THE TERRIBLE TERRIGAL CURSE

The word is Terrigal. It is a word burned into the psyche and soul of the Labor Party. Veteran federal Labor politicians hear that word “Terrigal” and almost visibly flinch. It came to symbolise the end of the Whitlam Government in 1975. And it turned out to be true –with more than a little help from that old, conniving drunk, John Kerr.

Before I go any further a bit of history and gossip may be in order.

Why do the Labor stalwarts now duck for cover whenever Terrigal is mentioned? Because that resort in New South Wales was where they held one of their worst public relations exercises in history. At a time when they could least get away with it. The arrogance, the excesses, the drunkenness, the recklessness – all done in public – was awesome.

Officially, it was a party “conference”. All the cronies were there. Bob Hawke, the self-styled sex symbol (“Australia loves me”) was photographed poolside surrounded by attractive bikini-clad

girls. He was wearing a tiny pair of Speedos. Of course, if you have read Bill Hayden’s, at times bitter, autobiography where he describes a meeting with a nude Hawke he would only need a tiny pair.

That was the conference made publicly notorious for another reason. That was where and when controversial Treasurer (and almost Prime Minister) Jim Cairns declared “my special kind of love for Junie”. Junie being his exotic, conniving, powerful, personal sexy assistant, Junie Morosi.

This was the first time Cairns had come close to admitting the real story after his colleagues had pleaded with him to sack her for the good of the government and the party.

The reporter who got that quote was a reporter for the Sydney Sun named Toni McRae. Some months later when I took over as Editor of that newspaper she said she had far more incriminating quotes but didn’t use them.

Cairns and Morosi sued newspapers for defamation and won. Just before he died Cairns admitted it was all true. But then realized he could still be charged with perjury, having lied in the witness box, and tried to recant. I guess all the bogus damages money had been spent.

Anyway, Terrigal is back in the news. And yet again it involves the Labor Party. This time, the physically, politically – and I suspect mentally -- embattled new Federal Labor leader, Mark Latham.

The leader, it seems, has been in denial since Australia decided, decisively, it didn’t want him as Prime Minister. He has shut himself off from colleagues and has made no comment—not one sentence -- about the tsunami tragedy since December 26.

But: According to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday Latham and family reportedly stayed at a luxury resort on the NSW central coast last week while senior Labor figures said he was too ill with pancreatitis to make a statement on the tsunami disaster. The SMH says he was seen by at least three guests with his family at the pool of Terrigal's Star of the Sea resort for three days from January the 2nd.

This, at a time, when a Latham spokesman has earnestly excused his leader’s silence on the tsunami tragedy on the grounds that he has been confined to bed under strict doctor’s orders.

Reportedly, the Star of the Sea resort is owned by a friend of Latham’s. And the Latham family has being staying in a two million dollar penthouse. That will give him grist for the mill on the “ladder of opportunity” when he next mentions his poor beginnings.

You could say that it is an ironic coincidence that the latest death throes of a Labor leader have been played out again in Terrigal. You could also say it is prescient.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2004