By Michael Newhouse
A LOCAL MP who distributed thousands of fridge magnets with incorrect emergency services contact information to Brimbank residents has called for people to return the magnets to his office or destroy them.
“What people need to do is to get rid of them; send them back if you wish, or destroy them, but get rid of them,” he told Star late last month.
“I’ve taken full responsibility for it,” he said. “I’ve apologised for it.”
Earlier this month Derrimut MP Telmo Languiller’s Sunshine West electoral office distributed an estimated 8000 and 10,000 magnets to residents of Derrimut.
The electorate, which includes the suburbs of Sunshine West, St Albans South and Derrimut, had incorrect police, Lifeline and Poison Information phone numbers printed on them.
Three weeks ago Mr Languiller apologised for the mistake and included the correct emergency hotline numbers on the bottom of four-page election flier advertising some of the Bracks Government’s “key achievements”.
The flier did not ask residents to send their magnets back, and blamed the blunder on a “printing error”, although Mr Languiller would not elaborate on exactly how the mistake was made when Star spoke to him last week.
He said his office would be sending out another flier that would ask people to destroy or send back the offending fridge magnets.
This follows community complaints to the press and to Mr Languiller’s electoral office that his earlier apology was inadequate.
Last week the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) wrote to Mr Languiller’s office calling for the magnets to be recalled and for the MP to take out full page advertisements in the local newspapers and The Herald Sun.
Mr Languiller’s office had not indicated whether it would consider the request at the time Star went to print.
“It is our opinion that the apology and correction notice printed on the last page of your latest four page re-election campaign pamphlet is completely inadequate,” stated the letter , which was signed by SunRRA President Darelene Reilly.
Mr Languiller was comfortably re-elected at last month’s State Election.
