Bennelong bites Bill on behind with Labor leader’s self-obsessed campaign falling flat
Kristina Keneally made the Bennelong campaign all about Malcolm Turnbull’s government. The ex-NSW Labor premier announces her candidacy in Eastwood, November 14:
I am running because this is a moment, this is an opportunity for the community in which I live to stand up and say to Malcolm Turnbull: “Your government is awful. Enough is enough.”
Turns out the people of Bennelong were OK with how things are going. The Australian online, yesterday:
John Alexander will be returned to federal parliament after securing a convincing victory over Labor’s star recruit Kristina Keneally in the Bennelong by-election.
So if Bennelong punters are fine with Turnbull, what must they think of this bloke? Bill Shorten addresses the press in Bennelong, November 14:
Good morning, everybody. I am really fortunate to be here in Eastwood with ... my great friend Kristina Keneally.
Shorten was in Bennelong a lot. The Opposition Leader in Bennelong, November 28:
Thanks Kristina and today voting has started in the crucial Bennelong by-election. Today is now the first day that the voters of Bennelong can send a message to Malcolm Turnbull.
He just bloomin’ loves Bennelong. Keneally introducing Shorten in Ryde, December 12:
It’s fantastic to be here at St Charles in Ryde, and of course, to be here in Bennelong with the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten. I think it’s about your ninth visit to the electorate, I am sure it’s not your last.
And if you listened to Shorten on Saturday night, you may have thought he’d won. Shorten at Keneally’s election night party, Saturday:
Friends, Kristina ... and you and the voters of Bennelong have given Labor an election-winning swing at the next election. Well done.
He really didn’t. The Australian’s NSW editor Sid Maher writes for our website, yesterday:
Labor threw everything at Alexander, drafting the high-profile Kristina Keneally to run as its candidate and reprising its attacks on health and education spending. But it fell short.
Bennelong did not like Bill. The Daily Telegraph, December 12:
The research ... indicated Mr Shorten was “repelling voters towards the Liberals more than he is driving voters towards Labor”.
But Shorten couldn’t help himself. He constantly sought the limelight in this by-election. Here’s the Labor leader in East Ryde, Saturday morning:
I think as you talk to voters today, we are getting a warm reaction ... voters here are going to take up an opportunity to send the Turnbull Government a message ...
The Prime Minister’s office on Facebook, yesterday:
Message received ...
It’s time for Labor to ask themselves one question. Is Bill Shorten worth it? Graham Richardson in The Australian, today:
We will never know if Malcolm Turnbull’s last-minute gambit of warning the voters of Bennelong that if they voted Labor Bill Shorten would be precariously close to becoming prime minister, had any effect. You can bet your life though, that a number of Labor members and senators will be mulling that one over during the Christmas break.