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The Whistle, January 2015

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The Whistle, January 2015 “All that is needed for evil to prosper is for people of good will to do nothing”—Edmund Burke The Whistle No. 81, January 2015 Newsletter of Whistleblowers Australia Jean Lennane (with umbrella) at a rally, 2008 Vale Jean Lennane Jean said for so long without the Jean Lennane attention that they are getting now. Jean believed that information has to be heard many, many times over before it is finally understood, and was prepared to keep saying it whether people liked it or not. Bravo Jean. I knew and worked with Jean closely since 1998. There are many people here who have known Jean for Callan Park Hospital a lot longer so I bow to greater knowledge, but I will talk about my She remembered the political history experience of Jean. of the electorate and knew that a safe Labor seat meant no change, so it was She was generous, hardworking, better to make the seat marginal, and persuasive, intransigent and fearless, this struck a chord with a lot of the old with no respect for authority, and this timers around the place. It was her idea was liberating for her colleagues who to make the Liberals care about the might have had some lingering respect. Politicians and bureaucrats, particu- seat by reminding them that all empty larly those with something to hide, nesters were fast moving to the big hated the way she would carpet them developments allowed by Labor and that Labor might live to regret it. with the hardest questions. She had a She was very effective in disrupting Jean Lennane, longtime Whistle- name and she used it for her best purposes rather than for herself, and the plans of bean counters who wanted blowers Australia president and to tick boxes, by refusing to accept everywhere she went she would re- national committee member, their terms and farce of consultation. spectfully respond to the needs of passed away in Canberra on 18 We had seen bad things happen to others less fortunate. She was very other campaigns when communities September 2014. proud of her sons and loved to show went along with the government A memorial service for Jean was photos of her grandchildren and I’m process. held in Sydney on 17 October. In glad she managed to spend time with this special section of The Whistle, them. In 1999 Jean ran for office and several of the talks at that service For a long time she would ring me achieved 9% of the vote with a single issue campaign, no mean feat in a state are reproduced, plus comments by early in the morning (my kids would election. Jonathan Phillips AM and scream “Jean’s on the phone”) and we would discuss strategy for the day. During the years she was constantly reflections by three members of accompanied by her beloved, benign She was very inclusive and this WBA who knew Jean for many companion glossy black coated Lucy, sometimes brought us to difference as years: Debbie Locke, Cynthia who would tirelessly present a handy she thought it was better to have person with a stick to throw. Jean and I Kardell and Brian Martin. someone inside the tent pissing out drove all over the place to meet people Following this is an extract from than outside pissing in. Her words. I and this was sometimes interrupted by one of Jean’s most widely read thought that they might just piss all publications. over the inside of the tent, and we were a bit of belly dancing with flowing both right. skirts and bells, which Jean assured me She had great respect for others’ was wonderful therapy for arthritis. Jean’s passions skills and she both acknowledged and Jean was an inspiration to all and without her fierce determination to Michele McKenzie exploited them. I think this was succeed it’s hard to imagine that our because she had great confidence in campaign would have achieved the I AM representing Leichhardt Council her own ability, so there was no success that it did. today and extend a warm welcome to pettiness or jealousy in her. Along with many others, I devel- everyone to this memorial for the late Callan Park and its continuing oped a strong affection for Jean and great Dr. Jean Lennane. connection to mental health care was will fondly remember her for the rest Recent media and ABC Mental Jean’s strong passion because she saw of my days. Health week would have made Jean it as an excellent place for recovery, Psychiatrist, mother of two, grand- very happy because she thought it was and scorned those who publicly said mother of five, companion to Lucy, better to normalise the mental health that sitting in a chair looking at a wall mental health advocate, community problems that people have all the time. while locked in the Missenden unit activist, whistleblower, belly dancer, It is vindicating to hear the current was more therapeutic than the green experts saying many of the things that meadows of Callan Park. 2 The Whistle, #81, January 2015 mentor and friend to many. Vale Dr Group and became its outspoken active in the No Aircraft Noise Jean Lennane. spokesperson. (This, I might add, was campaign) we would probably have a at a time when cockroach control was fourth runway by now and the a full-time occupation for most abolition of the night-time curfew. Jean’s Balmain Balmain residents.) By the early 1990s Jean’s dispute As the future of the Mort Bay land with the Department of Health had campaigns would be decided by the state Labor ended in her sacking but not in her Fergus Fricke government together with the Labor interest in Callan Park. She saw the controlled Leichhardt Council and need for action to preserve Callan WHEN I was asked to speak about influenced by the Balmain branch of Park’s mental health facilities, services Jean’s “campaigns” in Balmain at her the Labor Party. Jean tried to join the and grounds and ensure that the large Memorial Service I realised it was Balmain branch which, as part of its industrial sites were not over- impossible to cover every issue she socialist agenda, supported public developed. Jean and MBAG (which was involved in given the time avail- housing for the whole of the site. There morphed into Ballast Point Campaign able. In what follows there is a brief was certainly a need for this and it Committee) campaigned for the whole description of the Balmain Jean came would stem the outflow of working of the Caltex site at Ballast Point to be to and what are some of her lasting class residents from Balmain as well as turned into a park. After over a decade legacies. boost the number of Labor voters. of action during which time Jean In 1978 Balmain was still a pre- Jean’s application for party member- would vigorously pester politicians at dominantly industrial, working class ship was initially accepted and soon every opportunity that included suburb but rapid changes were occur- after rescinded. In the end the outcome “running” (not “standing”) as a candi- ring. Industries were closing down or for Mort Bay was a compromise and date in the Balmain (renamed Port moving out and the gentrification of half the Mort Bay site was set aside for Jackson) seat in the 1999 election and Balmain by a young socially conscious open space but not until after a bitterly attending the Friends of Callan Park university educated middle class was fought election in which Labor lost the (another of her creations) meetings at gaining pace. The huge Mort’s Dock Balmain seat for the first time in its 6:30pm on the first Monday of each and Engineering works that had 97-year history. month and afterwards attending the employed 1500 men had closed in Ballast Point Campaign Committee’s 1957 after over 100 years operating in meeting which started at 7:30pm on Balmain. Though there was some the same night. In February 2002 Bob resistance the Mort’s Dock site was Carr announced the Labor government replaced with the inappropriate ANL would compulsorily acquire Ballast Container Terminal in 1968. By 1978 Mort Bay Park Point for the park that was officially the ANL terminal was no longer viable opened in July 2009. and had stopped operating and other Jean didn’t have to wait long for other uses for the site were being investi- planning, environmental and open- gated. Also in 1978 the previously space issues to arise. For instance, in Right controlled Balmain Labor Party the 1980s and 90s Balmain was threat- Branch had been stacked and con- ened with several proposals for a trolled by the Left faction organized by second harbour crossing and more Peter Baldwin and Peter Crawford. believable threats such as a heliport The other important event that and the realistic redevelopment of the occurred in Balmain in 1978 was that other large Unilever, Ampol, Jean and her family took up residence Monsanto, Caltex and Balmain Power at 10 Wharf Road, Birchgrove. At Station sites. Smaller sites such as Jean’s back doorstep was the aban- “Clontarf” were not ignored by Jean Callan Park garden doned container terminal. While most either who, with others, was forcibly Balmain residents were glad to see the removed by police at a sit-in to stop While Jean had her wins she also had end of the container terminal and the the construction of units on a partial losses. The demutualisation of associated container trucks using the previously designated area of open the NRMA (National Road Motorists narrow streets they were concerned space.
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