PM Gillard ‘a boost’ for MP

Andrew Mathieson
NEW Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s ascension to the top job will enhance Labor’s chances of retaining a marginal Geelong seat, according to the MP under pressure.
Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman endorsed the federal parliamentary party takeover that delivered Australia’s first female leader last week.
Mr Cheeseman said he had been a “very strong supporter for a long time” of Ms Gillard.
The Liberals accused him of “undermining” former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd earlier this year when Mr Cheeseman said outside Parliament House that she was “naturally in line” for the job.
This week he defended her ascension to the top job after the first ousting of a first-term Prime Minister in Australia.
“As she observed, the Government had lost its way a little,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“She obviously decided she was best place to lead the Labor Party.
“There was no (leadership) vote in the end but I was still extremely supportive of Julia and I think it’s absolutely fantastic for our region.”
Labor’s Corangamite candidate for the 2007 election shocked pundits when he gained a 6.2 per cent swing to win the traditionally safe Liberal-held seat by about 1400 votes.
The seat, which takes in southern Geelong, the northern end of the Surf Coast and the southern half of the Bellarine Peninsula, is Australia’s fourth-most marginal federal electorate.
Mr Cheeseman said he expected a boost to his re-election prospects from Mr Rudd’s decision to stand down in favour of Ms Gillard.
“I think Government-held marginal seats are in better shape now than what we were two weeks ago before the leadership change.”
Mr Cheeseman tipped a federal election in either late August or early September.
He planned to bring the new Prime Minister to the region in the next few weeks.
“I won’t put a time frame on it but I will say there are more than 150 federal seats in Australia and it will take the Prime Minister time to get around.”
Liberal candidate for Corangamite Sarah Henderson said in a statement to the Independent that backing Ms Gillard’s popularity to help win the marginal seat would be fanciful.
She said Ms Gillard was one of the “gang of four” that “bungled” policy decisions with the home insulation scheme and mismanaged school buildings program, both of which had cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
“Everyone knows this is the same horse but with a different jockey,” she said.
“She was put there by Labor’s factional warlords and union bosses.”