I am not surprised by your front-page headline story on June 28 “Now It’s Personal”. This is the tactics always employed by the Nationals against their opponents, particularly when that opponent was once one of their own.
I am a recent retired resident of Port, a refugee from the party political hotbed of Queensland politics, and yes, I lived through those long seventeen years of Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s National Party government, which culminated in the Fitzgerald Enquiry into corruption, and ultimately several of Joh’s ministers taking the rap. More recently I endured the political shenanigans of the Beattie/Bligh Labor state governments, so I am fed up to the back teeth with Party politics. Consequently it was a relief to find a place like Port Macquarie where, when I came, enjoyed Independent representatives at both state and federal level.
That was I believe a unique position in the country, and certainly put the town and its people in a favourable light as far as I was concerned. It would be going too far to say that was why I decided to stay in Port, but it sure helped in my choice.
Then of course in the last state election the Nationals pulled out all stops to destroy the Independent, and sadly they succeeded. Now they are set to repeat their tactics on Rob Oakeshott.
I believe our Independent candidate has worked hard and diligently in his dealings with the government, and has shown dignity and restraint in the face of the small-minded, mealy-mouthed abuse that has been hurled at him since his decision to work for his electorate within the very difficult conditions imposed by a minority government.
I just hope the people of Lyne are big enough not to allow themselves to be led by the tactics of the National party machine .
Mick Fauntleroy
Port Macquarie
