Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery is right.
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This region is being “dudded”.
Being dudded by both sides of politics at different levels and it is high time we took a stand against it.
The Lord Mayor was making his comments about the latest debacle surrounding Wollongong’s MP in the State Parliament Noreen Hay.
The controversy surrounding Ms Hay, the Opposition Whip, and her office’s involvement in alleged election fraud which led to her own leader, Luke Foley, saying “either she goes or I go” earlier this week.
Wisely, Ms Hay has chosen not to contest the vote for whip which was to be held in Sydney on Thursday afternoon.
Ms Hay’s term in office has been riddled with controversy, but yet she continues to serve this community for what result?
The Lord Mayor put it pretty bluntly.
“The smell that’s around the seat of Wollongong causes me great grief,” he said, ahead of signing an agreement about turning WIN Entertainment Centre into a convention centre.
“Luke Foley is trying to lead the opposition out of a situation where I consider there are a lot of difficulties.
“As Lord Mayor of this city, I think we’ve been dudded, so as the community, we’re taking the initiative.”
Then let’s take a look at the Liberal performance in the recently re-named seat of Whitlam in the Federal election.
Firstly, when the election is called - which was coming a long way off - there was no Liberal candidate.
Then a Liberal candidate was announced, who is a doctor in Mosman who describes the region as “the lowlands”.
The good doctor quits in less than two weeks, citing she didn’t want to be the Liberal “sacrificial lamb” and admitted she felt like a general with no troops.
Labor incumbent Stephen Jones must be feeling like an only starter in a Melbourne Cup.
All the while the people of this region watch the Federal leaders bunny hop marginal seats across the country, handing out promises and pledges like they are bags of lollies.
This region will continue to feel no love from a Federal Government as long as it is a fortress of one party and that will never change while the alternative party treats it with complete disrespect and disdain.