Hello world...we are having a bit of Electorile Dysfunction focused around September 7th 2013...it's been a long, hard road thus far, and nothing appears set to change...and Labour swear that they will finally announce a candidate...today...(honest?-Ed)...honest...and there are some very scary possibilities emerging...I mean truly, truly scary...
Point One: Barker is a very, very safe Liberal seat held by a strong margin, and many argue...(quite correctly-Ed)...that this makes us virtually invisible in the Federal context...(I can't actually remember the 2007 or 2010 Federal Labour candidates-Ed)...me neither...(did they actually have one?-Ed)...yes, they did...Karen Lock in 2007 and Simone McDonnell in 2010...I was just being cynically hilarious...(yes, well, if you say so-Ed)...
Check Wikipedia, etc, to see that the Conservative vote has regularly been close to or actually more than all other candidates combined, even with a reasonable swing in 2010...
This means that the Liberals take the seat for granted and Labour just aren't interested...can't win; don't try; don't care...and this opens the very ugly can of worms about 'sending a message to Canberra' by supporting an Independent candidate...and hasn't Mt Gambier and the South East done so well out of supporting alleged Independents...and there's the rub, therein lies the crux of the problem...alleged Independents...
Where does the South East find itself a genuinely Independent candidate...(is that a rhetorical question?-Ed)...yes, rhetorical question...(it's you isn't it?...you're talking about yourself again-Ed)...absolutely...sure as hell not talking about Richard Sage...
As the only Genuine Independent at any level of South East politics I have no reservation in promoting myself as such....indeed, I like to think that I'm loathed by the major parties...lord knows I've tried hard enough...(sarcasm?-Ed)...yes, sarcasm...you're getting good at this...
I act genuinely to achieve genuine and positive social change..and it is absolutely indicative of the conduct of the major parties that this brings me into conflict with them...it's all about me, but it's still about them more...(whaaa?-Ed)...I do what I do with genuine intent, and this generates conflict with both Labour and Liberal...(still whaaa?-Ed)...
I am defined by what I say and do, and the two things become inseparable, even synonymous...it cuts both ways...
(Hang on...back up...I thought you said in a previous post that Labour had already announced their candidate, Grant District Mayor Richard Sage?-Ed)...indeed...(but I just heard him on ABC radio stating that he will continue to act as Mayor, and being described as an 'Independent' candidate-Ed)...probably, he is calling himself an Independent...but nobody believes that...
I re-iterate; the state Labour Party have a long history of running 'dummy' candidates in state elections whilst actually putting their support behind an alleged Independent...they did it at both the 2006 (Brad Coates) and 2010 (Viv Maher) state elections, doing absolutely nothing to support and/or promote their official candidate but instead using them to gather the 'welded on' Labour vote, that was then syphoned off to their 'actual candidate' Rory McEwen (2006) and Don Pegler (2010)...
Labour has regularly and readily 'burned' these legitimate candidates (Coates and Maher) to manipulate the electorate in a context where they could not hope to win an election with their 'official' candidate, and have done so with a succession of Grant District Council alumni...
As per previous post, Rory McEwen, Richard Sage, Don Pegler, and the broader Grant District Council have been willing servants of (and co-conspirators with) the Rann/Weatherill Labour government and with members of the Mt Gambier City Council...and their combined and individual actions, with the definable support of the Labour state government, have personally profited individual Councillors to the greater detriment of Mt Gambier and the District in general.
Mr Sage has been intimately involved in the extraordinary corruption of appropriate process that defines the Bunnings/Penola Rd/Millicent Rd debacle, where District Council Grant re-zoned the Light Industrial Zone on Millicent Rd to Retail/Bulky Goods and Residential, land owned by a sitting Council member, and then built shopping centres and housing estates on it...
This has forced random re-zoning issues all around Mt Gambier as it struggles to recover that 'lost ground' and has led to Light Industry moving onto the main 'Northern Gateway' of Penola Rd, etc.
