do you think you’re doing?’ Joe screamed down the line. ‘We’re trying to sell this bank and you’re talking it down.’ O’Neill’s children, still only young, were witness to the conversation and his wife, Jules, ushered them out of the room. The yelling only got louder and, in exasperation, O’Neill thumped the marble kitchen bench so hard that his hand gave him trouble for ages.
Joe was young, ambitious and a political animal. He saw the sale as another important notch in his belt and he believed that O’Neill, in the interview, was trashing the bank. But in another telling pointer to Joe’s personality, he and O’Neill have remained good friends. O’Neill, now chair of Echo Entertainment Group, also joined the long list of Joe’s referees when he stood for pre-selection in North Sydney.
In a show of how allegiances can change quickly in politics, once the State Bank deal was done it was premier John Fahey who asked Joe to take on the job as his director of policy. Joe initially said no. After all, it had been Fahey who had told George Souris that he doubted Joe would make a good chief-of-staff. Now he was asking him to work for him? If he didn’t want him last time, why this time? But Collins knew it was a good stepping stone and urged him to take it. ‘I had a standing conversation with Joe’s parents, which was: “Your son will be prime minister one day.” It’s very difficult for people not to like Joe Hockey,’ he says.
Joe, who had both eyes on winning Liberal Party pre-selection in the seat of North Sydney and then becoming a federal politician, was only flirting with dismissing the offer, and moved to the premier’s office within days. Fahey now admits he didn’t see what Joe offered in the early days. ‘I was probably in a corner of the world where life was pretty damn serious when you’re trying to run a minority government. I guess it took me a while to appreciate the depth and real qualities of Joe.’ Fahey says Joe’s enthusiasm was his big advantage but he didn’t, in the early days, focus on the minutiae that was sometimes required. He believes that’s changed. ‘I think he’s matured and grown significantly, but there was a feeling back in those days that while he got madly enthusiastic and excited about these projects … there was a general feeling that he wasn’t down where he understood everything that was happening or covered all the bases on the work that he was doing.’
Still, it didn’t take long for Joe to win over his new boss. ‘By the time Joe came to my office, there was a clear understanding on my part that this man had a lot more substance than I first saw.’ Joe was focused on winning the 1994 pre-selection for a good part of the short time he was in Fahey’s office. That would be held in September 1994 – six months before the Fahey government was tossed out in March 1995 and replaced by Bob Carr’s Labor team.
SEVEN
It was showtime. The coveted pre-selection for the seat of North Sydney was finally underway, the list of those wanting to making the transition from party faithful to Liberal Party candidate running to 13. Ted Mack, an Independent, held the seat but rumours abounded over whether he would commit to another term. Everyone turning up on this day, 17 September 1994, believed the electorate of North Sydney rightly belonged to the Liberals. Created for the first parliamentary elections following Federation in 1901, the ALP had never represented the people in North Sydney.
In many eyes, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was considered the frontrunner, certainly early on. Ian Longbottom also thought he had a good chance, having been elected to Lane Cove Council as an Independent three years earlier and having runs on the board on local issues. But there were others vying for attention, including another two councillors. The state’s Liberal director, Barry O’Farrell, had alerted John Howard that Dr Kerryn Phelps might stand. Howard was happy
Joe was young, ambitious and a political animal. He saw the sale as another important notch in his belt and he believed that O’Neill, in the interview, was trashing the bank. But in another telling pointer to Joe’s personality, he and O’Neill have remained good friends. O’Neill, now chair of Echo Entertainment Group, also joined the long list of Joe’s referees when he stood for pre-selection in North Sydney.
In a show of how allegiances can change quickly in politics, once the State Bank deal was done it was premier John Fahey who asked Joe to take on the job as his director of policy. Joe initially said no. After all, it had been Fahey who had told George Souris that he doubted Joe would make a good chief-of-staff. Now he was asking him to work for him? If he didn’t want him last time, why this time? But Collins knew it was a good stepping stone and urged him to take it. ‘I had a standing conversation with Joe’s parents, which was: “Your son will be prime minister one day.” It’s very difficult for people not to like Joe Hockey,’ he says.
Joe, who had both eyes on winning Liberal Party pre-selection in the seat of North Sydney and then becoming a federal politician, was only flirting with dismissing the offer, and moved to the premier’s office within days. Fahey now admits he didn’t see what Joe offered in the early days. ‘I was probably in a corner of the world where life was pretty damn serious when you’re trying to run a minority government. I guess it took me a while to appreciate the depth and real qualities of Joe.’ Fahey says Joe’s enthusiasm was his big advantage but he didn’t, in the early days, focus on the minutiae that was sometimes required. He believes that’s changed. ‘I think he’s matured and grown significantly, but there was a feeling back in those days that while he got madly enthusiastic and excited about these projects … there was a general feeling that he wasn’t down where he understood everything that was happening or covered all the bases on the work that he was doing.’
Still, it didn’t take long for Joe to win over his new boss. ‘By the time Joe came to my office, there was a clear understanding on my part that this man had a lot more substance than I first saw.’ Joe was focused on winning the 1994 pre-selection for a good part of the short time he was in Fahey’s office. That would be held in September 1994 – six months before the Fahey government was tossed out in March 1995 and replaced by Bob Carr’s Labor team.
SEVEN
It was showtime. The coveted pre-selection for the seat of North Sydney was finally underway, the list of those wanting to making the transition from party faithful to Liberal Party candidate running to 13. Ted Mack, an Independent, held the seat but rumours abounded over whether he would commit to another term. Everyone turning up on this day, 17 September 1994, believed the electorate of North Sydney rightly belonged to the Liberals. Created for the first parliamentary elections following Federation in 1901, the ALP had never represented the people in North Sydney.
In many eyes, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was considered the frontrunner, certainly early on. Ian Longbottom also thought he had a good chance, having been elected to Lane Cove Council as an Independent three years earlier and having runs on the board on local issues. But there were others vying for attention, including another two councillors. The state’s Liberal director, Barry O’Farrell, had alerted John Howard that Dr Kerryn Phelps might stand. Howard was happy
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