Refer GT sat 15th Oct. Headed , Do you want Divisions?
Council Wolves in Sheeps Clothing
Benjamin Franklin said that, “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” Well after being told twice by the people that the majority of our region want Divisions, our ‘Guests’ in council, (who already have a full blown fishy investigation by the Minister into the self interested obstruction of Divisions, by ‘Risk Consultants’) bring out yet another fishy furphy. ‘Divisional boundaries’. The Mayor and all Councillors have already admitted that they are all self interested in opposing divisions. I was in the gallery at Council when they announced it. They knew that the majority wanted Divisions and arrogantly put their own personal interests above the wishes of the people they represent. In more democratic countries there would be a revolution in the streets, but in Gympie we are far to placid and polite. This article drew feeble, misleading, quotes from Councillor’s Dyne, Engeman, Friske Gate,Walker.
On Wednesday 1st of August 2007 this Region lost a valuable divisional system that had worked very well for this area in past years. In the morning of that fateful day 12 Gympie Councillors and the Mayor had voted unanimously, (Larry Friske included) in favour of retaining divisions with 8 Councillors in 8 equal divisions. Council staff had received a computer program the day before from the ECQ which had units of 5 voters and it instantly calculated to the nearest 5 and balanced the other 7 divisions as the boundary was adjusted. Easy, instant. This was shown to all councillors on that morning. In the afternoon, the Mayor and many of the councillors were informed that if Divisions were retained the voter would have optional preferential voting, which again gives the voter more choice, but also allows two or three candidates to recommend their preferences to another, making the removal of some councillors more certain. On the other hand without Divisions, they knew that high profile candidates would have a larger advantage over new candidates forced to campaign over the huge area of this region. That convinced them quickly. The vote went 12 to 9, Councillors Jan Watt, Larry Friske, Donna Nielsen, Ian Peterson, Mick Venardos, Col Chapman, Tony Perrett and Ron Dyne were all part of the group that voted away our divisional voting rights. Councillors Noel Ellis, Shane Jocumsen, Marie Prior and myself were ones who voted to retain divisions.
That was the first day our ‘guest’ betrayed the people of the Gympie Region. We all suffered a sad tragic loss of political freedom. Australians have sacrificed fortunes and lives for the principles of a meaningful vote and those councillors should be ashamed, as they betrayed our past hero’s for their own interest. We don’t want more obstruction, or fishy smelling arrogance, the votes have been counted, the results have been announced, the people want to be represented by divisional councillors who will represent residents, not themselves.
They have had their opportunities for referendum, they could have sent a voting form out with the rates a year ago. Instead, they obstructed. Then we had a vote, the majority were in favour of Divisions. Then they obstructed. Then the Minister asked the Electoral Commissioner to intervene then it was open for submissions and then another survey vote and a decision by the Electoral commission reporting the majority of residents in our region want Divisions. Then our ‘guests’ still obstruct. What do you do with smelly fish? You throw them out.
Ron Owen
24 Mc Mahon Rd
Gympie, 4570
Queensland