... there were never any secrets. I showed my platform to the PARTIES. I told them I have experience in running campaigns. I said I would run as an INDEPENDENT. I made it clear that I believed the plans for the LOCAL CONSERVATIVE CAMPAIGNS were FAILURES ready-to-happen. I advised them that "Living Locally and Loving It" was the worst slogan I had ever seen in politics. I advised that the management of the NATIONALS Campaign would fail and I made my reasoning completely clear but it fell on "deaf ears" and over-confident POLITICOS who were managing the campaigns.
I encouraged them to think about the ideas in my COMMUNITY-BASED PLATFORM that were developed in consultation with a whole range of people and details I had reviewed in the last 20 months and I asked them to nominate the planks they felt they could support in the platform going forward into the next term. Their response was as below:
- The LIBERAL Campaign Manager rejected the whole platform and indicated the road upgrade "might happen".
- The NATIONALS STATE President said they "only deliver the dollars" and the PDC makes the local spending decisions.
- The LABOR candidate indicated they would support and implement 6, 7, 11 and 12 of my PLATFORM.
- I decided the GREENS were only a "TROJAN HORSE CAMPAIGN" to get the Upper House Member re-elected so I didn't consult them.
- and the CHRISTIANS - Well, in my opinion ... Only God Knows???
LABOR showed it was more inclined to be guided by community views and good ideas. The COMMUNITY-BASED PLATFORM has captured the attention of the few I have met and will, no doubt, be considered by the PARTY that wins.As they do consider it - they will also be trying to work out if I will run again. That decision will be mine and mine alone but the few who wish to take a stand against PARTIES that don't listen or consult and who wish to support an INDEPENDENT will be consulted about the kind of support they will give to me or anyone else who wishes to stand going forward into the next election - MAYBE the FEDERAL ELECTION already scheduled.
In some ways it's all too predictable in that the NATIONALS thought they could ride into power on the back of a Turn-Coat Local LABOR Member who took advice from a Turn-Coat local LIBERAL Member and former LIBERAL BRANCH PRESIDENT plus the idea that ROYALTIES for REGIONS would help them win again but, in my opinion, they missed the whole point.
MAJOR PARTIES have simply adopted ROYALTIES for REGIONS as their policy. Consequently the NATIONALS had nothing for this campaign, no strategy with substance, no policy initiatives, poor local performance and a FIFO NATIONALS LEADER who failed to understand - INITIATIVE IS EVERYTHING IN POLITICS and local people want LOCAL representation.
The CONSERVATIVE Campaign Managers thought their strategy was "brilliant" and were patting themselves on the back at regular Friday evening gatherings in the recent past thinking they already had it won. The HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of DOLLARS spent in the blitz of advertisements in newspapers, on TV and radio as well as posters, banners, signed cars, etc. would convince the VOTERS to simply take what was being offered. Candidates without a plan for the future and no ideas to capture the imagination. The dollars from BIG SPONSORS flowed into PARTY COFFERS so they spent them with gay abandon with some left in the LIBERAL war-chest for the next campaign which is the real target for the LIBERALS.
SOON WE WILL KNOW FOR SURE IF THEIR CONFIDENCE WAS EXCESSIVE OR NOT ...
If I'm wrong, so be it but the fact is I placed and continue to place more confidence in democracy and the ability of people to know when they are being duped by people who don't listen and review the needs that are obvious if you look, listen and consider the options.
In my opinion LABOR will WIN; they deserve to win because they are local, they listen and they have carefully considered my COMMUNITY-BASED PLATFORM and will, no doubt, put resources into key planks of the platform that are long over-due. I believe people are sufficiently sick and tired of POLITICAL PARTIES and are able to VOTE in the interests of the whole community and not let a few self-interested people run local affairs and organisations as if they are their own Fiefdoms that take advantage of the members and public servants who manage the risk of keeping their job rather than having open minds and "advising without fear or favour" in planning for sustainable cities of the future. We need to change these things and eject the self-interested from key orgnisations; LABOR has made this commitment in their platform too. I applaud this initiative and hope to see it happen soon because the community will benefit greatly from this change.
By the way ... I would love to win and represent the PILBARA but it's NOT going to happen this time ... stay tuned for the next ELECTION.
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