Think carefully before you vote
I always find the politics of rural, regional, remote NSW fascinating. It is always interesting that despite being in government local MP's still use aggressive terms to describe their delivery performance "I'm fighting for our fair share or I'm fighting for our future" etc., particularly when they are supposed to have a seat at the table of government. But what future is that, New England is one of the most disadvantaged and impoverished electorates in Australia. What has the incumbent Government done to improve the overall prosperity of New England residents?
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I believe many country voters often vote against their best interests. We deliver rock solid safe seats and then wonder why we are in a state of perpetual rural decline because of service cuts and meagre Government investment. Marginal seats are always the focus of attention as evidenced at election time while safe seats are largely ignored. Incumbent Nationals candidate Barnaby Joyce is facing his fourth election for the Division of New England yet his electronic and paper advertisements still mention goodies mentioned in his 2013 paraphernalia and some even commenced by a previous Federal MP/Government prior to the 2013 Federal election.
At the recent one-sided Paul Murray live show held at West Leagues Club we heard questions from at least five paid up Nationals members about the future of live trade and the empty promise of $75 million on the table for more water infrastructure for Tamworth. If only we had the rain events and more control over the water releases from Chaffey dam to secure our water future but alas we do not. Nor are we any closer to more water storage infrastructure after six years of a Federal Coalition and eight years of a State Coalition and if it didn't happen under those political realities it's not going to happen.
On Monday evening I attended the Tamworth Chamber Meet-The-Candidates where I observed Mr Joyce shedding - what I viewed as - crocodile tears for 124,000 Australian families who can't afford their electricity bills. In 2014 Mr Joyce's party encouraged the States to sell their electricity infrastructure with "asset recycling" payments of $1 billion. In NSW the Coalition parties happily obliged and from 2015 started to shed all State owned power stations, distribution networks such as Transgrid and most retailers leaving consumers to the mercy of many foreign shareholders and directors plus of course inflated electricity prices. I recall pleading with both Messieurs Joyce and Anderson against electricity privatisation in 2014 to no avail, Mr Joyce actually lead the charge in favour of the sell-off like the Telstra sale so to me, it's a bit hard to swallow him moaning on about people that can't afford to put the heater on when he had a perfect opportunity to stop that outcome.
The Nats have form on selling off our Nation supporting the Foreign Purchase Register on the one hand but then allowing the recent sale of a Western Australian wheat farm to the Saudi's for $70 million when the limit is meant to be $15 million.
I realise that there are many electors who are facing a conundrum - they are angered by The Nationals and its unusual Federal MP but cannot countenance the alternative Labor party.
Always the extreme, the incumbent ended the night declaring how bad it might be with 151 independents running the Commonwealth Parliament. Given the nightmarish behaviour of Labor, Liberal and National parties since 2010 I would much rather countenance that then 151 party politicians dedicated to their parliamentary and post parliamentary careers, lobbyists, vested interests and corporate party donors. 151 community focussed independents would be a breath of fresh air and a break from the lack of transparency, accountability, mismanagement, and in my opinion maladministration we are seeing before our very eyes now.
Sadly I believe a safe seat like the Division of New England is no more than a means for a politician's career. We are one of the most disadvantaged and economically depressed regions of Australia so ask yourself has your lot improved over the last six years. There is no doubt, for the future of my kids and Australia, I will be putting the major parties last because I believe you have to stand for something or fall for anything.
Mark Rodda, South Tamworth