Redfern now Sydney’s Premier Suburb

Ms Keneally, who was born and raised in the United States, entered Parliament in 2003 as the member for Heffron, an electorate that includes Redfern, Alexandria and Waterloo. In September 2008 she became the Minister for Planning.

After winning a leadership challenge against Nathan Rees last week, she was sworn in as Premier on December 4. Ms Keneally said her victory was “an opportunity for a new beginning”.

City News spoke to some Sydney voters who displayed a range of different attitudes on whether the new Premier would be effective:

“I think she’s up for a tough job. The NSW Labor party has just cocked it up for so long,” said Tim Murray, 33, of Paddington.

“I think she’ll clean up a lot of things” said Beverleigh Greentree, proprietor of clothing boutique ‘Mag’s of Glebe’. “She seems to have more spunk than a lot of the men around at the moment – she’s not afraid to speak up about things’

“They’ve changed the horse but the jockey’s the same” said Brendan McMenanie, 45, of Marrickville, referring to the perception that Keneally is a puppet for right-wing power brokers in the Labor Party. He added: “Labor can’t do anything. In ten years they’ve done nothing so why all of a sudden are they going to change?”

Taryn Walsh, 34, of Petersham, said she was not excited by the appointment of NSW’s first female Premier. “It’s another great political move to try to take attention away from the fact that they’re [screwed],” she said.

Source: www.altmedia.net.au/redfern-now-sydneys-premier-suburb/14330