by Ganesh Sahathevan
The battle for Bennelong : the adventures of Maxine McKew, aged 50 something / Margot SavilleReaders will recall that in a recent hearing before the Federal Court in a defamation matter brought by Chau Chak Wing against the ABC the judge hearing the matter, Steven Rares J, commented:
"If you (the ABC) had said foreign interference you'd not have a problem ... you've said he's a spy"
As this writer noted, the distinction does not reflect reality. In any event , the decision reminds one of Margot Seville's account of Maxine McKew's victory over John Howard in the seat of Bennelong in the 2007 election. The book is a detailed account of Chinese government interference in the 2007 election, even if Saville did not intend it that way. The book should be read in full, but the article below by Saviile is a good summary.
TO BE READ WITH
COVER STORY
In an exclusive extract from her new book, MARGOT SAVILLE charts the tense final days in Maxine McKew's audacious bid for that 'unwinnable' seat. 'I felt really flat and I thought, "What if they get in?"'
The last week of the campaign opens and like small children on a very long car trip, the Liberal Party MPs are starting to fight among themselves. The jostling is over who will be leader after the election. Turnbull is reported to have privately criticised Howard's decision to stay on as leader and predicted a gloomy result on Saturday.
Maxine McKew is having a quiet week. Just like the first week of the campaign, the focus is on the leaders, not the candidates. It's as if Labor candidates around the country are keeping their heads down, avoiding mishaps.
On Monday morning ALP Left powerbroker Anthony Albanese says that the Coalition has broken a 2001 promise to put One Nation last. This statement is aimed squarely at Bennelong voters.
To further emphasise the point, he says, "One Nation are [sic] a divisive party, and over the weekend we saw John Howard liaising and courting particularly the Asian communities in his electorate of Bennelong.
"And yet the Coalition has been prepared to give One Nation preferences in the electorates of Riverina and New England above Labor and the Greens."
Howard then denies that One Nation would ever receive any preferences from the Coalition.
"Our preferences won't get distributed," he said.
The biggest Chinese newspaper, Sing Tao, follows up with a story about this on Wednesday. The Maxine Support Group (MSG), a collection of self-described "grumpy old [Asian-born] men", makes a copy of the story, gets authorisation from head office to print it on a leaflet, and letterboxes it through every household in Bennelong with a Chinese surname.
Meanwhile, in McKew's office there is an air of controlled chaos. The volunteers take it in turns to blow up purple Maxine McKew balloons; by Saturday night, 7500 will have been filled with helium. One of the volunteers tells me that there is not a single Kevin07 T-shirt to be had in the whole country, and that people are reduced to washing them every night.
The MSG members are now working round the clock. During the day they stand on street corners talking about McKew's policies; at night they stuff envelopes without a meal break. They have sent out 10,000 Chinese-language how-to-vote guides and are now mailing out the same number of testimonials from prominent members of the Chinese community.
Everyone is so tired that an air of mild hysteria is starting to creep in. McKew says she is buoyant, really thrilled that it's the last stretch. She watched Rudd on Rove Live on Sunday night and thought he looked really comfortable, and as a candidate in the field, "we live or die on how our bloke is on the day".
McKew says she feels resigned in a good way. "I've got to the stage where I'm pleased that I've been able to run an energetic, spirited and positive campaign. So whatever happens, I've done what I have said I wanted to do six months ago. I haven't been derailed and I have been positive. I feel all right."
On Wednesday morning there is a story in The Sydney Morning Herald about the ALP paying $11,600 a month for a giant billboard of Kevin Rudd in Hong Kong.
While both Labor and Liberals have been putting resources into London, where 20,000 people voted last time, Labor is the only one focusing on Hong Kong, which recorded 7768 absentee votes. Many of those votes will be for Bennelong.
When I go up to the campaign office an elderly volunteer is there, insisting on being given a child's Maxine McKew T-shirt so he can put it on his dog and win the dog vote. Organiser Mike Richardson very patiently explains that there are no T-shirts left.
That night, the volunteers assemble at the Golden Jade restaurant for their final instructions. About 400 turn up, and are told to expect some aggressive behaviour at the polling booths.
McKew quotes from Howard's Tuesday night 7.30 Report interview, saying that if they change the government they will change the country, and everyone cheers.
She says that when she was walking to the restaurant she saw a six-year-old girl wearing a Maxine McKew badge and it made her feel very emotional. She says that if she wins, she will bronze the sensible shoes she has worn doorknocking during the campaign.
On Thursday morning, the MSG tells me that today's Sing Tao has a front-page story about Rudd's daughter Jessica and her husband Albert Tse's visit to Eastwood, including a large photo of them taken with McKew and the members. Inside there is a statement about Bennelong: "Bennelong's local Asian community representatives gathered at Eastwood recently to discuss the coming Federal election and the contest in their electorate."
The group consisted of Hugh Lee (president of the Eastwood Chinese Seniors' Club), Wilson Fu (secretary of the Eastwood Chinese Seniors' Club), Jason Koh (editor of the Hoju Donga Korean Daily based in Eastwood), Caroline Yi Xu (principal of the Fenghua Chinese School) and Justin Li (vice-chair of the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW). Each spoke about their views of Howard and McKew, and the issues that were important to their communities.
Jason Koh said: "For the last four elections, 60 to 70 per cent of Korean voters in Bennelong supported MrHoward but this time there is a change. The Korean community is emerging into the middle class.
