Editorial: Risk that Carr could backfire
FORMER politicians, particularly those with substantial records as election winners, can be extremely useful campaigners even years after their own careers have ended, like Bob Hawke and John Howard - and then there’s the problematic Bob Carr.
Opinion
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FORMER politicians, particularly those with substantial records as election winners, can be extremely useful campaigners even years after their own careers have ended.
Many in the US believe Hillary Clinton might have won the 2016 presidential election if she had allowed her husband, former two-term president Bill, to campaign more widely for her in tightly contested battleground states.
In Australia, every federal election features at least some input from former leaders judged to be highly rated throughout the electorate.
Bob Hawke and John Howard will both very likely make some appearances on behalf of their respective parties during the next federal election. And then there is Bob Carr, whose case is slightly more problematic.
There is no doubt that Carr was a very popular Labor premier during his period in office. When Carr resigned in 2005, he left a legacy of three election wins and a total of 10 years in power.
Following several years of semi-retirement, Carr re-emerged on the national scene as Australia’s foreign minister under Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Again, there is no doubt Carr has significant links and influence in the Chinese community.
The question is how deep those links run and how strong is that influence.
Carr lately came under critical attention over his Chinese connections after being accused last week of driving questions for a Senate committee, through his former state Labor colleague Kristina Keneally, over Chinese espionage operations in Australia. Carr denies any inappropriate actions.
In the wake of Sam Dastyari’s resignation last year over his own Chinese issues, Labor knows it must tread warily.
And while it is true, as a Labor source told The Daily Telegraph, that it is important to “distinguish legitimate fundraising from local Chinese Australian communities and money or political activity linked to Beijing”, the greater concern must be public perception.
For his part, Labor leader Luke Foley — still recovering from criticism from his own party over a “white flight” comment regarding Western Sydney — says he remains content to deploy Carr as a Chinese-focused Labor fundraiser.
Asked directly last night if he was still comfortable to appear alongside Carr at a Chinese community fundraiser, Foley replied “yes”.
Depending on the election result next March, that answer may change.
People come first in the west
WESTERN Sydney stands on the brink of seismic change. The coming new airport has added a great deal of energy to an area already primed to drive Sydney’s economic expansion.
Managed wisely, this will be a wondrous process. Managed carelessly, however, and losses could outweigh gains.
Benefits can best be seen where they add to the wealth and prosperity of Western Sydney’s people. When the people become a secondary consideration, development tends to run astray.
Strong arm of the SAS
SRI Lankan spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan was called for throwing multiple times during a contentious Australian tour in 1995-6.
In response, world cricket bosses took an equally controversial course of action. They ruled that bowlers could straighten their arms by 15 degrees. Previously, they were permitted a mere five-degree straightening.
Something similar may now be happening in Australia’s army after The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed last week that just 24 of 154 women who signed up to go into battle passed the required physical fitness tests. Army chiefs are now being encouraged to change the rules for women seeking entry to the elite Special Air Service.
“The idea of using all-female teams is untapped in the Australian Army,” a paper declares on the army’s website.
“Should the physical standard be lowered for women seeking to join the Special Forces or should a female only SF capability be established?”
Those physical standards were established in order to better protect our nation. They should be maintained. Unlike cricket, defence is not a game.
The gob-smacking pay packet Gareth Ward will collect in jail
Ward will continue to collect his pay cheque - for now - even while behind bars, thanks to the ludicrous rules that allow parliamentarians to remain in office even after being convicted, writes James O’Doherty.
‘Spawn of satan’: Influencers take aim at social media
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