It is with this quotation in mind that Ernesto wishes to question the mindset of the many Shepparton voters who elected a National Party representative to our Victorian Parliament when it was painfully obvious (to all bar Sky News watchers and Herald Sun readers) that Labor would be swept back to power in another ‘Danslide’.
We obviously didn't learn from our mistake in electing a National representative in the recent Federal Election who is a backbencher in opposition against the Labor Government.
Did Shepparton voters really want a return to the past when our needs were ignored by successive governments of both persuasions before the election of Suzanna Sheed in 2014?
While I wish Kim O’Keeffe well, what we have been delivered is the worst possible result for our electorate — a rookie backbench representative on the weak LNP state opposition benches.
I call on all voters to look at the promises made to this region by the National Party and ask yourselves, how will Kim O’Keeffe be able to deliver this?
If the National Party puts the same amount of effort into representing the electorate of Shepparton as they put into unseating our independent member, Suzanna Sheed, we might fare okay, but Ernesto has his doubts.
While living in the past, let’s have a quick look at the National Party and its refusal to support a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
Now Ernesto doesn’t pretend he has any answers to this complex issue, but he does know this.
The Liberal/National Coalition was in power for 20 of the past 26 years and achieved very little in terms of improving the lot for First Nations communities.
The junior party in the Coalition now opposes a Voice to Parliament despite former Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt presenting details to the previous cabinet on how it (the Voice) would work.
It would appear that although the finer details of the Voice are yet to be finalised, the Nationals have decided to oppose it anyway and by doing so deal themselves out of being part of the way forward on this issue.
A cynic might even say the Nationals are opposed to First Nations Australians having a say on issues that affect them because their donors, the big mining companies, don’t want roadblocks put in the way of exploiting Traditional Owners’ lands in their pursuit of massive profits.
This behaviour is typical of the conservative parties in their attempt to divide the Australian community for their own political gain.
The majority of the progressive Australian community is sick of the “divide and conquer” tactics of the conservative parties and in deciding to oppose this, David Littleproud, Barnaby Joyce and now our own local member, Sam Birrell, have chosen to divide instead of unite.
It’s a tragedy.
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