CHRIS BROWN’S family connections run deep in Fremantle – in fact, walk past many of its famous gold rush buildings and there’s a good chance the steel in the structure came from his great grandfather Thomas Groundsell Brown’s firm.
His great great grandfather William Brown had arrived in the colony in 1850 aboard the Mermaid to work with Freo’s water police before taking up a position as keeper at the new lighthouse on Rottnest Island.
And given that between them the two Brown pioneers and their wives pumped out 29 children, there might just be enough kin around to get the former wharfie over the line in a tight federal election.
Mr Brown’s put his hand up for Labor preselection for the federal seat of Fremantle following the decision by incumbent Melissa Parke not to re-stand.
• Chris Brown says he’s well poised to tackle the big issues facing the federal seat of Fremantle.
He says his experience at the wharf and with the Martime Union of Australia, which is backing his preselection, puts him in the box seat to deal with the major issues looming for the electorate.
“And that’s Henderson — they’re really battling for work down there, Latitude 32, the outer harbour, the Perth Freight Link and the privatisation of the port,” Mr Brown told the Herald.
Having been employed by the MUA for the last 10 months to run its community campaigns, he’s been heavily involved with Rethink the Link and says the highway to Freo’s port is a waste of money.
He believes the future lies in a new port, which could be accessed via existing highways and an upgraded Rowley Road, doing away with the need to go through the Beeliar wetlands.
Mr Brown opposes the privatisation of Fremantle’s port, but wasn’t complimentary of mayor Brad Pettitt’s plan to move operations to the North Mole so Victoria Quay can be redeveloped up to the bridge.
“That’s a clear example of not knowing how a working port operates,” he told the Herald.
He says there’s been a number of ships break free from North Mole which have floated towards the quay, and he reckons that makes it too dangerous.
He’s previously run a high-end lingerie design and retail outlet and an electrical bike company with his wife and says that’s given him a good handle on the red tape facing business and the challenges facing Fremantle’s economy.
Mr Brown faces a challenge raising his profile; he says 29 years doing shift work at the port made it impossible to commit to community organisations.
The MUA will also face stiff opposition from the United Voice union, which is backing Fremantle deputy mayor Josh Wilson and won’t want to be conceding the safe seat after giving Burt to the right faction’s Matt Keogh.
But the MUA is reportedly toying with an alliance of manufacturing unions to break United Voice’s grip on the state, concerned they’re always losing preselection contests to clerics.
Mr Brown didn’t want to be drawn on the internal machinations, but said he wanted to challenge claims the electorate might not be keen on a unionists.
“I like to break down stigmas, and there’s a misconception going around about unionists as a whole and who they are, because they are men and women, mothers and fathers,” he said.
“I don’t believe calling the MUA militant is fair; ok, maybe they fight a bit more for their members, but there are many forms of unions.
“At the end of the day unions prosecute what everyone wants, and that’s a fair go.”
Mr Brown won’t be following Ms Parke in attacking Labor’s support for offshore processing of refugees, saying no one should take the risk of arriving by boat.
He’s supportive of increasing Australia’s intake of refugees: “but they should all arrive by Qantas flights”.
by STEVE GRANT
