More to do but heading in the right direction... not a motorist's guide to the cross-city tunnel

Submitted by Rick Eyre on February 20 2007, 9:48 am

1978: Wran's Our Man
1988: Barrie Unsworth - He's Good Value
2007: More to do but heading in the right direction

One of these won in a landslide, one lost in a landslide, one is expected to win for the simple reason that his opponent is worse.

Morris Iemma has a likable personality and is competent in his media communication skills, he is the worst kneejerk reactor of any New South Wales premier that I can recall. He comes up with some mind-numbingly boneheaded ideas at times (and the water debate deserves a posting of its own). But how he could support, especially as MP for the Muslim heartland of Lakemba, the daft suggestion that mosques fly the Australian flag, is totally beyond me.

And who on Earth came up with that campaign slogan: "More to do but heading in the right direction"? It's the clumsiest election slogan that I can recall since "We're not waiting for the world" - the Liberal Party's slogan for the 1983 Federal Election... the one that Malcolm Fraser lost to Bob Hawke.

Allow me to suggest some alternative campaign slogans for the NSW Labor Party for the March 24 state election:

  • Morris Iemma: More to do
  • Iemma for Premier and Member for Lakemba
  • Heading in the right direction - this way to the [Cross-City Tunnel / Lane Cove Tunnel / insert unpopular roadworks here]
  • Morris Iemma: He doesn't drink shit, he talks it.

The transcript of last Friday's televised debate between Morris Tweedledum and Peter Tweedleevendummer is on the ABC Stateline website.