GST and Canberra you see
February 2001 (by-election held on the fifth):
Located in Queensland, Australian parliamentary constituency Ryan was a traditional Liberal stronghold. However, Prime Minister John Howard, growing more and more unpopular for his GST policy, was biting his nails at the growing sign of the Ryan by-election. Defense Minister John Moore had just resigned, doing so at a horrible time for the Howard administration. A loss in a stronghold would not only jeopardize his policy, but also embarrass his administration and the party at large. A loss would have been greatly embarrassing. Wishing to prevent the worst in the by-election, Prime Minister Howard decided to campaign there. Unfortunately for him, John Moore also ran a campaign of his own.
John Moore did not run for election in the seat, but instead argued against the Howard administration's policies regarding the GST. He never endorsed the Labor party candidate, but made very clear his intentions that he did not support the government. Dissatisfied Liberals supported Moore's cause and Howard's campaign fell on deaf ears. He made several gaffes, including falling down the stairs on his war down from a rally platform. The results were brutal:
Leonie Short (Labor): 60.67%
Bob Tucker (Liberal): 39.33%
John Howard, losing not only the Western Australia and Queensland elections earlier but now the Ryan by-election by a wide margin (and on top of his several gaffes), his grip over Canberra was shrinking by the minute. And John Moore, sensing a grand opportunity, already was devising plans to gain more power in the greasy pole of Australian politics.
(Former Defense Minister John Moore's craft and good luck earned him manifold political capital. Only time would tell how he would dispense of it.)
Located in Queensland, Australian parliamentary constituency Ryan was a traditional Liberal stronghold. However, Prime Minister John Howard, growing more and more unpopular for his GST policy, was biting his nails at the growing sign of the Ryan by-election. Defense Minister John Moore had just resigned, doing so at a horrible time for the Howard administration. A loss in a stronghold would not only jeopardize his policy, but also embarrass his administration and the party at large. A loss would have been greatly embarrassing. Wishing to prevent the worst in the by-election, Prime Minister Howard decided to campaign there. Unfortunately for him, John Moore also ran a campaign of his own.
John Moore did not run for election in the seat, but instead argued against the Howard administration's policies regarding the GST. He never endorsed the Labor party candidate, but made very clear his intentions that he did not support the government. Dissatisfied Liberals supported Moore's cause and Howard's campaign fell on deaf ears. He made several gaffes, including falling down the stairs on his war down from a rally platform. The results were brutal:
Leonie Short (Labor): 60.67%
Bob Tucker (Liberal): 39.33%
John Howard, losing not only the Western Australia and Queensland elections earlier but now the Ryan by-election by a wide margin (and on top of his several gaffes), his grip over Canberra was shrinking by the minute. And John Moore, sensing a grand opportunity, already was devising plans to gain more power in the greasy pole of Australian politics.
(Former Defense Minister John Moore's craft and good luck earned him manifold political capital. Only time would tell how he would dispense of it.)
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