Liberals wary of making preselection comment
With Stephen Taylor Wreaking havoc: Young vandals broke into the Sorrento Early Learning Centre’s playground last week. Picture: Supplied
Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au
Kids behaving badly in broad daylight VANDALS who jumped the high fence at Sorrento Early Learning Centre’s playground last week broke into the storage shed and “generally got into mischief”, Sorrento Community Centre manager Heather Barton said. “They were throwing stuff around, removing the bikes and riding them around the car park – where they were in danger of being hit by cars, I’m told – destroying stuff and using seats as Frisbees.” Ms Barton said she saw a picture of one of the youths skylarking on the centre’s new shade sails which had only recently been installed following “lots of fundraising”. “That’s a very dangerous business – especially when we know that two other kids have been killed doing this very activity,” she said. “We’re attempting to trace the kids through Sorrento Primary School, however, while some of them were of primary school age others definitely looked older.” Two women who had parked out front to do their shopping took pictures, Saturday 20 October. Paige McGinley described the incident as “terrible”. “We saw eight kids jump the fence
and use the shade sail as a trampoline so it is probably ripped and torn,” she said. “They were hurling things around and showing a complete lack of respect. They smashed three-legged stools and chased each other with the legs and stole tricycles and raced each other onto the road. Cars were stopping and tooting. “When we saw it escalating like Lord of the Flies we rang Sorrento and Rosebud police but got no answers. Then, when we thought they would fall through the shade cloth and hit their heads we rang triple zero.” Finally, after almost 50 minutes, police from Hastings called to say they were on their way. “It was a complete waste of police resources,” Ms McGinley said. “What vandals are going to wait around all that time for the police to arrive.” She said the boys were wearing “typical skate gear and hoodies”. The incident has been referred to Sorrento and Rosebud police stations. “It would be great if we could alert parents to this danger,” Ms Barton said. Rosebud police were contacted for comment.
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SENIOR Liberals are reportedly seeking to overturn a decision by their own federal seats committee that would require sitting MPs to face preselection. If the committee’s decision remains on the party’s books, Flinders MP Greg Hunt, a Cabinet minister, could face a challenge early next year from within his own party’s ranks. The committee recommended nominations for all Liberal-held seats open on 15 January next year, with party members voting in February or March and candidates selected by October. However, neither the chairman of that committee, Russell Joseph - who last November failed to win the former Liberal state seat of Nepean for the Liberals - or Mr Hunt would comment on the preselection decision. Mr Joseph told The News he was “the last person to start back grounding the media, much as I’d like to give you a great story”. He said that if he made a comment “all of a sudden it would be game on”, when the report recommending opening up preselections was “just a normal party role” of the committee “and not for the pages of a newspaper”. A report in The Age on Saturday 2 October said the report’s recommendations had “blindsided” the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and several federal Victorian ministers. The report stated that the party’s federal director Andrew Hirst would try to get the proposal overturned. Mr Hunt, who has held Flinders since 2001, was asked several times by The News to comment
specifically on the committee’s decision. However, his “media contact” Mathew Langdon, said a spokesperson for Mr Hunt could be quoted as saying: "The minister was honoured to have been nominated by the Liberal Party and elected by local residents as the Member for Flinders, as well as continuing in his role as Minister for Health in the Morrison government. “Matters relating to the timing of preselections are for the administration of the Liberal Party of Victoria to determine. “The minister's focus is on delivering projects announced in election such as upgrades to Jetty Road, a National Centre for Coasts, Environment and Climate at Point Nepean and improved mental health services on the Mornington Peninsula." The committee’s decision follows the forced resignations of six Victorian Liberal candidates in the lad-up to the May federal election for their right wing views and for failing to meet eligibility requirements under Section 44 of the Australian Constitution. On a two-party preferred basis, Mr Hunt retained Flinders with nearly 56 per cent of the vote despite a 1.37 per cent swing against him. The result led to the Australian Electoral Commission classifying Flinders as being a marginal seat (“Strong win for Hunt in ‘marginal’ Flinders” The News 18/6/19). Mr Hunt’s primary vote was down by 3.78 per cent, but much of this is likely to have been the result of former Liberal MP, Julia banks, standing as an independent. Primary votes were also down for Labor ‘s Joshua Sinclair (-2.8%) and the Greens (-4.18%) while Ms banks attracted 13.79 per cent of primary votes.
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30 October 2019
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