a letter from fkn

The other day received my local state MP's spring 2013 newsletter.

The man's name is Geoff Shaw [member for Fkn]. Originally elected as a Liberal, he is now independent, holds the balance of power, and has spent the past few weeks fence sitting over State Labor's attacks on theSpeaker of the House.

[Can't for the life of me understand why anyone could imagine a specific politician – in this case the current speaker - to have lesser skills or standards than the rest of them. Why are they picking on him? How much lower /ineffective could he possibly be?]

Shaw is seeking leave to submit a private member's bill to change our state abortion law. As a general rule, I sometimes wonder why we must protect unborn children at all costs, but what we do to them after they are born is sod all  - literally, in fact, if they go to the wrong Catholic Parish School or are molested by a magistrate.

In any case, what good is the introduction of any bill to a parliament that has effectively shut down while everyone plays politics with the all important question of who is fit to be Speaker?

But I digress: Back to the [taxpayer funded] newsletter.

Dear Resident,

Despite allegations made against me and the media attention my family and I have endured over many months, I want to assure Frankston residents that I am more than ever determined that our beautiful city continues to receive the best representation in the State Parliament…

and more in that vein.

The Age article [link above] includes a quote showing how well Shaw talks up the desirability of living or investing in Frankston.

He said he still had support in Frankston: ‘‘I can walk in Frankston, one of the toughest areas in Victoria and I only get well-wishes from people’’.

Inside the newsletter is the usual list of Local Member Achievements. While I'm not sure we needed to spend $9 million for new learning centres at Mount Erin College in Frankston South, I am impressed that 9.1 million has been spent to add 2 mental health short stay prevention and recovery centres to the total already elsewhere around the State

It has been obvious for quite a while that a lot has been spent improving the Frankston Hospital [at least there is somewhere to park now while you wait… and wait… and wait… in the ED].

But whose achievements are these? Those of the Liberal Party of which Shaw is no longer a member? Perhaps some were initiated by the previous Labor Government?

Shaw is working hard to secure funding to replace the Karingal Primary School toilet block. Presumably students at Mt Erin College in Frankston South already have decent crappers. If the Karingal Primary School gets $9m for the project, I shall be forced to commend his egalitarian approach.

Shaw's future aims also include more courts at various basketball and netball association centres – but no court appearances at all for his own flagrant abuses of taxpayer funds. If the local cops have had time to work up a whole swag of 24 charges against him, serves him right for increasing the size of the local Force.

Meanwhile, some people want older people to find jobs [ha] and work til they are 70. Others want old people lucky enough to have jobs to leave them so youngsters will have a chance. Some people believe youngsters already have plenty of job opportunities but refuse to because they are a bunch of lazy dole bludgers. If they got off their arses and went to TAFE colleges, we would not need to hire foreign tradies on 457 visas.

The Vic Govt solution to all these employment woes? To ignore the previous Labor government solution of making the TAFE system a useless joke.

If only I had the super superannuation Geoff will have after his stint in Parliament, I would not be one of those babyboomers soon seeking to be a burden on taxpayers.