Hawke woos Berwick voters

– Melissa Meehan
AS THE political circus hits its straps in the lead up to the 21 August Federal Election, the Labor Party has wheeled out the big guns.
Relishing the success and popularity of the recent telemovie about its most popular former Primer Minister the party brought Bob Hawke to town, introducing locals to their Labor candidates.
As Mr Hawke and LaTrobe candidate Laura Smyth walked the streets of Berwick, people swarmed to get a glimpse of the man well known not only for the way he led the country, but also his well publicised indiscretions and battle with Paul Keating for the leadership.
Women swooned and men gathered as he introduced himself and posed for photos with shoppers and searched for a fashionable pair of Ed Hardy jeans in a local store.
“Do you know Laura?” he would ask them as he posed and shook their hands, “No? Well she is the one you should be voting for.”
But why Berwick? It was the question on everyone’s lips.
“I just go where they tell me to go,” Mr Hawke said with a smile.
The next question, why should people, in his opinion, vote for Laura Smyth?
“Because she is a smart and intelligent woman,” he said.
“And she listens; she is a good listener… Too many politicians today are good talkers, they can talk the talk, but they don’t hear you. Laura here can listen and that is why you should vote for her.”