NEWS DESK
Liberals on move under new leader Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au THE re-emergence of Matthew Guy as state Opposition Leader saw Mornington MP David Morris lose his position in the shadow cabinet and Eastern Victoria MP Edward O’Donohue bring forward his retirement from parliament. Mr Morris was the Coalition’s spokesperson for local government, housing and aged care and Mr O’Donohue - whose electorate includes Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula - had already signalled that he would not contest next year’s state election. A supporter of former leader Michael O’Brien (“you back your leader”), Mr Morris was one of 11 MPs who voted against the spill that saw Mr Guy appointed Opposition Leader on Wednesday 8 September. Seven of the 11 were left out of the 20-strong shadow cabinet. Mr Morris told The News last week that being freed of his shadow portfolio duties meant “I can focus 100 per cent on my immediate job - being the member for Mornington”. He said the state government had “failed to live up to its rhetoric” to protect the peninsula during the coronavirus pandemic. In the neighbouring electorate of Hastings, Liberal MP Neale Burgess, who supported Mr Guy, was also left out of the shadow cabinet. Neither Mr Morris or Mr Burgess mentioned Mr Guy’s victory on their social media or websites. On the day of the spill Mr Morris posted that the Liberals “have a plan to boost mental health support for schools” with a follow-up one day later quoting adolescent psychologist
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg saying, “I think they need to put a psychologist in every school now”, with the added comment: “Matthew Guy is right about this…” Mr Morris told The News that he would definitely contest the November 2022 election. “Absolutely, I’ll stand. I’m going nowhere.” Pre-selections are likely to be held for Hastings and Mornington after the results of a Victorian Electoral Commission redistribution are released at the end of October and before the end of the year. In the days after Mr Guy’s appointment Mr O’Donohue, one of five MPs representing the upper house seat of Eastern Victoria, announced he would leave parliament before the end of 2021. The region of Eastern Victoria includes the peninsula and Frankston as well as East Gippsland. Mr O’Donohue issued a statement saying he had already told Mr O’Brien that he did not intend to contest the 2022 election but decided to bring that date forward “with imminent changes to be made to the shadow cabinet, I have decided, in consultation with current Liberal Leader Matthew Guy”. Mr O’Donohue ended his statement saying: “I wish my friend Matthew Guy and the Liberal Nationals team every success at the November 2022 state election, Victoria needs a better, positive alternative which only the Liberal Nationals can deliver.” First elected in 2006, Mr O’Donohue was shadow attorney general in Mr O’Brien’s shadow cabinet. The Liberal Party has yet to announce its choice of a successor to Mr O’Donohue.
MARY, a 14-year-old wombat, had no problems getting into the celebratory mood when being offered a treat by keeper Brodie Zealand to mark Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park’s 20th anniversary. Picture: Gary Sissons
Animals dining out for anniversary 10-hectares of what was a farm and pony club. Now it is home to more than 400 animals representing 70 species. The sanctuary initially ran night tours to the public, hence the name Moonlit Sanctuary. In 2007, the sanctuary began opening during the day, increasing the number of animals and recording 80,000 visitors a year. Before COVID-19 closures, the sanctuary was seeing about 150,000 visitors annually and it is still proving to be a favourite day out. “We are honouring this major milestone and are grateful to the community who helped us get there,” Mr Johnson said. “We are elated to be celebrating our role in connecting people with wildlife since the sanctuary first opened 20 years ago.” Stephen Taylor
MOONLIT Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, Pearcedale, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday, 17 September with treats for the resident animals. Despite lockdown, keepers served up “cakes” for koalas, dingoes, wombats and emu to mark two decades of bringing people and wildlife together. Life sciences manager Lisa Tuthill said such ingredients as sweet potato, meat or insects, “can serve as a great source of nutritional and behavioural enrichment”. The sanctuary grew from the childhood dreams of Michael Johnson into a place where people could experience and appreciate the rare and unusual animals that roam the bush. It was established by the Johnson family on
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Southern Peninsula News
22 September 2021
PAGE 3