Julie Owens Rebukes Media Over Coverage Of Opinion Polls And Leadership

Frustration over opinion polls and leadership speculation was on display today at the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research.

The Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek, was obviously irritated by media questions about the Nielsen poll released today. Almost speechless, Plibersek allowed the Labor member for Parramatta, Julie Owens, to take over and deliver a rebuke to the gathered media about medical research and children’s health.


Owens holds Parramatta with a margin of 4.37%. She suffered a 5.49% swing against her at the 2010 election. She has held the seat since 2004.



Labor’s Twelve Days Of Christmas

Labor MPs sang an alternative version of The Twelve Days of Christmas outside Parliament House this morning.

Peter Garrett, Alan Griffin, Catherine King, Julie Owens and Anna Burke secured a spot on tonight’s television with their new lyrics attacking the Howard government’s industrial relations policy.

  • Listen to the song:

On the twelfth day of Christmas my PM gave to me:

the end of certainty,
much longer hours,
jail if I protest,
less time for family,
lots of lost conditions,
many bosses sacking,
no more penalties,

no rights at all.

No redundancy,
lower pay,
cuts to overtime
and a chance to trade away leave.