STOP PRESS
PARLIAMENTARY RECLUSE TO VISIT YORKYork is going to celebrate Australia Day 2015 in style.
There will be a traditional breakfast BBQ (sausages, bacon and eggs), live music—the Perth Hills and Wheatbelt Band—awards for sporting prowess and active citizenship, and bouncy castles with water. All this by the river in Avon Park, commencing 7.30 am.
Even more exciting, York will be graced with a visit from HON. MIA JANE DAVIES, MLA, Bachelor of Marketing and Media (Murdoch), Minister for Water, Forestry, and Sport & Recreation.
Remember Mia? No? Well, she’s our local member of parliament. A fair number of us voted for her in the last state election.
Since then, we haven’t seen or heard much of her. She’s told us that she’s ‘passionate about the Wheatbelt’, which I suppose is quite encouraging, but her passion must have cooled a bit, because York is part of the Wheatbelt, and is facing a crisis over landfill and a crisis of democracy, and we’ve had lots of crowded meetings in the Town Hall, some of them quite fiery, and believe it or not, unless she came in a burka or in drag, she doesn’t seem to have attended a single one!
So use this occasion, my fellow Australians, to give Mia a chance to show how passionate she is about our little slice of the Wheatbelt. You can do this by asking her a couple of easy questions. Bear in mind that you may not see or hear from her again until the next election, and by that time, depending on her answers, you may have decided to vote for an independent.
Q. 1 Hon. Mia, you know your colleague Tony Simpson, Minister for Local Government, has suspended our democratically elected shire council and imposed on us as commissioner a former mayor of toffee-nosed South Perth.
The council refuted every point in Tony’s ‘show cause’ notice, but Tony went ahead anyway and has refused to tell us why. Do you know why? If you don’t, will you ask him, then pass on the answer to us so we can stop feeling angry?
Q. 2 Hon. Mia, water security is one of the most important issues involved in SITA’s landfill application.
As Minister for Water as well as our local member, do you have a position on SITA’s proposal?
As Minister for Water as well as our local member, do you have a position on SITA’s proposal?
And apart from the water issue, do you have an opinion as to whether or not a landfill is a suitable development for this most beautiful part of the Wheatbelt that you say you are passionate about?
A VERY HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY TO YOU ALL!
I have a sneaking suspicion the Hon. Mia Davies, MLA, Minister for Water, Forestry, and Sport & Recreation has been way too busy working on becoming the Premier to be worried about what has been, and is happening in York.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Ms. Davies can tell us if SITA (or any of it's affiliated companies) made donations to any Political Party during the last 5 years and if so, which party and how much?
I was looking forward to the first Australia Day in York without the badly spoken speeches we have had to endure over the last nine or so years. The extra bonus this year is Ray Hooper won't be leaning (oops standing) in the background keeping his eyes on his mates, making sure they follow his instructions to the letter.
ReplyDeleteI thought this year it is going to be great. Yorks popular Shire President Matthew Reid (the people's President) will be making the speeches. For once the words spoken will be genuine and well spoken.
Sadly that privilege has been stripped away from Mr. Reid.
So, I have decided to give Australia Day in York a miss. My own small protest against the standing down of our Council and the stripping of our democracy.
Oh by the way - Happy Australia Day to all those who believe in democracy.
Valma, who was Shire President last Australia day?
ReplyDeleteWait,.... think about it............... there you go, you worked it out....well done.
It was Mathew Reid....you must have given that one a miss as well!
She'd have to switch her allegiance from National to Liberal to have any chance of becoming Premier.
ReplyDeleteStranger things have happened, though, in the murky world of state politics.
The problem is that politics is for some a vocation, but for most these days a career. In my book, career politicians are those who customarily put the prospect of promotion to, or staying in, the ministry ahead of representing the interests of the folk who voted them into parliament. What really matters to them, so to speak, is keeping their arses on the seats of those nice shiny ministerial cars.
Vocational politicians - a rare and dying breed in this greedy, narcissistic age - would speak out and if necessary resign from the ministry rather than let down their electorates on important issues like the landfill proposal and Tony Simpson's cover-up of past wrongs and his assault on democracy in York.
