Comments on: Qld Labor MP joins the Greens

By: Ronan Ronin « the-paris-site

Ronan Ronin « the-paris-site — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:21:00 +0000

...] Andrew Bartlett has suggested, this situation is likely to be very short-lived. What are the benefits, beyond the [...

By: Andrew Bartlett

Andrew Bartlett — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:32:45 +0000

“I may be incorrect but I was under the impression that historically the Democrats were stronger in Indooroopilly than the Greens.”

The Greens have been stronger that the Democrats in state elections in Qld for the couple of elections at least, even while the Democrats were still outpolling them at federal level.

The area covered by Indooroopilly was around the areas where the Democrats got some of their highest ever votes in Qld state elections – over the 20 per cent mark – in the 1980s. It is certainly among the most ’small l liberal’ rather than ‘big C Conservative Liberal’ areas, and has been among the higher polling – although not quite the highest – areas for the Greens in local, state and federal elections.

By: mexicanbeemer

mexicanbeemer — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:48:19 +0000

Nice story Sam!!

I don’t like to be cynical but the guy is a Social Conservative MP in what is historically a safe Liberal Party seat!! I think this move may backfire for while the Greens do poll well but this seat is an ALP V Liberal contest and I can’t see the ALP preference him.

I may be incorrect but I was under the impression that historically the Democrats were stronger in Indooroopilly than the Greens.

By: girtbysea

girtbysea — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:32:28 +0000

Very occasionally you used to be able to run into Ms Bligh in Boundary Street, as indeed you occasionally can with Kev, down at the shopping centres on random saturday mornings.
Back when she was just a humble Education Minister, when her boy was still in primary school, you would bump into her in a stairwell or tuckshop line at the state school. If you’re out jogging early mornings, say near the night owl on gladstone road, you might have a chance too.

Thanks for your story sam, it’s nice to be able to again think, ( now that andrew has gone) just for a bit, there’s a chance that an honest pollie is not necessarily a contradiction in terms.

Oh BTW, from hansard, he says he’s supporting the LNP’s ethanol bill, which the gov’t won’t. So he’s kind of putting his environment vote in the house where his defection rationale is.

By: Sam Long

Sam Long — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:27:47 +0000

Andrew, I was a former resident of Indooroopilly living on Coonan Street just around the corner from Ronan Lee. I was almost responsible for running him down one day while jogging. After that he would give me a wave when ever he saw me jogging, at the coffee shops and most of the time on the train. Occassionally we would have a chat and he would always raise concerns about the trains or the environment. I raised concern about Traveston Dam probably about 6-8 months ago. He said he and a few other MPs were working on convincing the Premier to change her mind. That was some time ago, so I doubt his defection is a knee jerk kind of thing.

In short I was really impressed with him, not just because he had genuine concern for the environment and sorting the trains out, but because he had an amazing understanding of his community. I moved out of Indooroopilly a couple of months ago and now live in the Premier’s seat. I don’t run into her on the train or on the street.