Howard on home turf, but there's still double trouble: [6 NSW Country Edition]
James Madden, Nicola Berkovic, Additional reporting: John Stapleton. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 17 Sep 2007: 1.
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Abstract
"My position was outlined last week, and you know me, it hasn't changed," he said. "All elections are tough, and I have been saying all year this one will be the toughest. But I believe the Coalition can win the election. I believe when people focus on the substance we have delivered ... they will decide in ourfavour."
She said she confirmed her invitation to the fete five weeks ago and dismissed suggestions Mr [JOHN Howard] had hijacked her outing by arriving at the fete an hour earlier. "I am invited often to the same things the PM's invited to ... certainly things that are onthe weekends, so that's not unusual," Ms McKew told reporters.
She said she was not "aggressively campaigning" yesterday, but her recognition rate was "fairly high".
JOHN Howard returned to the hustings in his northwestern Sydney seat of Bennelong yesterday, and was immediately confronted by two persistent problems -- his rival Maxine McKew and a renewed bout of leadership speculation.
As the Prime Minister visited a school fete at Ryde with Ms McKew following in his wake, the warm reception he received from local constituents was quickly dampened by further doubts about his future as the Coalition leader as the federal election looms.
"Well, that's news to me," Mr Howard said, when it was put to him that he was expected to come under further pressure to stand down if this week's Newspoll, to be published in The Australian tomorrow, does not show an improvement in his electoral fortunes.
"My position was outlined last week, and you know me, it hasn't changed," he said. "All elections are tough, and I have been saying all year this one will be the toughest. But I believe the Coalition can win the election. I believe when people focus on the substance we have delivered ... they will decide in ourfavour."
Mr Howard reiterated his promise to serve out a full term as the member for Bennelong if he retained his seat, even though that would eventually mean retreating to the back bench.
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But Deputy Labor leader Julia Gillard said Mr Howard's assurance to Bennelong voters should be seen as a "non-core promise".
"Can we imagine a circumstance where a man like John Howard goes to the backbench, rattles around making the occasional adjournment speech, asks the then prime minister whether it is (Peter) Costello, (Malcolm) Turnbull, (Brendan) Nelson, a question or two in question time -- it's unthinkable isn't it?
"I suspect this is a very non-core promise," Ms Gillard said.
But voters at St Charles Church Spring Fair, in the heart of Bennelong, did not seem to care yesterday about the Prime Minister's retirement plans.
He was greeted with throngs of enthusiastic supporters, with parents thrusting their children forward to be photographed with him.
Ms McKew arrived at the same fete just minutes after he left.
She said she confirmed her invitation to the fete five weeks ago and dismissed suggestions Mr Howard had hijacked her outing by arriving at the fete an hour earlier. "I am invited often to the same things the PM's invited to ... certainly things that are on theweekends, so that's not unusual," Ms McKew told reporters.
She said she was not "aggressively campaigning" yesterday, but her recognition rate was "fairly high".
"Most people, if I come to an event like this, they know who I am," she said.
"They say, oh, it's nice to meet you, good to see you."
Among the crowd was Simone Waights, who was at the fair with her son Harrison, 5, and daughter Lana, 20 months.
"We are big fans of John Howard. He has done a great job for the country," she said.
"For the first time in my voting life I'm actually worried about what going to happen to our country.
"We came from the Canterbury region, where I think we were the only Liberal supporters. It's a nice change to be in a Liberal stronghold."
Both Mr Howard and Ms McKew had equal measures of luck, spinning the same number 44 on the chocolate wheel.
Jacqui Signorelli had the opportunity to meet both Mr Howard and Ms McKew, and said she was pleased to see both candidates mixing with the community.
However, Mr Howard would be getting her vote in the upcoming election.
"I think it'd be hard to go past John Howard. He has done a very good job," she said.
One of Ms McKew's strongest supporters was Praveena Ramrakha from Gladesville, who said there would be 35 members of her family voting for Ms McKew at the election.
"We really, really need a fresh face in this electorate," she said, adding that she thought Ms McKew would bring with her new ideas and a good vision for the area.
Perry Kollias also said he would be voting for Ms McKew, along with his 18-year-old son.
"We need a change in the electorate. John Howard has done a great job, but he's not going to be here for the next term, and we hate Costello," he said.
Mr Howard holds Bennelong by a margin of 4.3 per cent, or fewer than 3500 votes based on the 2004 result and a electoral redistribution.
The only prime minister to lose his seat was Stanley Melbourne Bruce, who lost his seat of Flinders when his government was swept from office in 1929.
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