Then both Councils signed the 'Greater Mt Gambier Master Plan' which attempts to justify the extraordinary malfeasance that has crippled appropriate development in and around Mt Gambier...the GMGMP is a bad joke conceived, constructed, and implemented to justify that which had already happened...and then the 'Boundary Adjustments' that include the Millicent Rd site again seem to specifically profit those involved...
And Liberal candidate Tony Pasin is no better, arguably worse...(worse than the District Councillors and Richard Sage?-Ed)...yes...he spent 8 years on Mt Gambier City Council and is intimately, personally involved in the Bunnings/Penola Rd fiasco, and the Rail Lands Retail Agenda (previous posts), and related Library and Main Corner disasters.
He has unashamedly used his position on Council to court the Conservative vote with these decisions, and has some very specific questions to answer about how he managed to get certain land re-zonings in the Grant District Council area.
Mr Pasin has not one limb at his disposal with his vacuous rhetoric about getting Mt Gambier an all year pool should he be elected...he spent 8 years on Council voting for everything that suited an elitist minority, and not one word about a pool...or funding for public transport...nothing but massive borrowed expenditure on an elitist front door for the Riddoch Gallery...and he just happens to have direct connections to businesses immediately adjacent the Main Corner...
And ask Mr Sage about the role he played in the extraordinary Wind Turbine
issues around Allendale and Green Point, and get him to explain why
Grant District Council went to Court with Acciona against local
residents, and how and why Council repeatedly re-approved the Green
Point Turbine Development, and then secretly changed the Development
status without going back through the appropriate processes and public
consultation...ask him...I have...repeatedly, in writing...and no
response...
Labour Announce Their Second Candidate for Barker- Mr Phil Golding...who was apparently a Labour candidate previously...somewhere...sometime...I'll have to check...(*just stated on ABC that he ran in MacKillop at the 2006 state election*)...just reported on ABC Local Radio at 10.55am, five minutes before the end of the program and therefore no interview...tomorrow perhaps...(second candidate?-Ed)...yeah, Richard Sage is the first...(oh of course, sorry, I wasn't paying attention-Ed)...keep up...
Bottomline, there is only one Genuine Independent Candidate...me...and both Pasin and Sage have direct connections with local vested interests and highly questionable track records in positions in local government...again I ask readers to review my various posts re the conduct of these two and the Councils they are/have been part of...
If you feel you have to do a 'Protest Vote' in the safe Liberal seat of Barker, for god sake don't fall for this 'Pseudo Independent' bollocks...it's all a cynical pantomime...and I look forward to discussing these issues at the Public Forums that I'm sure will be called to allow the electorate a chance to 'front' their candidates...
My advice, for what it's worth, is that...if you are a genuine 'Conservative voter' but cannot stomach voting for Tony Abbott, Pasin, and Co, don't do a 'Protest Vote' that might see you end up with Richard Sage...I'm not even suggesting you should vote for me...go instead to the Nationals' Miles Hannemann...it is effectively a Conservative vote by default and/or association.
In the circumstances, I will be directing my preferences directly to the Nationals...people mock Barnaby Joyce and Bill Heffernan, etc, but they make far more sense than any of the other clowns...
Beyond that, to qualify myself as a candidate, in either House, I need to reverse my behaviour of the past decade of quite deliberately distancing myself from people I like so as to not drag them into my bullshit...and so...
I formally request that, if you wish to support my official application to run as an 'Independent candidate' then please contact me via this blog or my contact number as in the phone book - (08) 8723 3793.
This is merely a statement of support that allows me to run (I need 100 'signed supporters' from the Barker electorate...apparently...according to the Australian Electoral Commission website)...and has no legal ramifications for anyone who 'signs on'...you owe me nothing, and I am not beholden to you...indeed, this does not preclude you from voting for someone else...
