Farewell to the Good Doctor

It was with sadness that I read that Dr Meredith Burgmann MLC plans to retire after the 2007 election. Dr Burgmann has been a tireless campaigner for so many issues for nearly her whole adult life - gay rights, the preservation of historic buildings, women's issues, and opposition to both the Vietnam and Iraq wars to name a few. The Left needs all the power it can get in the NSW Government, and regardless of whether her retirement is part of the rumoured `one-for-one' factional deal being worked out between Mark Arbib and Left leader Luke Foley, she will hopefully be replaced by someone of her leftish persuasion. After all, if factionalism is to work, it should ensure a good balance of opinions across the parliamentary party rather than provide rewards for the scratching of the correct backs.

While it has long been rumoured that Burgmann would take on Clover Moore in the seat of Bligh and move to the Legislative Assembly, there is now a suggestion that she may instead take on La Moore at her other job - Mistress of Town Hall. As Duty Senator for Bligh, she has been working hard to call attention to the fact that several of the road closures in East Sydney that are associated in the public's mind with the Cross City Tunnel were actually ordered by Moore herself, who has refused to reverse the closures when asked to by other members of City of Sydney Council. It's possible that Sydneysiders will see a rare conjunction - three elections in the one year, at all levels of government - in 2007. Granted, the general public probably couldn't think of anything worse, but to us pollie watchers, it could be quite fascinating.