After several months writing about Zimbabwe, whose citizens have endured for so long the catastrophe of government against the people, Ryan Independent has been busy with ordinary life and not added to these pages for a while.
The situation in that country remains extremely uncertain and – despite its (literal and figurative) distance from Australia – its future should continue to concern us. Not just because of Australian links (the inspiring efforts of Sekai Holland, for example, or our playing host to Morgan Tsvangarai’s now tragically bereaved daughters - along with many other Zimbabweans), nor because of cricket, or mining interests, or sharing a beautiful and severe landscape subject to drought and flood. Australia can offer assistance on any real scale to only a few countries and correctly prioritises our regional neighbours and areas of interest to us and our allies. But for a “mid-range power” we have surprisingly minimal engagement with Africa. Strongly supporting Zimbabwe’s long-term political and economic revival would be a good way of showing we are committed to the Foreign Affairs Fair Go – and ultimately much more fruitful than dispatching the Governor-General to drum up African votes for a spot on the UN Security Council.
To local matters and next Saturday’s State election. Moggill voters have every reason to repay both major parties in kind by giving them lowest priority on the ballot paper. It’s not just that Labor looks worn-out and (in some areas, notably health) incapable of getting on top of the problems, or that the LNP’s shiny veneer as a competent alternative is far from convincing. In Moggill’s case, there’s a good case for saying that voting Labor or LNP are the worst possible alternatives.
For the LNP, Bruce Flegg has worked quite hard to be visible but his vision of transport and congestion solutions is exceptionally limited, focussing largely on a Kenmore bypass. As an educated medical man in an area where education and health are close to people’s hearts, he has nothing novel to say about either. No longer part of the leadership, we cannot expect back-bencher Bruce to have much luck in persuading them to focus on our area and issues.
The ALP appears to have no enthusiasm at all about trying to win Moggill. Candidate Robert Colvin has been all but ignored by ALP HQ. Symbolically, his name and bio only appeared in the last few days, out of order, and without a picture, on the party’s website. So much for “Anna’s Team”. Given the big effort local ALP people put in for Ross Daniels at the Federal election, this is all very dissappointing. That’s the trouble with a party that puts the machine ahead of the candidate, who has to navigate its factions and pretty much follow orders.
I acknowledge the presence of Daylight Savings candidate Andrew Bradbury but cannot take it very seriously.
Independent Barry Searle and Greens candidate Philip Machanick are, by contrast, truly deserving of support. They are serious, committed, involved strongly in our community, and care about the area and the issues.
With the prospect of a close race, either one of them could very well emerge with more influence over the Queensland’s future than the incumbent member or the ALP candidate. Ryan Independent would be pleased with a large Independent and Green vote in Moggill this election.
I appreciate your reasoning and strong support for eith Barry Searle (my preference) or Philip Machanick. Barry Searle in particular has Moggill’s interests very much at heart.
Having been a consistent Liberal supporter for many years (with the occasional vote for Labor when I felt the Liberals needed a wake up call), it goes against my usual stance to vote anything but LNP this time. However, there is no way I could, in all good conscience, vote for Bruce Flegg.
Bruce Flegg has talked out of both sides of his mouth too often, he has been aware of fact that the proposed Kenmore Bypass WILL link with the Warrego Highway bringing 75,000 trucks and cars each day through Karalee, Anstead, Bellbowrie, Pinjarra Hills, Kenmore, Fig Tree Pocket and dump it on the already crowd Centenary Highway….he has known since April 2008 but has consistently denied it. Marvellous thing FOI!
I hope a large number of Moggill voters see the situation (and other lack of genuine representation by Dr Flegg) for what it is. It is long time the voters were given credit for having common sense … it is time to think independently, vote independently and vote for either Barry Searle or Philip Machanick (though I am also worried about his preferences going to Labor). Put Flegg last – where he deserves to be.
Totally agree with the post by Francis. Flegg will be last on my vote
There is another reason to consider not voting for Bruce Flegg. While it may be considered petty or mean-spirited of me to make it, I believe it is relevant to the current global financial situation.
The reason is this: Bruce Flegg is the wealthiest MP in the Queensland parliament. Yet he draws a veteran’s non-means-tested disability pension and, if elected again, will be eligible to retire on 80% of his current salary for the rest of his life – at our expense.
He is a moderately competent politician, but he is simply NOT deserving of such a high-earning lifetime pension and, as a wealthy man in his own right, he has obviously never felt a need to reject his veteran’s pension on ethical grounds.
By not voting for Dr Flegg, we can also send a message that the glory days of the fat-cat politicians and CEOs, using public and shareholder funds to accumulate their own personal wealth, are numbered.
I have to agree with your blog, I am one of these evil voters that uses reason and logic for the determining who I should vote for, and it wont be the LNP or Labour based on what i have heard from the candidates…which is little or if nothing.
