Wheels Turn Once Again As The Powerful Pack Up Their Beach Bags
The Age
Saturday January 18, 1997
It's unofficial but Monday signals the end of the great Australian summer holiday when politics takes a blissful backseat to cricket.
The nation's leaders have called it stumps, rolled up the beach towels and will return to affairs of state on Monday.
The Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, maintained a 20-year tradition of taking the family to Hawkes Nest, near Newcastle, for their summer holiday, but he can no longer delay the coalition's demands for action over the High Court's Wik decision. This means the country is no longer in the care of the deputy leader, Mr Tim Fischer, who has governed between the beach at Bronte and the farm at Boree Creek, near Wagga Wagga.
Mr Howard may have learnt something from his National Party colleague, for he too will avoid Canberra by spending his first week back at work in his Sydney harborside residence, Kirribilli House. His only public engagement is a stamp launch on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (but his office assures there will be lots of briefings on the native title ruling).
There will be nothing laidback in Mr Kim Beazley's return to the national capital. Expect to see a leaner Opposition Leader. (His New Year resolution was to accept all advice from his wife on improving himself and he has spent most of the break swimming.)
Mr Beazley will concentrate on the February byelection for the Canberra seat of Fraser, even though the Liberals are not putting up a candidate.
Always trying to keep a step ahead of her opponents, the Democrats' leader, Senator Cheryl Kernot, is back on deck in Canberra today after spending a holiday on the Gold Coast.
Determined not to live up to Canadian media magnate Conrad Black's view of her as Australia's most banal politician, Senator Kernot resolved to be more bold in 1997 and "seize the day". She also promised not to be "relaxed and comfortable", as the
Prime Minister envisages us all.
The ACTU leader, Ms Jennie George, who is a great believer in taking holidays in the new year, was back in Melbourne yesterday, clearing the desk for her official start on Monday.
Having spent the break on Manly beach with a copy of Marian Wilkinson's The Fixer, she intends to adopt some of Graham Richardson's Machiavellian methods to make 1997 a trouble-free year.
Her resolutions include fighting for the return of the eight-hour day, making the January break sacrosanct and not overworking. Too few people were enjoying the annual break, she said.
It's a particular condition in Victoria, where the Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, leads the way by refusing to take a holiday at Christmas. Nor does his friend and Crown Casino's chairman, Mr Lloyd Williams, who has kept the city's wheels spinning through summer.
"Mr Williams doesn't take holidays, he doesn't believe in them," Crown's spokesman, Mr Gary O'Neill, said.
It seems Melbourne's business leaders are also short changed when it comes to holidays. The managing director of the National Australia Bank, Mr Don Argus, got down to business last Monday, while his opposite number at the ANZ, Mr Don Mercer, worked through the new year period.
With the retail sector in freefall, the new managing director of Coles Myer, Mr Dennis Eck, spent much of his time at headquarters, as did Just Jeans' new boss, Mr Peter Wilkinson.
© 1997 The Age