By Michael Newhouse
IT WAS a celebration of Brimbank, its diversity and culture, but this year’s bigger and better Brimbank Festival was still an unashamedly political event.
With the world’s most senior economists meeting for this year’s G20 meeting in the city, and Saturday’s state election edging ever closer, politics – whether it be council, state or federal – was never far away at Sunday’s celebration.
The Labor Party’s western power base turned out to celebrate the return of the blockbuster Brimbank Festival, with MPs, councillors and senior council officers all milling in the VIP tent until the time came to officially open festival proceedings about 1.30pm.
Kororoit MP Andre Haermeyer, Keilor MP George Seitz and Marsha Thomson – who is moving from the upper house to the safe Labor lower house seat of Footscray (24.91 per cent swing required) at this Saturday’s state election – were some of the big names to gather for a little political grandstanding.
But it was Bill Shorten, secretary of the Australian Manufacturing and Workers’ Union (AMWU) and rising Labor Party star, who was the most prominent political figure of the day, providing his services as master of ceremonies for the official opening.
Mr Shorten gave an effusive scripted introduction to Brimbank mayor Natalie Suleyman – “Councillor Suleyman lives and breathes Brimbank” – and other speakers, putting on a statesman-like performance.
But what Mr Shorten, who has been pre-selected to contest the seat of Maribrynong, which includes large areas of Brimbank, at next year’s 2007 federal election, had to do with the festival was unclear.
“I’m the secretary of a major union and I think any chance to promote the presence of unions in the community is good,” Mr Shorten told Star after coming off stage, saying he was there as a guest of Brimbank City Council.
“I know Natalie (Suleyman) is concerned about the industrial relations changes,” he said.
Mr Shorten, whose profile has skyrocketed since the Beaconsfield mining disaster, has been flagged as a possible future federal Labor leader, and maybe even Prime Minister.
He spoke at last week’s ALP election campaign launch in Ballarat, and has been working hard to grow his profile among the Labor rank and file members in the lead-up to the 2007 federal election.
Off stage, political aspirations were blunter.
With the Victorian election only days away, Family First candidate Tania Walters was happy to wear her political heart on her sleeve – or chest – happily parading around the festival in her blue and white campaign T-shirt with ‘Vote 1 Tania Walters’ emblazoned above a picture of the candidate.
“We came to check out the festival organised by Brimbank City Council, and it’s a family event so we thought we’d come and promote families,” said Ms Walters, who had convinced a friend to wear a campaign shirt as well.
Sunday’s festival also marked the public return of outgoing Brimbank City Council chief executive Marilyn Duncan, who has been on leave for the past two weeks.
Last week the council confirmed Ms Duncan would step down as CEO early next year after more than a decade with the council.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Ms Duncan said when asked about her impending departure in March, six months before her contract is due to finish. Ms Duncan has not indicated why she is leaving.
