Dateless PM

By Kath Gannaway
ALL the signs of a full-blown federal election campaign were in play at Marysville on Sunday – led by the new PM herself.
The only thing missing was an election date.
Julia Gillard made a surprise visit to the town, accompanied by her old boss Premier John Brumby – also in election mode – parliamentary colleague Bill Shorten, McEwen candidate Rob Mitchell and State Labor MP for Yan Yean Danielle Green.
Then there was the media – out in force for the Prime Minister’s debut visit to the bushfire affected community; a local baby to coo over, a street walk, visit to the ‘museum’ shopping precinct and iconic Marysville Bakery, a photo with a cute three-year-old fan, an impromptu wedding proposal, chats to locals along the way and an official opening.
Encouraged to reveal the election date in Marysville, she said: “My job is to be there as Prime Minister delivering compenent, stable government.”
That was about moving the nation forward through a strong economic delivery.
Ms Gillard’s visit coincided with the official opening of the Marysville SES Headquarters, the awarding of long service medals to members and a visit by members of the Victorian Historic Racing Register who donated $25,000 towards the unit’s new rescue vehicle.
Welcomed by SES deputy controller Josephine Hunter as “our esteemed gatecrashers”, Ms Gillard said SES members had made an amazing contribution on Black Saturday in the face of overwhelming challenges, and in the face of great tragedy.
“To come back from that degree of personal loss and suffering, is I think amazing,” she said. She said the official opening of the SES headquarters was in a sense a homecoming.
“This has been made possible in part by the work of governments, but also by a lot of fund-raising by volunteers and others who have contributed,” she said.
Chair of the Marysville and Triangle Community Recovery Committee Tony Thompson, said the visit was more of a social visit than a serious opportunity to talk issues.
“It was more of a spirit lifting visit for Marysville, and an opportunity for her to get her head around some of what has gone on,” he said.
Mr Thompson said it was an honour for the people of Marysville that it was her first official visit in Victoria since becoming Prime Minister.
He said however, that given more time in the future, there would certainly be plenty to talk about. “Today was not the time to do that,” he said.
For Sharen Donovan, whose Dalrymples Cottages were destroyed in the bushfires, the media scrum that inevitably comes with the high-profile visits make it difficult for any meaningful connection.
Ms Donovan’s granddaughter Sabi, 3, got to meet her heroine and have a photo taken with the PM, but was a bit miffed that Ms Gillard didn’t have time to stop.
“She was a bit upset that she didn’t have a babyccino with her,” Ms Donovan said.