“It’s the most exciting election since 1929 …”
Don’s Party.
From the setting for the 1976 world premiere of Don’s Party, the provocative Australian film on disillusionment in life and politics to accusations of “the dead voting”, Eden-Monaro has rarely had a dull moment in its 119-year history.
In the lead up to its second byelection since its 1901 creation (the 159th nationally over that period), taking place at a polling booth near you on July 4, 2020, there’s been in-fighting, record-breaking and as many visits from pollies as in a non-socially distanced world. All of it ensuring the country’s 16th physically largest electorate (of 151) remains one to watch for a smorgasbord of reasons.
Outdoing the 2001 record of 10 candidates, 14 want-to-be politicos, with addresses from Bega to Bredbo, have decided to give it a crack.
Not to mention those that didn’t make the cut – including one perennial independent candidate who apparently missed the close of nominations, along with the withdrawal of certain State members (National Barilaro, Liberal Constance) who'd looked at jumping the Federal fence (not dismissing the fact that in 1974 the Country Party's Ron Brewer did almost pull it off).
In addition, the Nats alone had four willing to try their hand for pre-selection.
Why all the sudden interest?
As it stands, the seat has garnered attention from the get-go.
One of the original 75 “Federation Divisions” (33 remain), it's seen everything from uncontested elections, mammothly long-serving Members and lots of talk about the “ ‘wether”, that is, its famed title of "bellwether". Let alone winning margins that are frequently by skin-of-teeth.
E-M has gone to Labor in 22 elections and the Liberals nine, though until 1943 it went the way of “conservatively-aligned” parties (Protectionists, Nationalists, etc.,) on 16 occasions.
It's had just eleven different members to date; four have served a single term and three have lost it to win it back an election later.
Another record for this outing is the six female candidates (previous high of four in 1996). Given both major parties have women running, the electorate looks certain to have its first female Member of Parliament.
Over the years, various high profile names have emerged as candidates and potentials. Among them, retired senior commander of RAAF, David Evans AC, DSO, AFC in 1987, recently retired broadcaster Alan Jones in the ‘70s, and for the forthcoming election, suggestions that Tony Abbott and/or his former Chief of Staff and current Sky News commentator, Peta Credlin, were considering their chances.
And so, to E-M's quirkier history.
On November 10, 44 years ago, at the Nova Cinema in the voting heart, Queanbeyan, the curtain and eyebrows were raised with the first ever screening of Bruce Beresford’s adaptation of David Williamson’s 1971 play, Don's Party. (The commercial opening of the provocateur Phillip Addams-produced piece took place at Center Cinema in Canberra a week later. He and Beresford had previously produced The Adventures of Barry McKenzie in 1972 and its 1974 sequel).
A definite product of its time, it’s based around the actual ‘69 Federal Election in which a resurgent Labor Party, after two decades of voter aversion, is all but the victor - until it’s not. The Canberra Tally Room rolls out the count as celebrations turn to misery, and Eden-Monaro is repeatedly mentioned.
When John Gorton's Coalition snuck through with a wafer-thin majority against Gough Whitlam's Labor, E-M had not yet officially turned “bellwether”. Rather than voting in as its representative a Member of the Party that took government, it reinstalled previous long-serving Laborite, Allan Fraser (also the oldest Member to date, 67 at that time).
Until 2016, there were three single terms when the local MP wasn't part of the government – 1910, 1914 and 1969. However, the most significant break in tradition was 1949 until 1966.
This was Fraser’s time. First elected in 1943, he prevailed for the ALP through seven Federal elections when the Liberal Party was at the helm (from 1949).
He'd be defeated after 23 years by Lib Dugald Munro (who’d die tragically when crushed by a lift in 1976) when the conservatives secured the then largest majority in Australian political history. Only the second ALP member to hold it, Fraser outdid the seat's inaugural Member, Sir Austin Chapman (25 years), for overall longevity after taking it back come 1969.
Standing down at the 1972 election (two years later he'd cross the border and become the Member for Fraser in the ACT from 1975 - named for his brother Jim, also a politician there from 1951 to 1970), at this juncture Eden-Monaro earned further prominence as the nation's primary political barometer.
In the olden days, a bell round the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) let the shepherd know what his flock was up to.
Politically, a “bellwether” tolls the way an electorate is leaning, indicating an overall trend.
Apparently pollster Antony Green wasn't keen on E-M being referred to as such, given it's not considered to be a “true microcosm”, that is a reflection of the nation. Still though, he had it ranked as #1 on his website.
Its influence was certainly widely acknowledged. In the 2010 campaign, Tony Abbott declared, “We cannot win the election unless we win Eden-Monaro”. The Coalition failed to do both.
The election of 2016 saw E-M lose its record status for going with the elected government to Roberston (since 1983). Nor did it return to form in 2019.
Now, with even the experts apparently unable to get a handle on it, are all the current mixed signals indicative of something more widespread?
In the present circumstances, COVID and harrowing bushfires mean voter focus may not be on their multiple choices. Tough going for candidates too, with no real chance to get out “on the hustings” to sell themselves.
So, will the status quo hold or will an Independent be able to outdo Jim Collins' 10.4% of 1990? Do the Nationals have any hope of again reaching double figures, something not done since Peter Cochran's 16.4% in 1987 (a year later the Nat became Member for Monaro for a decade; he’d run Federally again in 2001 as an Independent - 8.2% ).
Oh, and that “dead voting” thing?
The only other byelection to occur in E-M was in 1926 on the death of former Braidwood publican, Sir Austin. He’d been continuously re-elected since 1901- twice completely unopposed. Along with strongly advocating Queanbeyan-Canberra as the location for the Australian capital, he was described as “one of the most picturesque personalities in Federal politics”.
There were suggestions his son considered a tilt for the seat, but it was the Tumut-born, one-time Mayor of Cooma (among numerous other roles), John Perkins, who retained it for the Nationalist Party. He’d do so again two years later.
Then came yet another return to the polls in 1929, following a no-confidence vote in the Nationalist-Country government (PM Stanley Bruce lost his seat, a first-time incident that wouldn’t reoccur until John Howard in 2007). Perkins was pipped at the post, 49.9% to 50.1% by Labor’s John Cusack. Cusack, once Mayor of Yass (1904), had been Member for Queanbeyan in the NSW Legislative Assembly and was father of Stan Cusack of Canberra furniture renown.
Controversy erupted with claims that 49 of Perkins’ votes were credited to Cusack and that Canberra and Moss Vale residents appeared on the Queanbeyan rolls. Even more sensationally, that along with these “impersonations”, some had voted although they were in fact, dead.
Perkins took it to the High Court on the grounds of “grave irregularities in the scrutiny of votes”. His attempt to have Cusack turfed out or the election declared void was unsuccessful. He’d have his revenge though, taking the seat back again in 1931.
He’d lose to an ascendant Allan Fraser a dozen years later.
Eden-Monaro is an electorate known for its diversity, its very name indicating its coastal boundaries extending from Narooma down to Eden and the Victorian border, through the grazing heartland of the Monaro as far as the Riverina and back round to Goulburn. Of course, a 910 square mile chunk of it was removed for the creation of the Federal Capital Territory in 1913. (It’s also unusual in the most such Divisions are named in honour of people rather than geographical features).
It takes in industries from fishing to dairy farming, timber to public servants in the major city centre of Queanbeyan (approximately 40% of the electorate).
As well as being one of the country’s most colourful electorates, all of these elements lend themselves to an enhanced level of unpredictability, making Eden-Monaro worthy of all the attention and eminently watchable - even for those not partial to such machinations.
I for one, have my popcorn at the ready for election night.
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