Culture

Sydney’s Political Elite React To The Reappearance Of The Sydney Seal Ahead Of The NSW Election

Premier Mike Baird is on the run.

by Alex McKinnon  13 January 2015

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Sydney was rocked to its foundations this morning by news that the Sydney Seal, after a months-long absence, has reappeared in its chosen spot on the VIP steps of the Sydney Opera House.

The New Zealand Fur Seal at the Sydney Opera House reemerges after a brief dip.

A video posted by Luke Hopewell (@lukehopewell) on

With glowing write-ups from the Herald, the Telegraph, Mashable, Buzzfeed Australia and this website already doing the rounds, and social media reacting positively to the development, the political implications of the clearly popular Seal’s return could be immense. The state election is just over two months away, and while the Baird Liberal government is widely expected to win a second term, the return of the beloved icon has sparked speculation the Seal intends to throw its hat in the ring and shoot for the state’s top job.

Others have speculated that the Seal is a Liberal stooge, a claim given credence by the warm reception the waterborne mammal received from government Upper House Whip Peter Phelps back in October.

sealphelps

We asked Sydney’s political elite, as well as some of Australia’s most prominent media personalities, what the Seal’s presence could mean for Macquarie Street when New South Wales heads to the polls in March.

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Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney

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Alex Greenwich MP, state Member for Sydney

 

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Mehreen Faruqi, NSW Upper House Greens MP and Spokesperson for Transport

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Osman Faruqi, Greens candidate for Heffron

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At time of publication a number of senior NSW political figures, including Premier Mike Baird and Opposition Leader Luke Foley, had failed to provide comment, as well as their respective party offices. Premier Baird is currently in India; whether he timed his trip to avoid being in Sydney when the Seal returned is unclear. This article will be updated with their official statements once they are released. We’ll stay on this story all night if we have to.