Former Agriculture minister Peter McGauran is quitting politics and there’s a by-election on in the safe National Party seat of Gippsland in Victoria.
The by-election is expected in June and estimates are that it will cost taxpayers $600,000.
Possum comitatus looks at the 4 conservative seats that may go to by-election and finds that Gippsland is the most likely to fall to Labor. The 4 seats are Peter Costello’s Higgins (Vic), Alexander Downer’s Mayo (SA), Mark Vaile’s Lyne (NSW) and Peter McGauran’s seat of Gippsland (VIC).
There’s a real possibility all 4 will quit politics this term creating by-elections in each seat.
Crikey and Canberra political reporter Bernard Keane gives us an insight into how Warren Truss is perceived by the Canberra press club. Click here to read that article.
A couple of quick grabs from the article:
“It’s showtime for Warren Truss, the invisible man of Federal political leadership.”
“We’ve barely heard from Truss since he was elected leader of the Nats (when Mark Vaile made way for “generational change”)………. but as the alternative Deputy Prime Minister, he has been off the political radar.”
“Now he and his party face a massive test in Gippsland. As one National Party source told The Australian , this is life or death.”
“The departure of the thick but nice Peter McGauran exposes Gippsland to a rampant Rudd Government.”
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Update 07/04/2008 @ 11.30am
Peter McGauran is set to become the chief executive of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia.
(Click on the underlined link to read a full account from the Australian.)
McGauran denies that $217 million assistance package he delivered to the racing industry has anything to do with his appointment. Last year’s outbreak of equine influenza, is reported to have cost the industry $1 billion.
It is expected that the inquiry by former High Court judge Ian Callinan QC will hand down damning findings about the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, which came under Mr McGauran’s portfolio, when it delivers his report into the EI outbreak later this month.
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