Smiles for birthday PM

By Ed Merrison
UPWEY-BELGRAVE RSL was bursting at the seams with media, politicians and community groups last week as Prime Minister John Howard chose to spend part of his 67th birthday in the Hills.
More than 400 community figures gathered in the Upwey sub branch amid a media frenzy for morning tea with the Prime Minister on Wednesday, 26 July.
A group of about 30 anti industrial relations and anti uranium mining protesters chanted and held placards on Mast Gully Road.
However, they failed to dampen a jubilant mood at the club where Mr Howard gave a short address and spent an hour and a half meeting and greeting the crowd.
Mr Howard was welcomed by Upwey-Belgrave RSL president Dennis Moffat, Victorian RSL president Major-General David McLachlan and La Trobe MP Jason Wood before giving a brief address in which he acknowledged the efforts of key members of the local community.
“I take this opportunity of paying tribute to all of the great community organisations of the electorate of La Trobe,” Mr Howard said in his speech.
“This is an electorate that has got a lot of the small business ethos and activity of this part of Melbourne.
“It’s got areas that place a very high premium on environmental issues. It’s got sections which have all the challenges of growth and of providing services for families.
“It’s very conscious of the importance of home ownership and the aspirations of so many Australians to buy and to pay off and to own their own home.
“In other words, it’s something of a microcosm of middle Australia.”
Among the crowd were Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor Monika Keane, several school principals and students and members of sporting, recreational and church groups.
Mr Howard, who had Happy Birthday sung to him by the large crowd, finished off his visit by fielding press conference questions on industrial relations, the Middle East, the leadership battle and how it feels to turn 67.
Mr Wood said the day had been about meeting the Prime Minister face-to-face and seeing that he was a man of the people.
“All you have to do is talk to the people and see what they think and they thought it was fantastic, so we’re happy, the PM’s happy and to get him on his birthday’s an added bonus.
“And, at the same time, it just shows how much we appreciate the local community here, too,” he said.