My only worry with the greens is that preferences will flow to labour, I am yet to find out if this is the case. If not, then greens for me, if so, it will be the independent.
We have to get back to voting for people who believe in the community and support it, eg: this Kenmore highway is a joke, it doesn’t matter if will fix a small amount of the traffic going through mogill road, the main problem is that it will affect the suburb as a whole, and people need to realise this instead of seeing what it will do to a small percentage of the population of the suburb. ….
Gawd sakes, what will take for someone to wake up and get a vision for public transport for the western areas…more roads are not the answer..!!
I agree with most of what has been said about Flegg – except the bit about him being a moderately competent politician. His performance as Leader was an embarassment, and even his own Party faithful thought so. When he came to the area from Caboolture, I could never understand why he latched onto the Kenmore bypass so quickly, to the exclusion of all else. He seems to have been obsessed with it which I thought was pretty stupid, because right from the get-go he made it clear he wasn’t interested in canvassing the views of we the voters in Moggill and utilising our considerable expertise.
As for Barry Searle, he might be genuine but a friend of mine once referred to him as a “crackpot”, and it reminded me of a time about 5 years ago when I was talking to him about advertising in his paper for our business. I think there must have been an imminent election because he started telling me of his ideas for the future. He told me then that roads and transport were going to be the least of our worries because of the “air car”. Apparently we would all be driving (or is it flying?) around in air cars (aka the Jetsons?), by 2010, making roads obsolete. Another of his ideas was a major sporting stadium to be built on the site of the old Vet School at Pinjarra Hills – should have been used instead of Suncorp location. Traffic wouldn’t be a problem because of the air cars.
I think I’ll be voting Green or Labor. I met the Labor candidate Robert Colvin when he ran for the Council election and he seemed like a smart guy, and pretty sincere. Despite being disgruntled with Labor in general I would rather give my second preference to them than any of the others, if they have a good candidate in Moggill. Daylight saving party is the other candidate I think? One thing I am definite on is that Flegg is going last on my ticket. It’s going to be an interesting result with 5 candidates in the field this time, so plenty of choices for everyone.
Everyone on here is absolutely correct, Bruce Flegg deserves to put last on every ballot in Moggill.
Just a quick note on preferences, as there is an absolute landslide of misinformation, probably spread by the same people stealing the Greens signage from the fronts of people’s private homes.
When you stand there to cast your vote, you decide where your preferences go, not a political party official. Sometimes parties instruct on how to vote cards who they would most like you to put after their candidate, but whether you vote Labor, LNP or Green, you are under no obligation to follow these instructions.
The Greens are the only major party who believes people are intelligent enough to make up their minds and that’s what I’ve been told they will be doing in both Moggill and Indooroopilly.
So don’t be fooled, a vote for a Green or Independent is a vote for the Green or Independent and your preference goes where YOU decide.
Tell as many people as you can, because most have no idea how our system works.
Thanks for the endorsement of Greens and Barry. A few answers on points raised:
1. Francis, on preferences to Labor: that’s up to you. I am not recommended preferences. In a state election, any party deals are purely on what to write on a how to vote card, and have no effect on vote counting. My HTV only has a 1 next to my name, and it’s up to you to decide who to put as 2. It’s a symptom of what’s gone wrong with Labor that they actually have a good candidate here, and they are giving him no support. I’m not going to help them get their act together. When we were a minor party, they didn’t help us.
2. MarianK: sorry to disagree, but wealth has nothing to do with it. I don’t need this job either. Vote for the person who is going to best represent your interests. Flegg has more money than me, but I don’t care. I know some extremely wealthy people who are among the finest people I know; the same is true of some of the poorest people I know. It’s what’s inside the person that counts, not what’s inside their bank account.
3. Donnie: no preferences will flow to Labor EXCEPT IF YOU PUT ALP 2 ON YOUR BALLOT and I am not recommending preferences. See my web site (http://greenupmoggill.org/2009/03/preferences/ and also check out my plans for alternatives to traffic chaos while you’re there).
The Greens are not recommending preferences to the ALP in Moggill.
The list of seats where the Greens are recommending preferences can be found here: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/labor-sees-red-over-greens-preferences/2009/03/12/1236447382454.html
I have just logged into this website a year after the last election. To discover someone calling me a crackpot here I find is somewhat amusing.
If trying to see where we could possibly be in 50 to 100 years is being a crackpot then my hand is up for sure! 100 years ago there was no electricity, airplanes, telephones and computers to speak of. Those things came about by crackpots taking a punt on their belief that they could be posible. Finally I really believe that anyone who is crazy enough to put there hand up to stand for politics in Australia especially as an Independent candidate must either be a bit crazy. At least I had the courage to stand!
Barry, good to meet you here again. I don’t know what crazy ideas you had in the past, but none of them can be as crazy as drilling for oil 1.5km below the surface of the ocean with no plan as to what to do if it all goes pear-shaped.