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common. Darby was more interested in foreign causes than in promoting local free enterprise but his secure political hold could not be denied by the Liberals. The Labor Party, by tradition, had no hope of winning the electorate. Darby was thus impregnable- - despite Askin wishing to be rid of his eccentric and sometimes embarrassing local member.
In government, Askin chose to treat Darby with derision and to ignore the needs of the Manly electorate. Manly Municipal Council, still firmly in the hands of the traders, openly scorned Darby. But the people of the village sent him back term after term to represent them in Parliament.
The meeting was already underway when we crossed over the street to the park. Bill Manning, the Mayor of Manly, was doing his best to pacify more than two thousand angry locals, many of whom were shouting abuse. McClelland and Wran pushed their way through the crowd towards the microphone, while I hung back to look and listen. The people were impatient with the Mayor. They had heard the platitudes. Now, what was going to be done about the ferries? The Mayor did not seem to know. There were boos when he explained that both Premier Askin and his Transport Minister, Milton Morris, had declined an invitation to be present. Laughter greeted an apology from Mr Darby, sent from Taipai, where he was detained on important business for