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July - Carole Marple, former Shadow Minister of Agriculture

1/8/2018

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Carole Marple, Benalla resident and one time Labour Party politician in the Victorian parliament, told us about her political career at our July meeting.

Carole said her introduction to politics was prompted by her mother telling her she could meet nice boys if she went to Young Liberals meetings. But Carole said after one visit, she got the impression that all they did was drink and play around.

As a new teacher Carole described becoming concerned about class sizes of 50 children and not receiving the same pay as new male teachers.  Carole joined the Victorian Teachers' Union and soon found most of her friends belonged to the Australian Labor Party and she joined too.

In due course Carole’s father died and her mother decided to cut up the family farm on the Goomalibee Road.  Carole had by then become quite involved in the ALP.  

Carole and her husband Godfrey decided to move to Melbourne, where Godfrey had a job in the wool industry, after Carole was appointed to the Noxious Weeds Board by Joan Kirner.  While at the Noxious Weeds Board Carole was instrumental in the development of the Land Care Program.

Finding herself living in the new seat of Altona, Carole decided to fight for the position of ALP candidate.  She took it on and won.   

Eventually Leader of the Opposition John Brumby asked Carole to be shadow minister for agriculture and in that role Carole travelled round the state, largely to Victorian Farmers Federation meetings. Partly because the minister in power was not happy about it and partly because she left her handbag behind, she remembers opening an agricultural show in the Mallee. Not a lot of those though.

Carole was the first female in the shadow agriculture role and while the ALP was not hugely popular in country areas, some farmers, probably more inclined towards the coalition, “were supporting me because I was a woman having a go”. Quite often farmers said they seldom saw Carole in the countryside but Carole said “the reason was they never asked me”.

Representing the country side as a woman in the Labor party gave Carole great satisfaction. Carole said the aspect of being a politician she really liked was making speeches in parliament. "I loved the to and fro of it," she said.

After Carole lost the seat of Altona, largely because of factional fighting, she left the ALP for a while in disgust. But because many of her Benalla friends were in it, she later rejoined.

The next Stock and Land speaker, on Tuesday August 7, will be Devenish farmer and silo art visionary, Kevin Mitchell.
​
David Palmer
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    About 'Stock and Land'

    Are you a regular watcher of ‘Country Wide’ or reader of ‘Stock and Land’ or ‘The Weekly Times’?  Did you grow up on, run, still run, or downshift into Benalla from a farm?  Perhaps you studied/taught food and agriculture related courses or worked in an area related to agriculture?  Or perhaps, like most of us, you are interested in where food comes from.
    This group aims to provide a regular forum for members with interest and experience in agriculture to discuss agricultural issues and current developments in farming.  Monthly two-hour sessions will  feature well informed speakers from particular areas of farming who will share their story, their understanding of current issues and developments in their field.  This is followed by questions and discussions.   When time permits, the group also discusses current farming news and shares farming stories.  

    Meeting Times

    1st Tuesday of the month from 10 am to 12 midday.

    Convenor Contact Details

    Picture
    David Palmer 5762 4468

    Topics/Speakers

    All
    Alison Earp
    Animal Welfare & Ethics
    Automated Dairying
    Baddaginnie Run Winery
    Beersheba Stud
    Benalla Sale Yards
    Carole Marple
    Clover Seed Production
    Course Information
    Damian Finnegan
    David Palmer
    Devenish Silos
    Dookie Dairy
    Dr Dennis O'Brien
    Drysdale Sheep
    Farming Innovation
    Former Shadow Minister Of Agriculture
    From Paddock To Plate
    Hook And Spoon
    Hop Production In Myrhee
    Hops Production In Myrhee
    Kevin Mitchell
    Lach Lidgerwood
    Libby Price
    Margaret Nelson
    'Out Of The Blue'
    Phillip Toland
    Rabbits
    Ray O'Shannessy
    'Right Here
    Right Now'
    Rural Radio
    Sandy Leatham
    Snow Barlow
    Sue Campbell OAM
    Tallis Winery
    Toland Merino Stud
    Wendy Beer
    Wine Production

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