Kross the floor Katrina may be the new #hashtag for residents angry at the loss of democracy in their towns, villages and regional centres, with the issue of forced amalgamations squarely back on the agenda this week.
The Member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson, now has the best chance ever to right the wrongs dealt to thousands of people in her electorate, after the Shooter’s Fisher’s and Farmer’s Party passed legislation in the upper house of the New South Wales parliament, to reverse forced Council amalgamations.
Hodgkinson has form for Krossing the floor after saving the greyhound industry alongside Barwon MP Kevin Humphries.
She has shown little if no support for communities who are currently involved in forced mergers over the last 2 years. A town meeting in Harden moved and passed a vote of no confidence in the State Member before the proclamation of the new Councils was made on May 12 2016. Residents in Gundagai, Cootamundra, Boorowa and Young are also not impressed with the 20 year veteran’s stance.
It takes a lot of hard work for David Shoebridge of the Greens and Robert Borsak of the Shooter’s, Fisher’s and Farmer’s Party to come together and agree on much, however, both men agreed that the forced mergers must go and that a plebiscite was the only way for that to happen. On opposite ends of the political spectrum both men also want to prevent forced mergers from ever happening again.
Introduced by the Shooters, the bill was supported by the Greens, Labor opposition, Christian Democrats and Animal Justice Party, winning the vote 22-20.
Shoebridge said “Go and ask the residents before you take another step and unless those residents agree, unless each of those constituent Councils say yes, those amalgamations end,”
“For all those deeply undemocratic forced amalgamations that have already happened, they get to have a plebiscite, they get to have a say about whether or not they agree with the amalgamation; if they don’t agree it forces the government to de-amalgamate,”
An amendment to the bill put up by the Greens, states that “never again” can a government forcibly amalgamate a council without first asking the residents and getting their agreement.
Phil Jenkyn from the Save our Councils Coalition urged the Lower House to pass the legislation.
“Listen to the people and then what you should be doing is withdrawing your despised and hated forced amalgamations,” Mr Jenkyn said.
“You should let this legislation go through; you should pass it and you should make the September elections in Local Government a meaningful time when these plebiscites can take place,” he said.
“Do it now Gladys for the community or you shall forever regret it,”
The matter will now wait until August where it will go to the lower house where the Liberal and National coalition have the majority. It will take up to 6 Liberal or National Party members to cross the floor to end Mike Baird’s failed policy.
The former leader is now now living it up on a salary of $1 million dollars whilst his legacy leaves his fomer colleagues in a precarious situation, wondering what loyalty they have to what has become the state government’s most unpopular policy. Many will experience the very possible outcome of being unemployed after the next election.
Nationals Leader and Deputy Leader of the Government, John Barilaro sits on a margin of just 1100 votes. A number which proves he has slim chance of retaining his seat. If Bombala band together he’s gone.
Groups in Gundagai (neighbouring electorate) and groups within the Monaro electorate are banding together to have him removed via a full blown campaign, leading in the the next election set down for 2019.
Coalition-held seats are in line for twice the number of school infrastructure projects than Labor-held seats under a $2.2 billion program announced by the NSW government this month, sparking claims of pork-barrelling before the 2019 election.
The electorate with the most projects is Monaro, gifted by Barilaro, who faces one hell of a fight defending his slender margin of 2.5 per cent.
Unfortunately the people of his electorate aren’t that stupid.
If the brumbies aren’t saved and the forced Council mergers aren’t reversed, he will be back in Quenbeyan at his timber window and door business and out of politics sooner than he thinks.
For the people of Hilltops Council who will have a deficit of close to $5 million awaiting their newly elected members, Administrator Tuckerman needs to start talking to the Department of Premier and Cabinet and talk very soon about allowing a plebiscite at the September 9 election. Her future remains very uncertain.