Perhaps the 'notice' above is a tad unfair to Mia, and if so I'm sorry, but she has been unforgivably uncommunicative about the problems currently facing our shire.
Perhaps Ms. Davies is coming to York to support the Liberal appointed Commissioner Best.
DeleteWith respect, Mia has had plenty of opportunity to become an active and helpful part of this problem. Chances are she will give a simple response about being so busy etc., etc., It would seem that she only aligns with York if there is some sort of accolade involved (possibly the very reason for her being in York for Australia Day), wait and see! Maybe she will be brave enough to admit her dismissive behaviour and make a clear statement to us all (apologies for the amending an old favourite you Latinists) perhaps it will be...
Delete'MIA CULPA'
'Being too busy' is a feeble excuse. I hope Mia doesn't use it. I would lose all respect for her if she did.
DeleteShe could make time to campaign for York by giving up one of her ministries.
She could warn Tony Simpson of the harm he's doing to the cause of conservative politics in our shire. She could give him a piece of her mind, and if admonished by the premier and cabinet, resign on principle. She would then be in a better position to help us, the voters. Oh dear, I'm having another pipe-dream...
I believe our Councillors voted on the Australia Day awards and yet our Shire President won't be giving them out. Therefore in protest I won't be going.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to those who are receiving an award though, just a shame the proceedings are so clouded in controversy.
If your going in the hopes you'll get a straight answer from Mia- good luck with that
When our so called democratic system works the way it does, whats to celebrate?
ReplyDeleteWith all its faults, I wouldn't trade our system for North Korea's!
DeleteYou might not have much say in the matter!
DeleteI agree, we probably will not have any say.
DeleteGovernments 'test the waters' on minority groups (like people in rural areas) prior to implementing their plans on a larger scale.
The Government stripped York of it's democracy but still take our Money for Rates.
A number of residents in York have been jumping up and down for years about corruption within our Council/Administration and more recently about the proposed rubbish tip.
Who in the media has taken any notice? None. What Politician is interested in helping us? None. Who in the Metro area cares about what is happening here in York? Few if any.
The Government has chosen it's target well.
The Government may have tripped itself up this time, because it clearly underestimated the ability, ingenuity and tenacity of the person(s) who created this blog.
ReplyDeleteIf it is true Commissioner Best is attempting to locate the creator of the blog, it is not to buy him/her a cup of coffee.
This blog is a very very powerful tool for the people.
The allegation that Best is seeking information to identify the blogger is extremely serious if true. Deserves a direct question to him in a public forum. A very real test of his honesty Once his response is on the record.
ReplyDeleteHeavens above, I didn't mean to suggest that Mr Best wanted to harm the moderator, mafia-style. I think his intention would have been to mount a charm offensive and perhaps offer inducements to persuade the moderator to close the blog down. (Politicians call it 'duchessing'. Somebody once tried it on me, with a signal lack of success.)
DeleteMaybe we can better Best, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteDown with duchessing and up with free speech! We have never taken such freedom into our hands in York with so much shared conviction and enthusiasm. It is a welcome revolution. It is reviving the soul of York.
Reminds me of 'A Tale of Two Cities': "It was the Best of times, it was the worst of times...'
DeleteSorry i did intend to suggest best would rough you up or take you for drive out bush, but his position as commissioner should not involve trying to identify anyone. That would be a gross abuse - even just to have a "chat". These "public servants" are bound by codes of conduct and laws, Best is bound by the shire codeof conduct as well. We need to make sure they comply.
ReplyDeleteYou may well be right, but I don't know of any public service rule to prevent Mr Best from asking who somebody might be. Besides, I wouldn't want to restrain his natural curiosity.
DeleteAnyway, since I'm not the blog moderator, who I suspect is determined to remain an invisible presence in our lives, I don't think I need to worry about a DLGC goon squad knocking at my door in the small hours...
As for me, I'm easy to identify. I'm the short, fat, balding bloke with glasses who, as I've said before, looks like a cross between Nosferatu the vampire and uncle Fester. To make identification easier, I subscribe my postings with my name.
Back by popular demand.
ReplyDelete