Thursday, November 1, 2007

Kalgoorlie Closer?

Halfway through the campaign, it is disappointing to hear so little of substance from our local Liberal member for Kalgoorlie, Barry Haase. His recent glossy mail-out contained a 7 point so-called plan, barren of any new ideas or concrete action.

We had a retread of his Taxation Zone Rebate proposal that doesn’t yet even have the status of a non-core government promise. It may pop up when they get desperate.

He gave uncritical support for the Maret Islands as the site for the LNG plant, before the company have even finished local consultations.

He has made an open commitment to hosting a nuclear waste dump in the electorate and has remained silent about nuclear reactors in WA. He even claimed John Howard was too busy to share his nuclear power plans. Just as busy as he was before the last election, too busy to tell the voters about his Work Choices plans if he snatched control of the Senate.

Being our representative in Canberra is not just a case of follow the leader. Nor is it enough to see the role of parliamentarian as a mixture of public relations and tourism promotion. The Kalgoorlie electorate and Australia need real leaders, not one who are just marking time.

P.S. A 4 page spread has just appeared in the local Broome Advertiser masquerading as a “Community Newsletter”. Barry claims credit for a number of initiatives but the total funds hardly exceed his taxpayer financed printing and postage expenses which are excessive by any standards. His propaganda usually feeds from the trough of public funding.

P.P.S. The Newspoll summary for the last fortnight shows a 10.2% swing to the ALP in Non-Capital cities in WA whatever that means. A good chunk of Kalgoorlie may fit into that category. The Statewide swing of 4.4% leaves Labor's candidate Sharon Thiel with just 1.9% to make up. If you believe the polls.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

In offering a critique of Barry Haase and his party's policies Kevin might be accused of promoting hate.

Kevin Rennie said...

No! Love thine enemy!I try to avoid attacking the person, rather their actions or proposals. Don't always succeed. Some of my best friends are...

Isabel Storey said...

What sticks most in my mind about Barry Haase, was his response to me when I tackled him about his failure to recognise he was standing on Njadju land at the time he opened the Lookout at Norseman. He first asked why he should do so, I responded by saying it was a recognition, a salute to the past. The next words out of his mouth (am sure immediately regretted) was emphatically, "I don't salute the enemy."
Nice to know where some folk stand?

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