Why I pulled the pin

Some of you may know me as your Lake Nagambie Ward Councillor and others, well, doesn’t matter. Politics is an interesting ‘thing’, even at the bottom level and does strange things to people, who generally get involved initially for all the right reasons. Enough of that. You of course will make your own judgements. We always hear when a politician steps-down, that it is for family or health reasons. Most of us scoff at that convenient and ‘noble’ excuse and wonder what really happened behind the scenes?

I am stepping away from council after 20 months, because of…. you guessed it, ‘health reasons’. I am about to have surgery that will lay me up for six to eight months, with an overall recovery of twelve months, all being well. Apart from pulling the “health card”, if I were to stay on as a councilor, I could not participate in council activities, and therefore not full-fill my role. Some of the more cynical will say, “do you think we would notice!” Fair enough, the wheels of progress can turn very slowly. The point here is that I would be still entitled to my allowance, while on sick leave and that would cost ‘you’ the rate-payer plenty. So stepping aside allows the ‘next in line’ from the November 2020 vote, to join council and hopefully contribute actively on your behalf, until the November 2024 elections.

Anyway, those who know me will have your own version of events, and those who don’t, it won’t affect. Have a good day.

Dave Andrews

Last week the Albanese Government handed down a typical bigspending, big-taxing, Labor Budget that doesn’t tackle inflation or ease the cost of living for people in Nicholls. Millions of hard-working Australians have been left behind in this Budget and regional Australians are still looking for real solutions to workforce shortages, access to childcare and funding for key infrastructure and services.

Cost of Living

We needed a Budget that reduced inflation and reins in spending to combat the cost-ofliving crisis facing all Australians. Instead, the Labor Government will increase spending by $185 billion. Labor cannot spend its way out of its cost-of-living crisis and this Budget doesn’t do anything to ease the pressure on families and households in Nicholls. For the average person energy bills will continue to rise and this is under a government that promised to reduce your bills by $275.