▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁frequent ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁local ▁workers ▁as ▁the ▁job ▁cut s ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁hit ▁the ▁W oll ong ong ▁economy ▁hard . ▁ ▁Mark ham ▁had ▁long ▁faced ▁rum ours ▁of ▁a ▁pr ese lection ▁challenge ▁from ▁the ▁right - f action , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁gain ing ▁increasing ▁domin ance ▁in ▁his ▁region ▁through ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁As ▁a ▁popular ▁local ▁member , ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁t ipped ▁to ▁be ▁difficult ▁to ▁shift , ▁and ▁planned ▁challeng es ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁elections ▁never ▁event u ated . ▁He ▁faced ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁difficult ▁situation ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁election , ▁however , ▁when ▁an ▁elect oral ▁red ist ribution ▁saw ▁the ▁right - wing ▁fa ction ▁gain ▁firm ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁elect or ate ' s ▁Labor ▁branches . ▁A ▁deal ▁was ▁struck ▁by ▁which ▁Mark ham ▁would ▁instead ▁contest ▁pr ese lection ▁for ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁seat ▁of ▁W oll ong ong , ▁held ▁by ▁fellow ▁left - w inger ▁Ger ry ▁S ull ivan . ▁Mark ham ▁won ▁pr ese lection ▁for ▁W oll ong ong , ▁but ▁his ▁treatment ▁by ▁the ▁party ▁caused ▁a ▁local ▁back l ash , ▁with ▁W oll ong ong ▁coun c ill or ▁Dave ▁Martin ▁running ▁for ▁and ▁nearly ▁winning ▁Mark ham ' s ▁old ▁seat