Shoalhaven First- or Liberals Shoalhaven- how truthful is the representation

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.