The new Cootamundra branch of the Country Labor party was re-established last night. New President, Charlie Sheahan is flanked by the new members and by Labor candidates for the  seats of Wagga and Hume, Tim Kurylowicz (second from the left) and Labor candidate Mike Pilbrow (far right). Last night’s meeting focused on the forced amalgamations being implemented by the Liberal and National parties.

Massive Massive Support For Harden

Approximately 100 people attended the Cootamundra Inquiry regarding the ‘Fit For The Future’  process and the forced amalgamation of Cootamundra and Gundagai this morning, held at 9am.

Harden Mayor, John Horton said “You would think Cootamundra was Harden, trying to get Cootamundra on board, every speaker bar two, pushed hard for the Cootamundra-Harden Merger. The other 32 speakers talked about all of the work the two councils had done and how proactive Coota and Harden had been and what a good proposal it was.” Horton said “We all thought we were over the line and then they bring out pushing Harden with Young and Boorowa, and Cootamundra with Gundagai. Gundagai don’t want that. Everyone was upset because the councillors elected by the community are not getting what they asked for. There was massive massive support for Cootamundra to merge with Harden and there was still support for Gundagai to come on board also, but we are not pushing it.”

He said “If the state government was there listening to that they would have to change their bloody mind and let Coota and Harden merge”

Member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson attended the meeting and gave her support for Harden to merge with Cootamundra, for Gundagai to stand alone and for Young to merge with Boorowa. Hodgkinson is expected to attend the meeting in Gundagai this afternoon. The member had previously been ‘quiet’ on the issue with media but made her feelings clear at Cootamundra today. Harden residents moved a vote of ‘no confidence’ in her at their town meeting on Tuesday night. The motion was supported unanimously by the crowd of approximately 320.

Horton was well aware of the passion displayed by Gundagai “They are not interested in talking with Cootamundra and won’t show them their financials. They are sticking to their guns and want to stand alone and good on them for sticking to their guns.”

Horton said they have 140 speakers at Gundagai this afternoon which equates to approximately 1 minute and 17 seconds. Time will be taken off from this figure for introducing the next speaker or for the delegate to provide additional information  meaning each speaker will have approximately 1 minute.

Country Labor candidate Charlie Sheahan, called for the re establishment of a County Labor branch recently and was buoyed by the arrival of over 15 members to a meeting held in the Stephen Ward rooms last night. Sheahan hails from a famous political family and said he has been following the ‘Fit For The Future’ process closely.

Sheahan has been critical of Hodgkinson’s approach to the process, “The Nationals Member has not issued a single media release regarding the amalgamations of shires in the Cootamundra Electorate, nor has she attended public meetings regarding them in Gundagai or Harden before today. Its about time she came out and defended her communities. She is still reluctant to put that support in writing. This is a community facing forced amalgamation who followed the government’s guidelines to the letter, and were even praised for doing so. What does this say about her and the Nationals’ willingness to represent their constituents?”

Coverage of the meetings will continue with Gundagai and Young commencing at 3pm and Harden set for 9am tomorrow at the Harden Country Club