on the phone to his leftie friends, full of victory. Back home my cousin was decorating Kevin Rudd biscuits.
Michelle Jellet
The timely choice of election day was not only inconvenient for Melanie Howard, but also Michelle Jellett.
For the last weekend in November each year I take a road trip with friends to somewhere between Melbourne and Sydney, from Wee Jasper to Tathra. Without a doubt I know this annual weekend away will be fuelled by much political debate (independent of whether there is a general election or not!), a game of Ultimate Frisbee and a little bit of grog.
Saturday had a sleepy start, as we arose like zombies to find some food, to lounging on the beach working on our tans and dares to be the first to run into the nippy water. After the awakening cold blast of the sea, the afternoon saw us being more energetic and running off any election jitters by playing the only game I know of where you can have a beer in one hand and still participate. Ultimate Frisbee.
After our BBQ dinner, the majority of us huddled around the television to watch the election results. Being the slow eater I am, it wasn’t until I heard the cry of ‘John Howard has lost his seat!’ (maybe a tentative cry) that I ran to the box. I then sat eagerly for the next 20 minutes straining my eyes to see the electoral outcome for my marginal seat of Deakin to pop up on the TV screen. Before I knew it, I had sung, ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’ as the most marginal Coalition held seat in Victoria had now become a win for the ALP. The last time the ALP had a win in Deakin was 1983.
I made a quick dash for the public pay phone (I did not have any mobile reception) to tell my boyfriend of the exciting news. After getting it off my chest I asked him what he was up to, to which he replied that he was ‘watching the funeral’. After a few seconds of confusion I realised he was a disappointed Liberal supporter.
It was an early night for all of us in Tathra, as we Melbournians had a nine hour drive ahead of us the next day, but we all shut our eyes with smiles on our faces.
Sian White
For the second time in my voting life I have been away from home for an election.
But at least this time I was in the country, just not in my electorate.
I may have missed out on the euphoric buzz of queuing before a ballot box. I even missed out on people accosting me with how to vote cards.
However I didn’t miss out altogether. Down in the quaint, apple-growing town of Donnybrook, in the southern WA electorate of Forrest, I witnessed people of all ages pour into the town hall and determine the next three or so years of their lives. An old couple whizzed down the footpath on their zimmers - “watch out dear, we’re off to vote!”
In the afternoon the election results came as a welcome excuse to stop a hard day’s work on the organic farm. The orchards were drenched in a balmy kind of heat and even by six o’clock the sun still pelted down without a gust of wind. But on the east coast the winds of change were already building.
Forrest proved not to be a surprise. It’s a safe Liberal seat and although the incumbent was retiring, Nola Marino, whose face is just about everywhere you look around town, stormed home. Independent Noel Brunning made a last minute dash towards the finish line, but still finished behind Labor candidate Peter Macfarlane.
My own electorate of Hasluck was a little more exciting.
Liberal incumbent Stuart Henry won the seat off Sharon Jackson at the last election and despite handing out thousands of balloons with his name on and appearing in our local papers every week, Sharon Jackson was able to turn the tables on this tightly contested seat and produce a Labor victory.
The sun was beginning to lower through the gum trees and as we sat down to devour our chops and potato salad John Howard made that call followed by that speech.
With empty plates and clean utensils we watched as the “leader for the future” gave a surprisingly restrained acceptance speech.
The sun set on the end day and the end of an era. For the first time in my politically-conscious life we have a new government.
