Rooty Hill has been the butt of many jokes ahead of the Prime Minister's upcoming visit.
A SENIOR minister who will be part of the Federal Government's western Sydney offensive next week today likened the name Rooty Hill to a destination in a Benny Hill episode.
Mental Health Minister Mark Butler of Adelaide also said it could be the setting for a Carry On Government film.
Senator Butler told Adelaide radio he could not keep a straight face going to the area.
Rooty Hill locals are divided on the offensiveness of a Federal minister making fun of their suburb's name.
"We're used to this sort of thing," Ian Lowe of Rooty Hill RSL told news.com.au. "The suburb name has actually been around since the early 1800s and it doesn't bother us when people make fun of it. There is a very big population out here and I really don't think it is going to offend anybody. It's one of the joys of living and working in the area."
But local chicken shop proprietor Leng Te was not impressed.
Mr Te runs Rooty Hill Charcoal Chicken on Rooty Hill Rd North, and said he was offended that a member of parliament should make jokes about his adopted home.
"It does offend me, it makes me upset. Our suburb is not a funny name," Mr Te said.
The minister's quip was supposed to be a light-hearted answer after an interviewer had asked whether the selection of the suburb as HQ for Prime Minister Julia Gillard next week was "a sign of a party that thinks it's rooted".
But the response will make it harder for the visiting ministry to win western Sydney hearts and minds, and votes.
"There are so many different sort of double entendres you can do with this place," Senator Butler replied.
"I stay at the Penrith Panthers when I'm in western Sydney because I'm not sure I could check into the Rooty Hill RSL with a straight face.
"It just conjures up all these sort of Carry On films and Benny Hill episodes and Carry On Governing filmed at the Rooty Hill RSL."
Ms Gillard hopes the five days she will spend in western Sydney will stem the loss of votes Labor is suffering in what once was its stronghold.
The ranking western Sydney Labor MP, Tertiary Education Minister Chris Bowen, today told reporters the Prime Minister would be welcomed by locals.
"It's important that all prime ministers get around the country," Mr Bowen, the member for McMahon, told reporters.
He said the Prime Minister had visited before but would next week do it "a little bit more intensively".
The suburb's name comes from Norfolk Island where in 1788 Governor Philip King had trouble building on a site because of the mass of roots running through it. Back in the colony of NSW King saw a hill which reminded him of the feature on Norfolk Island.
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