NationStates Jolt Archive

Former journalist Maxine McKew will run for Labor at the next federal election against Prime Minister John Howard in Bennelong.

Earlier, Labor leader Kevin Rudd's office confirmed tonight that Ms McKew - a broadcast and magazine journalist for more than 30 years - would be a candidate at this year's election.

Ms McKew, who retired from the ABC last year after a 30-year career, joined Mr Rudd's campaign team last month as a special adviser.

Ms McKew tonight said she wanted to contribute as best she could to Labor's electoral fight.

She said Labor needed to win marginal seats in order to win government.

"If Kevin Rudd is to be prime minister after the next election then seats like Bennelong need to be contested with some vigor," Ms McKew told ABC Radio.

"I've decided, I suppose, the best contribution I can make to the Labor party as a new Labor member is to put my name forward and to be considered as a candidate in that seat."

Running for a marginal Liberal seat was more useful to the ALP than contesting a safe Labor seat, she said.

"Doing that doesn't help Kevin Rudd win the 16 seats he needs to become prime minister at the end of the year," ABC online quote Ms McKew as saying.

"Labor needs to be contesting marginal Liberal held seats, that is the only way he's going to prevail."

Nicole Campbell, Labor's candidate in Bennelong for the past two federal elections, said she would support Ms McKew's run for the seat.

She said Ms McKew was a respected national figure who would take the fight to Mr Howard.

"I will support her campaign for Bennelong as I am sure will all ALP members in the local area," Ms Campbell said.

Mr Howard has held Bennelong since 1974.

The northern Sydney seat used to be one of the Liberals' safest, but in 2004 it went to preferences and a redistribution last year has left the prime minister with a narrow four per cent margin.

A Morgan poll last week found Mr Howard would have lost the seat had an election been held this month, with 55 per cent of the 400 voters polled supporting Labor on a two-party preferred basis.

Ms McKew had been tipped to run for Labor in the safe western suburbs seat of Fowler, held by Julia Irwin since 1998.

Ms Irwin has repeatedly said she has no intention of stepping aside for Ms McKew, and Mr Rudd last month said he was not sure there was a seat available for Ms McKew.

"I've said to Maxine over a long period of time, she should consider a career in politics," he said at the time.

"When it comes to the upcoming election, particularly in the great state of NSW, I'm not certain there are any vacant seats."

He declined to say if he would over-rule a rank and file preselection and impose Ms McKew on a constituency.

The NSW preselections will be held after the state election on March 24.

Last month, Ms McKew told The Bulletin magazine that her decision to quit journalism for politics was driven by a "gnawing sense" to look at the bigger picture.

She said she was attracted to the job with Mr Rudd by the knowledge that he was "seriously bright".

A spokesman for Mr Howard said the prime minister was used to a tough fight in Bennelong.

"This will make him work even harder for the people he has been privileged to represent for the past 32 years," the spokesman said.

Link (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/mckew-to-run-against-pm-in-bennelong/2007/02/25/1172338465058.html)

All the more reason for Howard to retire before the next election. And I can't wait to see Maxine interviewed by Kerry and Tony on the 7:30 Report and Lateline, should be gold.

Bump incase some Aussies haven't seen this.

I would laugh - a lot - if the liberals won the election but Howard lost his seat.

Yay for Maxine. I love her!

I quite liked how Tony Abbott said "Journalists don't always make for good politicians." She countered it with pointing out that Tony used to be a journo...for the bulletin. :D

Wait a minute!

I thought that in the parliamentary system, you didn't choose your Prime Minister, the Prime Minister is picked by the MPs!

I thought that in the parliamentary system, you didn't choose your Prime Minister, the Prime Minister is picked by the MPs!
Yes, but the PM still has to run for a local seat so he actually gets to sit in parliament, just like all the other MPs. And this nice lady has taken it upon herself to contest that seat.

I'm not sure, but I believe that if he lost that seat, even if the Liberals won by a landslide everywhere else, he couldn't be picked as PM because he wouldn't actually be in parliament.

Yes, but the PM still has to run for a local seat so he actually gets to sit in parliament, just like all the other MPs. And this nice lady has taken it upon herself to contest that seat.

I'm not sure, but I believe that if he lost that seat, even if the Liberals won by a landslide everywhere else, he couldn't be picked as PM because he wouldn't actually be in parliament.

I think that is right. I heard somewhere that this has only happened once before though. I'll try and follow up on that.

Yes, but the PM still has to run for a local seat so he actually gets to sit in parliament, just like all the other MPs. And this nice lady has taken it upon herself to contest that seat.

I'm not sure, but I believe that if he lost that seat, even if the Liberals won by a landslide everywhere else, he couldn't be picked as PM because he wouldn't actually be in parliament.

Yes and no. Howard couldn't technically be PM if won the election and lost his seat. However there are reasons to believe that should the PM lose his seat and win the election, a seat would be found for him and a dummy by-election would be held.

Yes, but the PM still has to run for a local seat so he actually gets to sit in parliament, just like all the other MPs. And this nice lady has taken it upon herself to contest that seat.

I'm not sure, but I believe that if he lost that seat, even if the Liberals won by a landslide everywhere else, he couldn't be picked as PM because he wouldn't actually be in parliament.
...so the prime minister is just another member of parliament until picked by the others via a majority vote?

Neat.

I think that is right. I heard somewhere that this has only happened once before though. I'll try and follow up on that.

In 1928 Stanley Bruce became the only Australian PM to have lost his seat (he also lost a landslide election).

In 1928 Stanley Bruce became the only Australian PM to have lost his seat (he also lost a landslide election).

Ah, I see. Cheers.

...so the prime minister is just another member of parliament until picked by the others via a majority vote?

Neat.
Well, according to the constitution he doesn't even exist...

It's a funny sort of system here. Lots of things happen that aren't written down anywhere, and lots of things that actually are written down are being ignored.

The US hug their constitution dearly, believing you need clearly defined rules to play the game (even if the rules have been bent over time). Australia has very vague rules and the UK has no rules at all; yet the game is played just as well without a great deal of confusion.

Well, according to the constitution he doesn't even exist...

It's a funny sort of system here. Lots of things happen that aren't written down anywhere, and lots of things that actually are written down are being ignored.

Meh. I think the system is good enough for now. Besides, at some time in the next few decades we will become a republic and that will be a good chance to get out shit in order.

The US hug their constitution dearly, believing you need clearly defined rules to play the game (even if the rules have been bent over time). Australia has very vague rules and the UK has no rules at all; yet the game is played just as well without a great deal of confusion.

We're not the ones putting chaplains in schools, though.

You don't need a defined set of rules to play the game, to be sure, but the Bill of Rights and other such amendments placed down as the highest law in the land certainly helps restrict the government from deciding to abuse such rights. I'd prefer my consitution over your lack of one any day.

(That said, I wouldn't mind some changes to alter our system to a parliamentary one...)

I can't see Howard being beaten in Bennelong. It's still a pretty safe Liberal seat, even if there have been some boundary changes recently. It would be great to see though.

If he did lose his seat, then he couldn't be Prime Minister. The PM has to be a Member of Parliament, which he wouldn't be, if he lost his seat in the upcoming election.

Theoretically, if one the Liberal's successful MPs resigned, they could hold a by-election & have Howard run as their candidate. I don't think they would do it though. It would be seen by the electorate (quite rightly too) as pretty cynical politics. Also, once Costello got hold of power, he would be doing absolutely everything possible to prevent Howard from returning. That's assuming Howard would even want to try again, he would most likely decide that it's time to retire.