Labor Pork-Barrelling An Admission Of Failure
A new Sebastopol ‘advisory group’ announced by the Labor Party has been described as little more than pork-barrelling ahead of the Ballarat Council elections in October.
The ‘Spotlight on Sebastopol’ group was announced by the Labor Member for Buninyong, Michaela Settle, last month because she says Sebastopol residents felt ‘left behind’.
But Liberal Member for Western Victoria, Beverley McArthur, said the group is paid for by the State, and managed by the City of Ballarat.
“With Labor endorsing candidates this year in Ballarat – this is the clearest example of pork-barrelling and local ALP candidates being forced to follow their comrades’ wishes in Spring Street”, Mrs McArthur said.
Mrs McArthur said the problems run deeper – and expose a big hole in Labor’s care and attention to the Ballarat suburb.
In the Ballarat Courier, 17th August 2020, Ms Settle was quoted as saying:
“The idea for Spotlight on Sebastopol really came from the people of Sebastopol. Back in 2014 when I was door knocking the area as a candidate.
“I heard time and time again that they felt left behind. Since Council amalgamation, they felt they had been ignored. I decided it was time to put the spotlight back on Sebastopol”.
“Well I agree with Ms Settle on this – it is time to put the spotlight on Labor’s antics in Sebastopol. This is an extraordinary admission of failure of representation by Labor,” she said.
“Who was their local representative at this time? Geoff Howard. Mr Howard was the Member for Ballarat East and then Buninyong – the seat that looks after Sebastopol.
“Between 1999 and 2018 Mr Howard had the reins – and while many people knew how apathetic his representation was – we now have it confirmed by the Labor Party itself. Extraordinary.”
Mr Howard was also a Ballarat Councillor between 1989–1999 and Mayor for 1993-4. He is now standing to be a Ballarat councillor again.
“Having clearly failed the people of Sebastopol he now wants to extend it to the Central Ward”.
Mrs McArthur said that under the auspices of RDV, the $5 million pork-barrell is a supposed to allow Sebastopol residents to ‘have a say’ on projects for their area.
“Giving residents a say should always exist – good elected representatives at local, state and federal level should enable and encourage that.
“This voice comes at a cost of $5 million dollars to the taxpayer – and sets a precedent for every other community group to put their hand up for $5 million,’ Mrs McArthur said.
“Why wouldn’t the Buninyong and District Community Association, or the Brown Hill Progress Association be spitting mad with this? They give of their hours and work hard to achieve – without requiring a pre-election pork barrell.
“What about Miners Rest – I’m sure residents there would love $5 million too”.
Mrs McArthur said Labor has three tiers of Government representing Sebastopol: Catherine King Federally, Michaela Settle State and Labor Councillor Des Hudson, who has long promoted himself as the Sebastopol go-to man.
“Three strikes normally means you’re out,” said Mrs McArthur.
She also highlighted a complete fallacy in the story Ms Settle provided The Courier for it’s article on 17th August, when she claims she was a candidate for Buninyong at the time.
“Is she serious? Ms Settle didn’t stand for Parliament until 2018.
“Back in 2014 she was busy leading the infamous Red Shirts rorts scandal – paid as an electorate officer by former Labor Member for Ripon Joe Helper, but worked as a ‘field organiser’ for the ALP in the seat of Wendouree, helping Sharon Knight get elected.”
“Ms Settle wasn’t listening to anybody in Sebastopol in 2014, she was busy rorting taxpayers to the tune of about $21,148.”
Ms Settle is quite right - people have been ‘left behind‘. Indeed, all Ballarat area and Buninyong voters have been ‘left behind’ - seriously ‘left behind’ by Labor at all levels of representation.
17 September 2020