MEMBER for Bendigo Steve Gibbons yesterday joined an elite group of five who have represented the seat for a decade. By 2010, he could stand alongside federation pioneer Sir John Quick as the longest-serving members for the federal seat.
But if 24 hours is a long time in politics, 10 years must seem like an eternity, particularly when nine of them were in Opposition. Mr Gibbons jokingly notes that the stretch is not dissimilar to some murder sentences.
“But it has been an enormous privilege to represent Bendigo, particularly at a time when there has been so much growth in terms of population and the economy,’’ he said.
But, quoting Gareth Evans, he said it had been a career of exhilarating highs and debilitating lows. “Winning four elections in Bendigo but losing three in a row in Canberra has been enormously disappointing and frustrating. Nevertheless, some of the campaigns he has been most proud of were those won while in Opposition, including funding for the Calder Upgrade, keeping the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation in Bendigo, and lobbying for the Bushmaster program and Waranga-to-Eppalock pipeline.
He said when people grew tired of hearing him talk about the Calder he knew he was doing his job, getting the message through to Canberra.
“It was a four-year fight,’’ he said.
“We argued that people here had paid their fuel excise and they were entitled to their fair share of road funding. “We are a major regional centre in Victoria without the duplication that Ballarat and even Shepparton, in part, had for years.’’
The upgrade had been a Labor project since the days when John Brumby, as federal member for Bendigo, had pushed for the duplication of the Ravenswood section but the Coalition government had remained stubbornly resistant to the idea.
“However, the completed project is due to open and that will be significant day in Bendigo’s history.’’
The Calder campaign was also the cause of the only time Steve Gibbons was expelled from the House of Representatives when he insisted on holding up the front page of The Advertiser accusing the then treasurer Peter Costello of lying about his commitment to fund the road project.
By contrast, the success of keeping DIGO in Bendigo was the result of hard work developing an argument and presenting it to federal ministers who were listening.
“There were several ministers, such as Dr Brendan Nelson in health and particularly Senator Robert Hill in defence, who were very good.
“They recognised the legitimacy of a local member representing his local area.’’ The work with La Trobe University and Remplan on the economic losses to Bendigo if DIGO moved to Canberra was recognised and accepted by Senator Hill, and the jobs were saved for Bendigo.
Now Mr Gibbons wants to continue supporting the success of Bendigo’s defence manufacturing sector, particularly with the Defence Military Mobility Centre proposal and pushing to have defence included in a free trade agreement with the United States, potentially expanding the markets. Mr Gibbons said much of the hard work in all these projects was done behind the scenes, often stemming from a partnership of community leaders who worked voluntarily to build cases on issues such as the vital importance of La Trobe University to Bendigo.
Mr Gibbons said a year in Government had delivered some highlights, including the formal apology to the Stolen Generation and meeting a number of other election commitments. In the future, he said, health and education would remain the big challenges.
“The best investment a nation can make in its future is education.
He dismissed criticism that the Rudd Government had done little in its first year.
“Prime Minster Kevin Rudd is a very cautious person and these important issues are not going to be solved overnight,’’ he said.
“He is determined to get the best possible advice to ensure the best options are put forward.
“We are not just going to do what we criticised the past government for, which was policy and money on the run.’’
This cautious approach was particularly important in the current climate of economic uncertainty, he said.
Many of the factors underlining Australia’s economic soundness had been established by Labor governments, dispelling the myth that the party was not a sound economic manager.
Mr Gibbons also said state and federal Labor governments offered new opportunities for co-operation, particularly with the Brumby Government.
The Premier and two local ministers had brought wide-ranging benefits to Bendigo and eliminated the city/regional divide of past eras.
He said Bendigo water security highlighted the critical need for bi-partisan partnerships, particularly in delivering vital infrastructure like the Waranga to Lake Eppalock pipeline. Mr Gibbons said he would also support the State Government bid for federal funding for future infrastructure, including stage two of the Food Bowl Modernisation.
He condemned the divisive state Opposition approach of trying to set country against city.
“They have built this view that it’s 'our water', `hands off our water’ they say, and this is rubbish. “You can’t say the gas reserves in Bass Strait belong to the people at the closest point, or the electricity belongs to the people where it is generated.
“The infrastructure, to be able distribute water over the past 150 years, has been paid for by all taxpayers.
“We have all this political screaming about failing to address infrastructure.
“What the State Government is doing is addressing that by building a water grid to have more water where it is most needed.
“It is not inconceivable in the future that they will be building pipes and pumping systems to pump water the other way.
“When we are really short of water we could be pumping water from the desalination plant right through to the system here.
“You can do that with pipes but not with channels.’’
Mr Gibbons saved his special praise for the third tier of government.
“We are well served in central Victoria by the three agencies of government but we are particularly well served by councillors not only in Bendigo but Central Goldfields and Mount Alexander.
“I take my hat off to councillors - their job is far more difficult, with nowhere near the resources I have available.
“They have to think on their feet and they get paid a pittance for it.’’
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