"House ownership is around 60per cent and with six interest rate rises they are finding it harder to pay their mortgages. I think they are satisfied that Labor will provide a stable government and so it is OK to make change."
Wilson Fu said: "The mainland Chinese are mainly employees rather than employers. They are a bit less wealthy and I think they are more likely to support Labor. Maxine McKew has done a very good job of coming and talking to the different communities. Stability is very important to Chinese people."
Hugh Lee said: "As a migrant from Hong Kong, I view Kevin Rudd as a politician who would respect Chinese culture. As we all know, Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Kevin Rudd can write and speak Chinese. He used to work in Beijing. His son-in-law is a Hong Kong Chinese. All these would gain my vote."
Caroline Xu said: "For Asian families, education is the most important. They spend a lot of their money on extra coaching and activities for their kids and they are very frustrated. I speak to a lot of parents and teachers and they all say, 'This time I am going to vote for Maxine' ."
Justin Li, a Bennelong resident, said: "Maxine McKew has been very hardworking and has made a lot of efforts to listen to the concerns of the Asian community in Bennelong. She tells people she values the cultural diversity of the local area and the contributions made by the migrants. The people believe her views are genuine."
MSG convenor Robert (who doesn't want his surname mentioned) says Bennelong is now in a perfect storm. Maxine is a good candidate, the ALP is taking the Asian vote seriously and people are tired of Howard.
The day before the election, McKew's mother, Mary, sister Margo and niece Alexandra have come down from Brisbane to support her on the campaign trail, and McKew has agreed to a short doorstop. She introduces her mother as her secret weapon and they both laugh. Mary is wearing a purple pantsuit, the campaign colour. When someone asks her if she will be praying for Maxine she says she will be saying many Hail Marys to Mary MacKillop. They leave and go home to rest up for the big day.
Election Day. McKew and her family are at Eastwood Public School and, when I arrive at 9.30am, it is packed. Tensions are running very high. One of the MSGers is talking to a Chinese-Australian voter when one of Howard's supporters interrupts and starts shouting over the top of him. The young lad is quietly removed and given a dressing-down in Cantonese; after that he stays in line.
Two Greens volunteers turn up in suits and ties because it's the prime minister's electorate. They look so funny everyone assumes it's a Chaser stunt, but the ABC lads are in the seat of Lindsay.
Sky TV is filming in Bennelong and conducting exit polls. They call a win for McKew before 6pm. Multi-award-winning photojournalist Lorrie Graham is there. A great friend of McKew's, she has offered to come and shoot the whole day as a present to her.
At Epping West, which is where McKew will vote, actors David Wenham and Rhys Muldoon are handing out how-to-vote cards for McKew. She sees Wenham and calls out: "Diver Dan! It's time for a sea change in Bennelong" referring to Wenham's character in the TV series SeaChange.
McKew goes home for a quick lunch, and tells me later that she had a black moment. Sky TV was on, and she saw Howard go in to vote at Ermington West. "I felt really flat and I thought, 'What if they get in? We can't afford to lose."'
When I arrive at McKew's shortly after 5.30pm, I find her wandering around in shortie pyjamas with her hair in curlers, and her partner, former ALP national secretary Bob Hogg, at the barbecue. Everyone else is watching the Sky coverage.
Hogg looks at the bottle of champagne I have brought and tells me I can take it home with me. He must have had an inkling it was going to be a tight finish. He is clearly tense, but McKew is trying very hard to look relaxed.
At 8pm a quarter of the Bennelong votes have been counted, and there is a 4.3 per cent swing to McKew. Hogg still says it is too close.
The film crews, journalists, supporters and volunteers waiting for McKew at the North Ryde Community Centre ring constantly. NSW Transport Minister John Watkins is there, waiting for McKew, and he rings a few times telling her "you have to come" because the crowd is going wild.
Ten minutes later the 4000-vote Eastwood booth results are called in. It is the Asian heartland of the electorate, and there has been a 7per cent swing.
McKew is dressed and ready to leave, but obviously very worried about jumping the gun. It's a huge dilemma. With an unclear result, McKew can't turn up and claim victory. But she can't hide at home. We get more booth results.
By 8.45pm, 60 per cent of the vote is in showing a 5per cent swing. Everyone now starts very quietly to get ready to go and we organise cars and lifts. McKew has ordered a car to take her and the family, and the driver comes to the gate.
After 10 agonising minutes the decision is finally made and we leave in a single file with McKew counting us out the front door like a football team. She is clearly struggling with what she can say and looks very stressed. Later she tells me she had prepared a speech for victory and defeat, but not one for something in-between. Her phone and Hogg's ring constantly and she is told that she cannot claim victory or say that it is a Rudd victory because Howard has not conceded.
"I wanted to think and find the words to acknowledge the extent of our achievements. But I was conscious that I could not go over the top and claim victory."
At the community centre McKew starts off by saying that Bennelong is still on a knife edge.
"The result is not clear. But what a wonderful, wonderful campaign this has been. What you've all done over the past six months is to show in Bennelong that a contest matters," adding that the result may not be known that day. "But I do know one thing: Bennelong will never, ever be taken for granted again."
The is an edited extract from The Battle For Bennelong: The Adventures Of Maxine McKew, Aged 50something by Margot Saville, which will be published tomorrow by Melbourne University Press, $24.95.
No comments:
Post a Comment