Pike Fights On, Her Future Still Uncertain
The Sunday Age
Sunday November 26, 2006
THE political career of Health Minister Bronwyn Pike remains uncertain.
With a swing of less than 2 per cent required for the Greens to claim Ms Pike's seat of Melbourne - it would be the Greens first seat in the Victoria Parliament - Ms Pike last night said she had not given up. In the last election it took several days for the results of the seat of Melbourne to be known, and Ms Pike said she expected another close contest. "It's going to be a very long night and probably a very long week," she said last night. "I'm certainly far from giving up." Earlier yesterday, the two left-leaning candidates chose the same venue to play out their contest for the most talked about seat in the election. As a long queue of voters stretched outside the Kensington Town Hall, both candidates had the big guns by their side.Attorney-General Rob Hulls took time out from his own far more secure electorate of Niddrie to appeal to the voters of Melbourne to save his friend Ms Pike. Treasurer John Brumby, Sports Minister Justin Madden and even retiring MP Mary Delahunty also did their bit to help the embattled health minister.In the Greens corner, Dr Richard Di Natale was not without support. The party's leader Bob Brown was on hand. The local member and the man who coveted her seat stayed at the town hall for most of the day. The long line ensured there were legions of voters for the competing parties and their lobbyists to try to sway.Ms Pike, declaring herself the underdog, put on a brave face and an unwavering smile as she worked the line. "Hi, I'm Bronwyn Pike from the Labor Party. How are you? Nice to see you."Her efforts were rewarded in some quarters - "I just want to wish you all the best, Bronwyn," said one voter warmly - but were received less enthusiastically from others. "I'm going to vote for my friend Kevin," one man declared, in reference to former Melbourne lord mayor Kevin Chamberlin, who quit the Labor party weeks before the 2002 election and stood against Ms Pike as an independent.With talk of dirty politics and preference deals dominating the weeks leading up to November 25, it was inevitable the subject would come up on more than one occasion yesterday. The Liberals, Mr Chamberlin and People Power all directed their preferences to the Greens ahead of Labor, and there were accusations aplenty from Ms Pike's entourage that the Greens and the Liberals had jumped into bed together.People Power candidate Isabell Collins, a passionate advocate for the mentally ill, said she had wanted to direct her preferences to Ms Pike but was told by her party that she couldn't. "I think she's genuine and she's tried extremely hard and what's held back the progress on mental health is (Premier Steve) Bracks and Brumby," she said.Dr Di Natale observed that, politics aside, he and his opponent probably had a lot in common. They shared similar values. The difference, he said, was that he was part of a "grassroots" party whereas Ms Pike belonged to a "factional machine".Ms Pike attributed the surge in popularity for the Greens in her once-safe seat to the fact that the Greens had badged themselves with issues that people felt strongly about: the war in Iraq, refugees, the environment. But she said the Greens did not have any real plan.
© 2006 The Sunday Age