I have noted with interest that in the few short weeks that Warren Enstch has been our Federal Member he has appeared quite frequently in all forms of media. He has been lobbying and chanting the interests of the locals and is reportedly getting results. Isn't that what we wanted?
On closer inspection, all of the articles feature State issues. With the notable exception of the Cultural Precinct which is a three tier issue, the other's are all outside of his area of expertise. While I am all for making yourself be heard and highlighting the issues of the electorate, perhaps he should take a step back, off the feet of Steve and Jason, and focus instead on his own job.
Someone reading this will no doubt post a comment that he would if the State representatives were doing their job, or something along those lines, but if you take a look at the issues reported on, all were resolved through the proper channels, with the help of both Steve and Jason, and not through Warren and his apparently massive influence.
I have yet to hear Warren's thoughts on Climate Change and the Carbon tax. This has made national headlines over the past few days and Warren is silent on the matter. Then there is the NBN which most local residents want built in our region as soon as possible. From Warren we have heard precisely nothing. What about the Dugong and Turtle protection schemes he promised? He never qualified it with 'Only if Tony is Prime Minister' and the people who are very keen to see results in this area are still waiting with baited breath for answers. The new medical facility in Edmonton will begin the building process very soon and I haven't heard boo from him about the benefits of that to the fastest growing area in Cairns.
Perhaps Warren is a victim, just like most of the other political members Australia wide, of the fickle press. Maybe he has quoted and lobbied for our region on these issues but it is conveniently being left out of the media statements. I am willing to give Warren the benefit of the doubt on this one because I have seen just how much the mainstream media can corrupt information and steer debate to suit themselves. He is possibly doing all of the work and getting no reward or attention and needs some help to get it out there.
Warren, if you are reading this, here's some advice. Stop intervening in State issues and stick to the Federal ones. By all means make statements of support for organisations, schools, businesses etc.... but do not make wild claims that you were the one in charge of the whole thing and you are the one who got the results. It's simply not true and it detracts from your real job. Start making statements about your actions on the Federal level and what you are proposing to take with you to the table in the new, more open form of Parliament. Tell us how you are going to take advantage of this opportunity to get your voice heard for us here in the North and what you are going to be most vocal about.
Send the information to me if you don't think you are being given a fair go by others, I will print it. Just don't tell me anything that hasn't really got anything to do with you. Leave that stuff to the ones who CAN affect the changes in those areas.
Warren Entsch was an underachiever for 12 years despite being part of the Howard Government and supposedly a favourite of John Howard. We were very lucky to have Jim Turnour even for one term. Jim succeeed in getting funding for the southern corridor upgrade, the Cairns Cultural Precinct and the Daintree Observatory among other things. Thank goodness, Jim was our MP for Leichhardt when the global economic crisis occurred. That was a time when we needed a hard worker battling to save and create jobs in our region, not a lazy jetsetting space-waster. Unemployment continues to drop thanks to Jim's efforts.
ReplyDeleteEntsch had to campaign on state and council issues because he could not compete with Jim Turnour. Entsch even lied about Wild Rivers which he said would "tie up the whole Cape". Completely untrue. At least Jim was prepared to work through the issue of Wild Rivers.
Entsch has only been elected for a month and already the area is going backwards. His efforts to scuttle the Cairns Cultural Precinct is a real shame. This precinct will be an asset to Cairns and the Far North and now we are lumbered with a do-nothing, out-of-touch, negative recycled MP who wants to take us back to the past.
My prediction is that Cairns will succeed despite Entsch wasting space for the next three years.