So Liberal party member Andrew Guile is fashioning himself as a
community campaigner the following is how the press reported his groups launch.
I want to deconstruct what he has to say- so will intersperse this with my own
commentary which is the blue text.
A FIFTH candidate has nominated
in the battle to become Shoalhaven mayor at the September 8 local government
election.
Shoalhaven City Council’s deputy
mayor for the past year, Cr Andrew Guile, has thrown his hat in the ring
alongside Crs Greg Watson, Amanda Findley and John Fergusson, and Gilmore MP
Joanna Gash.
Cr Guile yesterday announced his
intentions to stand under the banner of Shoalhaven First – described as a group
of financially conservative local residents committed to putting the Shoalhaven’s
needs first.
So how does financial conservative put the needs of Shoalhaven first. On
Council Guile represents himself just like the state party an example of this
is in budget setting. We need a million dollars for the roads- well staff just
go away and find it and report back how you are going to do it- taking no real
responsibility for cutting particular services. We are seeing this blunt
methodology being applied by the state equally the loss of public service jobs.
“After four years serving our community
as a councillor and now deputy mayor, I am even more committed to seeing the
Shoalhaven become the best place to live and work,” Cr Guile said.
Sure we are all committed in our own way, but with Guile it’s his way or
the highway-a born to rule approach. In a recent radio interview he declared
that he would get on with the North Nowra link road regardless of who ’dare’s
get in his way’- a threatening and non conciliatory approach.
He planned to introduce “a very
positive plan for the future of this great city”, based on five-points.
The priorities included fighting
for a safer Shoalhaven community, having an honest, accountable and transparent
council, easing cost of living by keeping rates low while strengthening the
local economy, revitalising business areas and community facilities throughout
the Shoalhaven, and preserving and protecting our local environment.
Let’s unpack this five point plan. In Liberal speak a safer community
means more CCTV surveillance, more policing (which Shoalhaven Council has no
control over) and more alcohol free zones. All populist policies that appeal to
dare I say it “older conservatives”. CCTV costs the public purse and does
nothing to get to the source of social unrest. Putting the same amount of
funding into community development doesn’t have the same public appeal but has
the ability to make a real difference for people’s lives.
An honest, accountable and transparent council….REALLY!!! I have to pick
myself of the floor from laughing hard at this one and ask is this the same
Andrew Guile who sat in a committee meeting of council and moved a motion to
NOT press police charges against persons within Council who had carried out an
orchestrated theft from Council. The same Andrew Guile who refused to have ICAC
matters from the last four years made public at my request.
Easing the cost of living by keeping rates low. Now this I have a real
problem with because as Mr Guile makes election promises the cash register is
cha-chinging away in the background or perhaps he should be more ‘honest and
transparent’ and tell us which services he will cut or increase the fees off to achieve the wanted outcome. In the past
Shoalhaven residents have supported targeted rate increases where the rate
increase has only been spent on a particular item such as drainage. The
collective Shoalhaven ‘we” should not be afraid to discuss our rates and if we
need to , agree to increased rates for special projects. Just like the home
budget Council relies on rates to achieve outcomes for the city and none of us
can expect our rates to stagnate and make our city fall behind.
Revitalising business areas and community facilities throughout the
Shoalhaven- I don’t have much of a problem with this statement- in fact it may
be the one area Guile and I agree on- Shoalhaven should focus on maintenance of
its existing facilities work out ways to improve them so that they service
increasing demand.
Preserving and protecting our environment……um which environment is that
Guile…I think you must be referring to the ‘built’ environment because you
can’t possibly mean the ‘natural’ ‘pristine’ environments of the Shoalhaven
that the rest of think of when we use the E word. Guile has used the last 4
years to systematically attack environmental policies in the Shoalhaven. The
most recent was an attack on the tree preservation order and removing
biodiversity mapping, and habitat corridors in the draft local environment
plan.
Cr Guile said the initiatives
would “put Shoalhaven residents first”.
Just like he has during the last four years on Council (sarcastic voice).
During Local Environment planning meetings Guile has treated members of the
public with contempt and in my opinion has only put the ‘residents first’ when
they agree with his point of view.
With the guiding policies, Cr
Guile also committed to avoid slander, characterisations and petty politics.
Read, but that won’t stop me from using my mate Gareth Ward to do the
dirty work for me!
Many people have commentated to me that the last four years have been
highly politicised for a regional council. Personally I’ve taken a fair bit of
Guile and Ward’s characterisations and petty politics and then told to ‘man up’
for ‘that’s what it’s all about’. Leopards don’t change their spots and
Liberals can call themselves Shoalhaven or Family First but it won’t change
their underlying ideology.
“Instead, Shoalhaven First will
be promoting a positive agenda that will build on the success of the last four
years and make a better community,” he said.
While many people criticised
council and the Shoalhaven, “It’s not about the problems, it’s about how we
come up with solutions,” Cr Guile said.“This is what Shoalhaven First is about, providing a positive vision for the future of this great city and supplying young, energetic and capable candidates that will see these plans become a reality.”
Cr Guile will be standing in ward one along with fellow Shoalhaven First candidates, former Shoalhaven Young Citizen of the Year and law and commerce student Paul Ell, North Nowra businesswoman Serena Copley and Bomaderry music teacher and mother of Kiama MP Gareth Ward, Margaret Bowcher.
In ward two the Shoalhaven First
candidates are Nowra East Public School teacher’s aide Brad Payne, who is
studying to become a primary school teacher, South Nowra businessman and
councillor for the past four years David Bennett, retailer Adam Carney and
another person studying to be a teacher, 2011 Nowra Showgirl Natasha Larter.
Shoalhaven First is still putting
together a ticket for ward three.
The article was copied directly
from the South Coast Register 25 July 2012, the commentary on the article is my
opinion.
