‘Capitalism fails to realise that life is social. Communism fails to realize that life is personal. The good and just society is … a socially conscious democracy which reconciles the truths of individualism and collectivism.’ – Martin Luther King
Political Comment
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Let’s delve into the last eight years of the Hans Lovejoy Many political actors rely on voters to forget their terrible past by distracting them with rapid-fire pork barreling and non-binding pledges just prior to an election. With that in mind, the following is a potted history of The Echo’s reporting since Liberal Mike Baird was elected premier in 2011. Like the dark 16 years of NSW Labor before them, the past eight years of the Liberal-Nationals has seen the continued ruination of everything that is good about humanity. On the bright side, the state of NSW has now become – along with Victoria – the strongest perfoming economy in Australia. Yet under this government, there’s been grand scale idiocy: cover ups, backflips, bungles, rorts, dodgy deals, ICAC findings and mass resignations. This has accompanied large-scale environmental destruction, funding cuts to essential services like legal aid, diminished domestic violence support, the gutting
of education (TAFE), flogging public assets off and significantly diminished civil rights which has enabled a rapid expansion of the police state. The Liberal-Nationals have done it all with poorly written and ambiguous laws, that were underpinned by skewed bureaucratic reports to suit their political agenda. Almost all of these flawed laws were criticised by the legal profession and independent advocacy groups. More recent achievements are listed in the editorial on page 16. What have the priorities of this NSW Liberal-Nationals government been? Let’s find out.
Free legal services axed in 2012 In November 13, 2012, The Echo reported that a state government-funded service that provides free legal advice to the public on coal-seam gas, planning reform and other other key environmental issues had its funding cut. Senior solicitor at the
Former local Ballina MP Don Page (Nationals) was the local NSW rep for 127, oops, 27 years and retired in 2015. What did he achieve? Hard to say. Prior to the last four years being held by Greens MP Tamara Smith, the Ballina electorate had been a conservative seat for 88 years.
The Nationals candidate for Ballina is Ben Franklin, the US inventor, scientist and statesman who died in 1790. Franklin invented the lightning rod and the urinary catheter while also claiming credit for anything that increases his political capital in the Ballina electorate. He is good friends with former local Ballina MP Don Page.
Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) NSW, Sue Higginson (now Lismore Greens candidate), told The Echo at the time that, ‘after attacks in the media (Murdoch’s The Australian) and in parliament (Robert Brown from the Shooters and Fishers Party), we have had our funding slashed.’ In recent times the Lismore-based Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre faced similar cuts.
Cuts to TAFE In November 13, 2012, The Echo reported that 800 TAFE jobs were axed and fees were to increase under a major overhaul. Then-local Ballina MP Don Page (Nationals) spun the party line over why, and blamed the federal government. He told The Echo, ‘The NSW government’s budgetary changes are largely due to a $5.4billion reduction in
GST revenue coming to NSW from the Commonwealth over the next three years. The NSW government needs to live within its means’. Then-Greens MLC John Kaye replied, ‘The O’Farrell government cut $300 million in payroll tax to the top ten per cent of the largest and wealthiest companies who could easily afford it’. Labor have promised free TAFE if elected in 2019.
Health under stress Byron finally got a new hospital in March 2016, yet a year later, The Echo reported that the NSW health system continued to be in a state of crisis, according to the recent quarterly report from the independent Bureau of Health Information (BHI). In May 17, 2017 The Mullumbimby hospital site was sold to Council for $1. Apart from Franklin, there were of course many involved in lobbying for the handover of an asset that was built in part by the community. Likewise in November 2018, the old Byron District Hospital was given back to
the community for $1. Bangalow’s outreach health service was sold to a private investor.
Pork barrel hypocrisy In May 21, 2013 then-local Ballina MP Don Page (Nationals) who was local government minister, refused to support the inclusion of local government in the Australian Constitution for the upcoming referendum. Page explained why – he told ABC radio, ‘You could easily envisage a situation where a couple of marginal seats in a federal election would be benefited by large cash injections from the Commonwealth on the eve of the election to fund a particular piece of infrastructure. So you would have a large amount of money going to a project that was for political reasons but wasn’t actually part of the state plan.’
Bruns public caravan parks takeover Throughout the last eight years in power, the Nationals ▶ continued next page
Important notice Parking changes in Butler Street Reserve No overnight parking from 25 March Council has installed gates at Butler Street Reserve to stop illegal camping and anti-social behaviour.
Renowned St Elmo Dining and Bar Over 10 years of successful service Long Lease with favourable conditions Rare on premise PSA liquor license
Gates will be locked from 9pm until 6am. It will still be free to park in the Reserve during the day from 6am until the gates are locked at 9pm. After 9pm penalties will apply.
For Sale $1.65M-$1.75M For further information contact Donohoe Business Sales info@donohoebusinesssales.com Ph: 0475 670 675
For more information 02 6626 7000 council@byron.nsw.gov.au www.byron.nsw.gov.au/parking-Butler-St-reserve 6 The Byron Shire Echo lëſĈIJ ǩǧǽ ǩǧǨǰ
North Coast news daily in Echonetdaily www.echo.net.au