ALP members in the NSW Central Coast seat of Robertson have dealt a blow to sitting member Belinda Neal’s political future, passing a motion last night rejecting central intervention to pick a candidate for next year’s federal poll.
The non-binding Left-backed motion was passed unanimously by Federal Electoral Council delegates, comprising representatives from dissident branches and those controlled by Neal. Crikey understands that Neal, who attended the meeting, agreed to accept the motion only to avoid a fight with locals.
Several letters expressing concern with Neal’s candidacy were on the agenda last night, however Crikey understands they were not tabled.
The controversial backbencher owes her current seat in parliament to the intervention of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who stepped in in the lead-up to the 2007 poll to ensure her spot on the ballot paper.
A rank-and-file vote would almost certainly spell the end for Neal, with dissent still running high following last year’s notorious Iguanagate incident. She has never won a contested preselection vote, relying instead on the whim of party powerbrokers that include her husband, John Della Bosca.
On Monday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported leaked internal polling indicating a 20% swing against Neal and Della Bosca based on the views of 650 voters around the power couple’s Gosford heartland.
Even if she avoids a local vote, Neal’s chances at running again in 2010 appear to be withering. The PM again has threatened federal intervention, but is said to be wavering over whether to stick with Neal or install a political cleanskin untainted by the saga surrounding the notorious events at Iguana Joe’s, which led to Neal taking anger-management classes on his advice.
The Robertson MP saw her fortunes rise after an impressive performance on the Q&A program last month and a glossy spread in the September issue of Women’s Weekly, in which she forgave her husband for his affair with a 26-year-old entertainer.
Neal’s record in securing local support is poor. In November 2000, she narrowly lost the local vote against bitter rival Trish Moran and threatened legal action after claiming the ballot was rigged. Then-Labor leader Kim Beazley nixed her complaints and backed Moran, who stumbled against sitting Liberal Jim Lloyd on polling day. In 2004, the Neal-backed candidate, Daniel Cook, was beaten in a local vote, also by Moran.
In June, the ALP’s national executive approved a motion calling on a five-man flying squad comprising Anthony Albanese, Mark Arbib, Mark Butler, Bill Shorten and Bill Ludwig to oversee preselections and avoid any nasty surprises. It has already halted preselections in several marginal seats. Neal’s Robertson electorate is on a knife edge, held by Labor by just 0.1%.
Today, federal resources minister Martin Ferguson and Della-Bosca favourite Ian Macdonald will attend a $1200-a-head fundraiser for the Neal campaign at NSW Parliament House (not yesterday, as was previously reported). The shadow fundraising effort has failed to receive the official backing of locals and follows an aborted Keating: The Musical film screening and a trivia night hosted last Saturday by Della Bosca.
It is unknown where the money raised outside of official channels will end up.
It will never be known whether Belinda Neal would have achieved the career she has had she not been married to one of the most prominent personalities in the NSW ALP. What is certain is that she’s now suffering for her husband’s recent well-publicised failings and his share of responsibility for the unpopularity of the NSW Government. It highlights the inherent risks for high-profile political figures and who are married or in relationships with each other.
She was appointed chair of the House Inquiry into Cyber Security for some unknown reason. It certainly wasn’t due to her in depth grasp of the subject. Her performance at the August meeting of the inquiry could easily lead one to believe she is barely qualified even to be an MP. To anyone that is at all technically aware it was cringeworthy. The final report lacks the impact of the initial draft unfortunately.
http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/reps/commttee/R12268.pdf
Her relationship status is probably not as relevant as the ability to win the seat back for Labor with a margin of 0.1%. Labor have put up useless candidates with good connections before now. The considerable media coverage she has received over the last 2 years probably haven’t endeared her to the locals.
Belinda Neal’s candidacy is relevant outside of her Central Coast electorate. I am sure that her nomination, if pushed through via centralised power elites in the ALP, will cost votes throughout NSW at least.
Perhaps some bright and well-resourced pollster can run a poll in at least the adjoining seats to measure the probable anti-Belinda effect on these seats as well.
She and her husband would be well advised to seek alternate employment, far from the public gaze, for the good of the party that they have damaged so often and so deeply.
“Impressice performance on Q&A” – I must have been watching a different show – the woman I saw was a loundmouthed moron.
A diction lesson is in order. Belinda Neal is obviously under the impression that she is the “Feral Member for Roberson.” The rain in Spain falls mainly…….