Series 02: Alan Gibson Stewart papers, 1987-1989 - Page 661
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went, I carried spare work with me, so that I could turn from one topic to another as the opportunity arose. My office in Parliament House became more and more a haven, where I could sort all the diverse bits of information that I needed, and where I could put words to paper.
I was not the only hermit in this strange building. There were a few others who toiled away in their dens at odd hours. Sometimes we met in a darkened corridor or shared late night cups of coffee. Kevin Ryan was working on a Master of Business Administration degree. Rodney Cavalier was writing political history. Paul Landa could appear out of the shadows at midnight and paude to exchange confidences.
There has often been a difference between the fortunes of the ALP in Federal Parliament and in the NSW Parliament. During most of the Menzies regime in Canberra, the ALP held the reins of power in Macquarie Street. When Whitlam became Prime Minister, Askin was Premier. Fraser had been Prime Minister during the rise of Wran.
At the beginning of 1983, as the popularity of the Wran Government was waning, the chances of the ALP in Federal politics seemed to be improving -- the public was obviously becoming very dissatisfied with Malcolm Fraser and his Government.