Gippsland by-election
I hope Darren Chester wins the Gippsland by-election. The seat has always been held by the Country Party/Nationals and until such time as they self destruct I hope that continues.
There is a demonstrated need, in my view, for an independent country party. That’s why I’m both encouraged and discouraged by this week’s decision on the single desk wheat bill, where the Nationals stood alone.
Some said they should speak out more often, while others said they would be irrelevant if they did so. I take the former view, which I think is sadly in the minority. The Nationals should quit the coalition in opposition and forget the merger talk. (more…)
National police certificate
I'm a member of the Hannans Rotary Club and it's now a requirement that Rotary members obtain a police clearance because we sometimes work with young people.
I think it's bureaurcracy gone made. We sponsor youth exchange programs but unless you're a host family (for which a police clearance is reasonable) we hardly have anything to do with young people.
I had a day off today and went to the police station for my National Police Certificate. After paying $43 I received a piece of paper saying that I do "not appear on the disclosable court history records of any Australian Police Jurisdiction". That's reassuring.
I haven't had many encounters with police.
The first was when I was about 11 years old. A friend and I were playing on the railway embankment in Traralgon near the old hospital. We learnt that if you placed a five cent piece on the railway line for a train to run over it the result was a flat piece of metal.
The train driver must have thought we were rascals planning to derail the Gippslander and called the cops, who seemed quite satisified with our explanation. Nevertheless I'm pleased it didn't show on my National Police Certificate that I'm a suspected terrorist who once threatened to blow up a locomotive.
Thinking of that experience, it seems a clever way to convert coins to base metal and could become popular as coins are now worth more than their face value for the first time in years!
The next time I met the police was when riding my bike home from squash in Traralgon in the early 80s. I didn't have lights on my bike and took off down a side street when I saw a police car. They followed me and gave me a serve. That's not on my record either, fortunately.
That side street, which was a dirt track to nowhere, is now the road past the Kmart shopping centre and ASIC.
The Victorian election
There was no major surprise in the Victorian election result where Labor has been comfortably returned. Interesting aspects include:
- The Nats defied doomsday predictions and retained party status.
- The Liberals and Greens failed to increase their primary votes.
- The media darlings (Greens) won't win a lower house seat.
- Labor no longer holds any seats in Gippsland.
- The Labor primary vote in Mildura was just 6.53%. Has the ALP ever polled that badly in any seat anywhere?
- The winners: Steve Bracks and Peter Ryan.
- The losers: Ted Baillieu (despite his bluster) and the Greens.
Victorian election
Political junkies will be interested in this article from The Age and will recognise the significance it holds for the seat of Morwell, which includes Traralgon where I grew up.
Several high-profile members of the Traralgon ALP branch have quit the party and one, Lisa Proctor, will stand as an independent and direct preferences to the Nationals.
Another who resigned, Derek Amos, formerly held the seat for Labor. Apparently the current Member doesn’t live in the electorate.
I met Proctor when I was consulting for Pauls and she struck me as an impressive lady. As a Latrobe councillor she was a fierce advocate for Traralgon. I had no idea she was a member of the ALP until reading The Age article. (more…)
Me and Jackie Weaver
I don’t have any celebrity tales to tell, except this one. Jackie Weaver is a moderately famous actress in Australia. She appeared in the classic film “Picnic at Hanging Rock” and many others. Her stage reputation is supreme.
Jackie must have a love for regional Australia, and I admire her for that. She recently came through North East Victoria performing a one-woman theatre production. (more…)
Jacket discovery
I got motivated yesterday to sort through some old clothes for despatch to the op shop. They were from my "big man" days when I weighed 14-15 stone. I’ve been under 13 stone for more than a year now, so it seemed safe to dispose of them and clear some space in the wardrobe.
Among the pile I discovered a nifty sports jacket from my youthful pre-big man days. It’s the first dress coat I ever owned and I think I bought it 17 years ago while working as a journalist at the Gippsland Times.
The picture above shows me (right) wearing the jacket, aged 21, interviewing then Defence Minister Kim Beazley at RAAF East Sale in 1988.
The jacket has gone to the dry cleaners, with a view to being recommissioned.
Snow in Porepunkah
The cold weather came and brought snow flurries this afternoon. It started with hail about 4pm and then turned to snow. The fall lasted about 10 minutes and just settled on the ground when it stopped and turned to rain.
It was cold all day and I expected snow, but we didn’t get the precipitation they had in Gippsland. I saw TV footage of Mirboo North, which is lower in altitude than Porepunkah, and they had a foot of snow on the ground. The school there and roads were closed. Snow fell at Inverloch on the coast!
