Union Songs

Battle for Bennelong

- [play]

A Song by Kevin McCarthy©Kevin McCarthy 2007

It was on a bleak November day
John Howard came undone
the day he took for granted
the people of Bennelong
consumed with pride and vanity
convinced he had it won
dismissed the polls and he backed himself
in the Battle for Bennelong

When Maxine McKew raised her hand
to run in Bennelong
Howard scoffed: is this a joke?
the nerve of this woman
but she campaigned long and she campaigned hard
she set her sights on John
Maxine had come to give her all
in the Battle for Bennelong

To Australia’s ultra neo-cons
John Howard was their man
his economic miracle
put wealth into their hand
but eleven years of fear and hate
had roused the Aussie mob
and the battlers rose and had their say
that day in Bennelong
yeh the battlers rose and they had their say
in the battle for Bennelong

Now on polling day it soon emerged
the contest would be tight
Labor prayed whileLiberals choked
those numbers can’t be right
neck and neck, too close to call
but when the count was done
by a short half head, Maxine had won
the Battle for Bennelong
[CHEER]

Now Maxine McKew has won a place
in Australian history
the reporter from the ABC
brought Howard to his knees
with Buckleys chance, and against the odds
she took the bastard on
and Maxine McKew claimed victory
in the Battle for Bennelong
yes Maxine McKew made history
that day in Bennelong

Notes

Many thanks to Kevin "Blarney" McCarthy editor of the Blarney Bulletin at http://www.blarneybulletin.com/ for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection.

Find more of Kevin's work in this collection

Journalist Maxine McKew was Labor candidate in Sydney seat of Bennelong, a seat Prime Minister John Howard had held for 33 years. Her victory was the icing on the cake of the Labor win on 24 Novemebr 2008, a win that decimated John Howard's Liberal party and installed the Labor Federal Government of Kevin Rudd.

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union songs..........a selection by mark gregory