Candidate Labor: Cath Bowtell

"Officials regard her as one of the smartest people working at ACTU headquarters and warn the union movement can ill afford to lose her."(1)


This was stated in The Australian newspaper just prior to the ACTU President Elections held in May this year. Despite the backing of much of the high-profile names in the Union camp, she did lose. So where does this 'asset' go?


Into Federal Politics it seems.


After being a champion of superannuation and workplace relations reform for many years (2), Bowtell is keen to tell the electorate of Melbourne that she is a 'progressive' looking for action on climate change(3) and seeking compassion for asylum seekers.


Action on climate change? Isn't that what was promised in 2007? Isn't that what the left vote (the majority of the Melbourne electorate) wanted three years ago? In her leaflet, she claims that it was the Greens that combined with the Liberal Party to scuttle the good action on climate change that the Labor party had wanted with a Carbon Tax. 


A cursory glance will show that the Greens did not pass the bill because they considered the Carbon Tax a paper-doll, one that would allow the Labor party to claim green credentials without making actual change for the environment. The electorate of Melbourne understood this, and that is why the Greens look to have their first Seat in the Federal House of Reps. But really.. blaming the Greens for climate change IN-action?? This is a Seat of people engaged with politics, people who understand the issues, not just the headlines. This rhetoric could well be punished at the ballot box on August 21st. 


She claims that she has policies on her website for dissection. Sorry, where? (4)


She claims that she has compassion for boat-people, but she is part of a Party whose solution to the small amount of asylum seekers who arrive in boats in this country is to construct a detention centre in East-Timor for processing. How much change does her 'compassion' equate to? Do the voters of Melbourne want to know that you have compassion? or simply will try to change the Party position on this topic?


"Unlike the Greens, the Labor Party doesn't have the luxury of behaving like a single-issue Party."  This line, from her official leaflet, does much to highlight the fear that she, and Federal Labor, have of losing this Seat to the Greens.


The Labor candidate for Melbourne will have tradition and the Labor brand behind her. She is well known and respected in Union circles (not enough to get elected to the President of the ACTU apparently). Against her is disillusioned ex-Labor, traditional Greens and Democrats voters in a highly educated and socially-aware Seat.(5)


This will be interesting..




(1) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/actus-tough-choice/story-e6frg6z6-1225805124307
(2)http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/actu-brains-quits-after-failed-power-bid/story-e6frg6n6-1225841580657
(3) http://www.electionleaflets.org.au/full.php?q=205#l406
(4) http://cathbowtell.com/policy/climate-change/
(5) http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/real-chance-for-greens-in-historical-labor-bastion-20100718-10g4c.html

Federal Seat of Melbourne

The Federal Seat of Melbourne has been a Federal Seat since Federation. Interestingly, it has been a safe Labor held seat since 1904, and for the last 17 years by the Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation Lindsay Tanner. However, all is not well in the Federal Seat of Melbourne, Adam Bandt, the Greens candidate for Melbourne, is hot on the heels of Labor - and is touted by many to take the Seat in the 2010 Election. It is assumed that the inability of the Federal Labor party to tackle the issue of Climate Change, and it's Liberal-esque views on Asylum Seekers has seen a surge of voters to the left (the Greens).
Coupled with this, is the retirement of the well-known Tanner. Even though the deposing of the Prime Minister by his party a month ago should have reminded all voters that a vote is for a party rather than an individual candidate, people still vote for personalities. The retirement of Tanner for the new (and relatively unknown) candidate Cath Bowtell could see a further nail in the Labor coffin (relatively unknown outside of Union circles that is).
Needless to say it will be an interesting result on the 21st August!

Melbourne contains the inner suburbs of Abbotsford, Ascot Vale, Carlton, Clifton Hill, Colllingwood, Docklands, North Melbourne, West Melbourne, East Melbourne, Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Flemington, Kensington, Parkville and Richmond.

Let's get started!

Welcome Public Life class to the 2010 Federal Election Blog.  Here is where you'll find instructions detailing what you need to do to start your very own blog.

Firstly, you'll need to create a blogger.com blog - this will require a google account where you will need a valid email.
Once you have done this, go to http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election and choose a Federal Seat. This seat does not have to be in Victoria - it just has to be one chosen by you because it is interesting (Seat might go to the Greens, or is being contested by the youngest parliamentarian, is the least populated, is held by the Prime Minister.. whatever).
This will be the focus of your blog.
You are to research this Seat and create posts on your blog as developments occur in the Seat.
Your first post needs to be about the background to the Seat and why you have chosen it.
The following posts will be a combination of links to articles and your opinion about those articles.

I have created an entry on the Federal Seat of Melbourne to illustrate (although, this example really is the bare minimum).

Once you have created your blog, become a follower of THIS blog and link to your blog! Once everyone has done this, I want you to go visiting other class member's blogs, follow them, and comment on their posts. No lurkers!!

Any questions, just ask me on this blog! :)

Charlie.

P.S. - and please, remember your etiquette - be civil and polite. The political world is one of difference; be tolerant of each other's views.