Shane Easson

Infobox Politician

name =Shane Easson
birth_date =Birth date and age|1955|03|22|df=y
birth_place = Sydney, NSW, Australia
party = Australian Labor Party

Shane Easson (b. March 22nd, 1955) former Chief of Staff to former NSW Premier Barrie Unsworth. He currently advises the United Group and, since 1984, has written and presented on behalf of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) its submissions for NSW state and Federal Redistributions. Easson has an MBA for which he studied for at the UNSW.

He completed in 2006,the ALP's case for the Queensland Federal Redistribution- where many analysts believe that the 2007 election will be won- along with NSW.

He was formerly Education and Research Office for the NSW Branch, ALP (1984-86). Mr Easson's younger twin is Michael Easson, formerly Secretary of the Labor Council of NSW (1989-94)

Bennelong

Shane Easson put forward the Labor proposals for the Redistribution changes in John Howard's seat of Bennelong. He believes that there are two factors weakening the once-safe seat for the Liberals.
*Electoral Boundary changes
*Migrants entering the area

Due to the rapid influx of migrants, mostly Asian, he suggests the growing migrant population in Bennelong is "more susceptible to voting Labor than those they have replaced". He said that this factor would help Maxine McKew in her bid to win the Prime Minister's seat.

In an interview on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) nightly program the 7.30 Report, McKew stated that her reasons for running for the seat of Benelong were due to a report on the seat by Shane Easson. She said: "There was an interesting analysis which had been done by a Shane Easson, NSW Labor Party figure, and that was doing the rounds within Labor Party circles. And Bob had a good look at that and it was very, very interesting, it showed that Bennelong was winnable."

Wentworth

Easson released his own analysis of the 2006 redistribution, titled "Wentworth: Turnball's Darkness At Noon" [http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3456] He concluded in his report, that "if Turnbull saw the prize of Wentworth as a vehicle to become prime minister he is likely to be sadly mistaken." This is due to the movement of Wentworth into areas such as Darlinghurst. Making it a large gay and green area. The report appeared to be a boost for George Newhouse who wants to be the first person to take Wentworth off a Conservative Party since Federation. According to Easson, the statistics are showing that Wentworth is now "a true marginal", with the area slowly shifting from Liberal to Labor.

Malcolm Turnbull replied to the report in the Australian Jewish News saying that "there are no new insights in it. It isn't a piece of research it's an essay, a bit of speculation." He didn't dismiss Easson's argument that the Labor Party was making in roads in Wentworth, however he did say that Easson and Labor Party's assumption that gays would automatically vote for Labor was "arrogance" on their behalf.

Easson, Newhouse, Turnbull and the Jewish Community

In late August, Mr. Easson was reported in the Australian Newspaper as being disappointed with the Wentworth Jewish Community who were, according to Mr. Easson, interfering with the politics of his redistribution changes, made to Wentworth; favouring the Liberal Candidate: Malcolm Turnbull, opposed to George Newhouse, the Labor Candidate. In the Australian, Mr Easson commented that he was "both impressed by Turnbull's ability to solicit support within the Jewish community but also disappointed that the various representatives chose to 'buy in' to an argument affecting the second-most marginal Coalition-held seat in NSW".

References

* [http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3456 Wentworth: Turnbull's darkness at noon]
* [http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=229654 Swinging into Action]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Seat-redistribution-angers-politicians/2006/06/30/1151174387547.html Seat Redistribution Angers Politicians]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/something-stinks-in-the-back-paddock/2006/09/01/1156817097671.html Alan Ramsay- Something stinks in the back paddock]
* [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/why/redistributions/1999/nsw/final_report/appendices.htm 1999 New South Wales Redistribution Final Report]
* [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22337310-11949,00.html Malcolm in the Jewish Community]
* [http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3461 Newhouse on solid ground in Wentworth: analyst]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2120549.htm Inside the Battle for Bennelong: 7.30 Report]