Aussies - Why Is The Premier of NSW a Yank?

[Tulin]

I caught the news the other night and saw, for the first time the premier of NSW. While she is quite pretty she speaks with this VERY annoying part American/Australian affected accent.

Somebody told me she was born in the US. How the hell can she become the premier and why would Australians want an American running their state?

 

[Botany Bay]

We don't.

She's unelected, and in about six hours, unemployed.

Polls show she's about to lead the state ALP to their worst result in over 100 years in today's election. Most pollsters predict her party will be left with around 15 seats in a 93 seat assembly.

The only interesting thing about this election (IMO) is what this woman has been offered to be the public face of such an historic humiliation. I guess we'll find out shortly.

She was thrust upon us by an unpopular government in the hopes that a pretty face might make us idiot voters forget their many shortcomings. Her premiership has turned what would have been a heavy defeat into a defeat of epic proportions.

I agree about the accent. The attempts at sounding more Australian have been hideous. She'd have been more credible if she just stuck with her heavy American accent.

Oh well, I'm off to do my bit for the democratic process right now.

 

[Miss Chicken]

In the past I voted for Norm Sanders even though he was American born. To stand for parliament one has to be an Australian, either native-born or naturalised. Once someone has become an Australian their birthplace should not matter - all that should matter is whether they are a good politician or not.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

As Botany Bay said, we didn't elect her. She became Premier after Nathan Rees was disposed by a secret ballot of the labor party late last year.

Voted earlier. It's done.

 

[Colonel Green]

I caught the news the other night and saw, for the first time the premier of NSW. While she is quite pretty she speaks with this VERY annoying part American/Australian affected accent.

Somebody told me she was born in the US. How the hell can she become the premier and why would Australians want an American running their state?

Why did the people of California elect an Austrian as their Governor? While he is quite buff he speaks with this VERY annoying part American/Austrian affected accent.

 

[Count Zero]

I don't see why people not born in a country should not get involved in their new country's politics. Isn't that the ultimate form of integration?
As far as I know, almost a quarter of Australians weren't born in the country, so it stands to reason that there are quite a few politicians with a similar background.
I can't think of any politicians in my country who weren't born here, but it wouldn't play any part in my voting decision. We do have a state premier with dual citizenship, though.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

A friend of mine is a devout ALP party memberr and he thinks she is fantastic.. but Labor has been in power for a decade plus and really it's always time to shift parties to keep the wind up them eventually.

I don't see any problem with someone being from another country. Frankly the mentality of a convert to a new nation can be a great advantage.

 

[donners22]

Ah, I was wondering if it was just an affectation or part of her background.

Besides, wasn't our Prime Minister born in Wales?

 

[Trilliam]

A friend of mine is a devout ALP party memberr and he thinks she is fantastic.. but Labor has been in power for a decade plus and really it's always time to shift parties to keep the wind up them eventually.

I don't see any problem with someone being from another country. Frankly the mentality of a convert to a new nation can be a great advantage.

16 years actually. I've already voted and my daughter (18 last week) voted for the first time today.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Ah, I was wondering if it was just an affectation or part of her background.

Besides, wasn't our Prime Minister born in Wales?

also Queensland's longest serving premier was born in New Zealand.

 

[Marc]

A friend of mine is a devout ALP party memberr and he thinks she is fantastic.. but Labor has been in power for a decade plus and really it's always time to shift parties to keep the wind up them eventually.

I don't see any problem with someone being from another country. Frankly the mentality of a convert to a new nation can be a great advantage.

16 years actually. I've already voted and my daughter (18 last week) voted for the first time today.

This will be another election where the opposition won't win because it offered anything new or visionary. It'll win by simply not being Labor (one comment in The Australian during the week was how O'Farrell was keeping a very low profile on some issue).

But they'll bounce back. In 1990s the Labor party in South Australia suffered the same fate in the wake of the state bank collapse. Eight years later they were back in office (a time during which the Conservatives when through three premiers - Dean Brown who lead them to victory in 1993, he was replaced by John Olson (he'd gone to Canberra as senator following a dummy spin). Olsen resigned in disgrace after was found to have mislead parliament. Robb Kerrin took over and lost to Labor in 2002.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Yeah people really vote someone OUT rather than voting someone in.

 

[Tulin]

I have to say that if Labour lose, a big part of it will be that people don't want an American in charge of New South Wales. Her accent is BIZARRE and REALLY off putting. My partner saw her the other night for the first time, too and, paraphrasing Ivanova he was like, "If you get near an accent, choose one!"

 

[Miss Chicken]

I think you will find that she is a naturalised Australian, not an American.

Isn't her being born an American or having an annoying accent a poor reason not to vote for her? It is a poor state of affairs if voters do actually judge her on such trivial grounds rather than her government's overwhelming poor performance.

If she was a leader of the opposition would her birthplace and accent go against her in the same way?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I think you will find that she is a naturalised Australian, not an American.

Isn't her being born an American or having an annoying accent a poor reason not to vote for her? It is a poor state of affairs if voters do actually judge her on such trivial ground rather than her government's overwhelming poor performance.

If she was a leader of the opposition would her birthplace and accent go against her in the same way?

If we can vote in a ranga we can vote in anybody.

 

[BlobVanDam]

Who cares where she was born? Does being American make her less able to run a state? I mean, she is terrible, but that has nothing to do with her being born outside of the country.

But her accent is annoying as hell. Make up your mind. Either speak like an Aussie, or a Yank, but just choose one and stick with it. Nothing worse than mixed accents.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

I have to say that if Labour lose, a big part of it will be that people don't want an American in charge of New South Wales. Her accent is BIZARRE and REALLY off putting. My partner saw her the other night for the first time, too and, paraphrasing Ivanova he was like, "If you get near an accent, choose one!"

That has nothing to do with it. Kristina has been able to stand for her elective of Heffron since 2003, where she won it from Deirdre Grusovin.

The main issue for most voters here is the changing of leaders over the last 2 years, with Kennelly becoming a leader after the party decided to dump Nathan Rees, who became the leader the same way, when the party dumped Iemma.

And the number of Labor politicans who have resigned over past 4 years for a many different reasons.

The question what will happen tomorrow. Will labor continue with Kennelly as the leader. I think someone else will stand up (and hopefully the party will learn a lesson) and stick with one person as it's leader.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Why did the people of California elect an Austrian as their Governor? While he is quite buff he speaks with this VERY annoying part American/Austrian affected accent.

Because his favourite body part is the ass.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdIjJ8efftk[/yt]

 

[Tulin]

Indeed.

Rangas have no soul, as we all know.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Who cares where she was born? Does being American make her less able to run a state?

Well compared to the governors of the states in the US, i don't think it matters.