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Manly-Warringah. He proposed that a safe Labor seat could be created by putting the northern part of the Manly electorate (Curl Curl and Harbord) into the adjoining electorate of Wakehurst. This would ensure Tom Webster's survival, but it would be fatal for me. I would be left with my "tiger country" and the prospect of picking up even more Liberal voting territory on the south.
There was an obvious danger of Tom and me falling into a dispute about the boundaries, with our differences being exploited in the columns of the Daily by our enemies. Tom and I had developed a good working relationship, which we both wanted to preserve. Such a delicate issue could be discussed between us in private. We had already agreed that we would prepare a joint plan for both electorates, to be part of the ALP's submission to the Electoral Commission. We feared that Randall would take his plan to the Daily. Some rumours about the redistribution were already circulating.
I told Randall to listen to me for a minute, and gave him an ultimatum. He was cautioned:
1) That a detailed record of events had been kept since the beginning of the campaign-- and his conduct had been carefully noted;
2) That a report on these events, and his role in them, would be presented to ALP Head Office if I deemed it necessary--this would depend on his behaviour from
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