It’s a surprise-a-day campaign here in Wentworth. As everyone knows, this marginal seat is held by Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who was elected just three years ago. This hasn’t stopped him from warning us against the “dangerous inexperience” of the “union dominated Labor Party”. That was in the first letter I received from him the other day – the same day I received one from Kevin and George (Newhouse, the local ALP candidate) offering “a better deal for families and seniors”. The ALP letter did offer policies, whereas Malcolm’s offered many underlined sentences, culminating in “Don’t experiment with your vote“.
My attention was diverted from all this by the striking front page this week of the local newspaper, The Wentworth Courier. Wentworth covers the eastern suburbs of Sydney — in other words, it is multi-million-dollar real estate central and the Wentworth Courier could easily be renamed the Real Estate Courier. Consequently, it has a large and avid readership and the Courier’s editorial team seem to be enjoying entertaining them during this campaign. First there was the Cousins Affair — Geoff, not Ben; then last week they had George Newhouse on the cover sheepishly admitting that he too supported the Gunns Pulp Mill. This week the cover was devoted to Danielle Ecuyer, who is toying with the idea of running as an anti-pulp-mill Independent environmentalist in Wentworth. The fun angle to this is that Danielle is “a former partner of Labor candidate George Newhouse”. [I'm fascinated by that "a". Not "the". Get the goss here.]
Hardly had I assimilated this news than I received by post a 16-page glossy full colour brochure from Malcolm. [It's George and Kevin, but never Malcolm and John.] 
On the inside cover, against a photo of what looks like non-native vegetation (it’s distinctly not a Tasmanian forest), is a summary of “Malcolm’s” environmental achievements in 2007. I gasped with amazement when reading this — not at his so-called achievements, but at his chutzpah in suggesting that he is responsible for “the world’s most comprehensive” emissions trading scheme; that a new target to have a whole 15% of electricity be “clean” by 2020 is supposed to impress us; that a $1000 rebate for solar hot water is actually going to “tackle” the problem of household emissions (and of course it’s not going to do anything to tackle industrial emissions.) This list contains several such sleights of hand. 
The sleights of hand continue, through to a headline further in that talks about “clean energy for a cooler planet”. Cooler?! Earlier, we’ve been told that Malcolm “knows that climate change is a fact, not a theory” (he’s so modern) — if he knows that, he knows there’s no chance of stopping the global warming that’s already in train (unless by “cooler” he means a new ice age.) Yet he talks about cutting a deal “to cool the planet”. This looks like deliberate deceptiveness to me.
Because he’s such a great guy, “Malcolm [apparently in his solo capacity] has been working with major emitting countries…” blah blah Apec Declaration blah blah “the first time the two biggest emitters, China and the United States, have agreed that we must set a global goal for reducing emissions and that all nations must contribute to meeting it. This is the first step towards a truly effective global agreement…” From the people who refused to sign Kyoto, talking about a country, China, which at least has signed Kyoto. Chutzpah again — or maybe we should just call it spin. 
I wonder what goodies next week will bring.
I didn’t realise Wentworth and Kingsford-Smith were right next to each other until today. It’ll be interesting to see what the Green vote is in these seats as a result of the inaction by either MP on the issue of protecting Tasmania’s forests.
Strewth! You can do a 16 page full-colour glossy sent to every punter, and not ‘designed’ on Word by an administrative assistant at that, with your parliamentary postage? I’m impressed.
I hope the Environment Minister at least used recycled paper for his 16 page brochure (and offers his constituents the option of getting it via email) while extolling his enviro credentials.
Stormclouds fomenting in the background… I like this clean-coal metaphor!
Wow, suz, that is something special. It binds them to do absolutely nothing.
Perhaps we should be on the lookout for treaties that bind us to do absolutely nothing, since there is a special virtue in doing that.
What about a treaty on preserving indigenous reindeer populations. Since we don’t have any that should be particularly virtuous.
What about a treaty to preserve the habitat of the Caspian sturgeon. We can all feel good about that.
A “Conservative Conservationist ” My God what an oxymoron.
The bullshit that is coming out in this federal election campaign beggars belief!
The conservatives have taken bullshit to an art form that should be researched, and the thesis presented for an academic degree.
Michael, yes, on the back page it says that “this brochure is printed on recycled paper using environmentally friendly vegetable based inks”!
Plus, in smaller print, it says “Not printed at taxpayers’ expense”!
However, no email option. This came in an envelope, addressed to each voter (so my household got two.)
his chutzpah in suggesting that he is responsible for “the world’s most comprehensive� emissions trading scheme
Is that the one where he wants other countries to stop logging their oldgrowth forests while we merrily continue doing so?
China, which at least has signed Kyoto.
Wow, suz, that is something special. It binds them to do absolutely nothing.
At least they showed willing by signing. A notch better than talking about ‘aspirational targets’ and not signing anything at all.
And the brochure talks about their Apec declaration as “first steps”. They shouldn’t be taking first steps in 2007. Most other countries took the first step by signing Kyoto years ago. Malcolm’s declaration is a sham and everyone knows it.
I don’t know what you’re all worried about. Its clear from Malcolm’s performance yesterday if Howard wins Government he will makle him Minister for Child Welfare.
Does any this really make a difference?
No matter who gets elected, we still end up with a government.
Yes but this one lies so beautifully…
No surprises here. Malcolm’s just another Sydney spiv, after all.