Nicole Cornes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nicole Cornes (born 1970) is a law student, newspaper columnist and Australian Labor political candidate. She was the unsuccessful 2007 Australian Labor Party candidate for the division of Boothby, a marginal Liberal seat in the south of Adelaide.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Nicole Cornes was born in Adelaide, growing up in the suburb of Marino. She attended St Theresa's Primary School, Brighton, Marymount College, and Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park. She left school at 14 and held various jobs including as a secretary at Adelaide radio station 5AA. At 21 she met her future husband Graham Cornes, a radio presenter and former notable Australian rules football player. She is currently completing a law degree at Flinders University, and for several years has been a regular columnist for the Sunday Mail.

[edit] Political campaign

Cornes' first political involvement began when she was approached by family friend and State Deputy Premier Kevin Foley to run as the Labor candidate, reportedly after her husband declined the nomination."[2] [3]

Cornes' campaign was dogged by gaffes and negative media reports highlighting her lack of knowledge of ALP policies and inability to articulately answer media questions, most famously her ignorance of Labor's work-place relations policy.[3][4] Cornes also admitted at a press conference that she previously voted for political opponent Liberal John Howard. At one point she refused to do an interview on the local ABC Radio station, saying "quite frankly, I'm not prepared for anything heavy...you ask serious questions."[2] She was also quoted as saying her difficult first interview would not have been better for more preparation: "I'm still going to lose my words, my thought patterns are still going to get jumbled. In a way, that's a bit of my personality too"."[2]

After the election, Nicole Cornes was featured in an episode of the ABC's Australian Story program which focused on her failed campaign for a Federal seat. During the episode it was revealed that she had been campaigning while also appearing in court as the victim in a child abuse case.[5] The accused eventually lost his appeal,[6] and was convicted, but this didn't occur until four months after the election was held.

[edit] Personal life

She is the third wife of Graham Cornes, 22 years her senior.[7] They have two children, Charlize, born 2004, and Amy, born 1995. She is the stepmother of high-profile AFL footballers Chad and Kane Cornes.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nicole Cornes or Andrew Southcott (Brad Crouch, Sunday Mail, 30 April 2007)
  2. ^ a b c The Daily Telegraph: Labor recruit who votes Lib
  3. ^ a b ABC: The Insiders
  4. ^ ABC Radio: Labor candidate confused by core ALP policy
  5. ^ “Cornes reveals painful saga during election campaign”, ABC News Online, February 26, 2008, <http://www.abcscience.com.au/news/stories/2008/02/25/2172230.htm?section=justin>. Retrieved on 27 March 2008 
  6. ^ The Advertiser: Nicole Cornes sex abuser jailed for at least eight months
  7. ^ So smitten by the older man - by Nicole Cornes

[edit] External links