I appreciate that I'm nobodies idea of a regular Candidate, but I would argue that that is my greatest strength...a Genuine Independent bobbing about in a sea of Vested Interests...at the very least, my involvement will really rattle some cages...I am a 'Protest Vote' personified...
Tomorrow: That Revised Stuart Stansfield Post
Yes, I know that that was meant to be today, but I figured a Federal Election was kinda' important...
I am Nick Fletcher, this is my blog, and all things being equal, I will be running as a Candidate at the September 7th 2013 Federal Election...
Vote 1 - Large Angry Hippy...
Good Afternoon Numb nuts….I’m going to call you numb nuts cause I’ve never met you and I think that’s a suitable description for someone as vulgar and reprehensible as you.
ReplyDeleteSo Nummy you are a vigilante blog spotter who thinks he’s the Oliver Queen of Mount Gambier do you….I bet you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror an practice don’t you… common you know you do…say it with me “Ian McDonnell you have failed this city” haha….you’ve got a screw loose… you think that it’s ok to sit in your Ivory Tower (more like North east end crap shack. Ed)…. Slagging off at the business people of Mount Gambier who have made something of themselves and invested their lives and money into Mt.Gambier.
So let’s look at what you’ve brought to Mt. Gambier Mr Fletcher (you said you were gonna call him Numb Nuts. Ed) Let it go Ed.
I’ve spoken to a few people… and from the pre-requisite that you’ve based your blog spot on…. that makes me an expert on what a dole bludging tosser you really are. So here goes:
Ya live in Mount Gambier and have never really held a full time job the entire time you’ve resided here. You upgraded to your current digs after the Caravan Park you called home got sick of you not paying your rent on time and decided to evict you…but you put the “I’m a victim” spin on it as that is the mantra you subscribe to…..You sit at home and criticise all governments all the while holding your hand out for your fortnightly dole cheque from said people (sounds like he’s sold his soul. Ed) yep you’re hearing me Ed.
But that didn’t stop your “political aspirations” did it Nummy..2010 was a break out year for stupidity from you ….chasing the cream carter job of government official in both state and local council elections…..laughable beyond belief that you of all people thought you were a chance ...couldn’t even manage 1.5% of the vote in the local council elections..17th out of 18 should make you proud though….what was your slogan…”are you a dole bludger looking for someone you can relate to on Council… then vote 1 Dick Stretcher !!
You’ve spent all this time criticising the government Nicko that you’ve missed the fact they are the gravy trough you swill from every day…Shame on you.
Then there’s the St.Martins Scandal you continually regurgitate as some form of daily victim statement, guess what Fletch you weren’t the victim… your son was…and if my maths serves me correctly he’d now be 23 and more than capable of fighting his own battles….then again I also hear he doesn’t talk to you anymore because you failed him all those years ago, but not to defend him… but listen to him…. because he didn’t think the teacher did anything wrong…….someone told me this can’t remember who…
But criticise St.Martins all you want because you deserved better when you were paying $2000 a year for private education for your child!! (Was he really?? Ed) Of course he wasn’t Ed that’s the point… Nicko was scumming the rug on his kids education as well….syphoning the government for more of what he criticises people for on his daily dog spot…. But not any normal public school would do if the governments paying I’ll have the top shelf thanks says Nicko…and then…here’s the kicker…..(no don’t you dare.Ed) too late……when your son comes home from the gravy train school and says he’s got a real good relationship with his year 7 teacher… you think… cha ching cha ching… here’s my tatts ticket and race to the school pitch fork in hand, hood on, baying for blood or a pay out….When none is forthcoming you raise almighty hell in an attempt to “bring the masses to justice”…load of crap…if the government showed up with a cheque and said “we are sorry” you’d never be heard from again….
You’ve been extremely critical of many people Fletch…let’s see how you handle someone posting something equally as critical of you….bet you remove it like the hypocrite you are….don’t look around at the meetings for me… I am not there…Don’t look out your front window… I’m not there either….I’m in the shadows Fletch…. and now… I’m in your head……