COMMENT

No more mugging
the Barkly, thanks

There are some things that have to be said
so Paul Cockram's gone and said 'em

mug n. (sl.) simpleton; gullible person

Sorry Paul Ruger, I'm not a mug - I'm a Labor supporter. I might not have had much of a voice in government but I've surely had a good voice in Parliament! If the government chose to close its ears to that voice, how does that make me a mug?
Since I've been in the Territory I've seen the CLP Government oppose each and every land claim by indigenous people, forcing the Land Councils to fight each case through the courts and wasting money on lawyers. Money that could have been used for health, housing and education.
As a consequence the Land Councils and the majority of the indigenous population don't support the CLP Government. Does that make them all mugs?
Rural Australians from all over have watched in dismay as their communities have been destroyed by years of government neglect and indifference, and not only by Conservative governments either. But when the day comes for the city-centric politicians to grovel for the bush vote and wander the streets in their annual drop-in, the people may well tell them to stick it.
Does that make them mugs?
The local member of Parliament is not the only person whose job it is to lobby for a community. There have been many high-level government appointees in town with direct access to the relevant government departments. It is a vital part of their job to assess the needs of the community and make appropriate submissions based on this region's needs.
Have they all been mugs for over a decade?
Why has the Barkly suddenly become the flavour of the month in Darwin? As soon as Bill Cross was endorsed as the CLP candidate for Barkly, he became the Chief Minister's representative with direct access to the top.
Suddenly, as if by magic, there was nothing too good for the Barkly, it was just that they had never heard of us before. Poor Mark John [the previous CLP candidate], he never had anything like that level of support.
Surely you too, Paul, would have liked to have seen that amount of interest in the Barkly when you had a shot at winning it.
It seems fairly clear that we were not nearly so much on the Government's mind for most of the last decade.
It's only now, after ten years of neglect, with the CLP Government's grip on the Territory weakening, the bean counters have realised that every seat is vital, so how does that make us the mugs?
You'd have to be Blind Freddie not to have noticed the economic and social reforms that various Labor governments have brought to our Australian way of life.
We have a fine tradition of changing our elected governments to meet the needs of the times. It is the threat of Opposition that keeps a government on its toes.
Have a look at any government in the world without an opposition party and you'll find appalling abuses of power and reduced liberty for its citizens.
Australia as a nation, and most of us as individuals, applaud the efforts of people in totalitarian regimes to form effective oppostion parties.
Are we and they, all of us, mugs?
When Tennant Creek was crying out to be heard in Darwin and we voted in a new Town Council, you stood again as Mayor and, as usual, were elected with an overwhelming majority.
Does that make us all mugs?

No more mugging the Barkly, thanks There are some things that have to be said so Paul Cockram's gone and said 'em mug n. (sl.) simpleton; gullible person Sorry Paul Ruger, I'm not a mug - I'm a Labor supporter. I might not have had much of a voice in government but I've surely had a good voice in Parliament! If the government chose to close its ears to that voice, how does that make me a mug? Since I've been in the Territory I've seen the CLP Government oppose each and every land claim by indigenous people, forcing the Land Councils to fight each case through the courts and wasting money on lawyers. Money that could have been used for health, housing and education. As a consequence the Land Councils and the majority of the indigenous population don't support the CLP Government. Does that make them all mugs? Rural Australians from all over have watched in dismay as their communities have been destroyed by years of government neglect and indifference, and not only by Conservative governments either. But when the day comes for the city-centric politicians to grovel for the bush vote and wander the streets in their annual drop-in, the people may well tell them to stick it. Does that make them mugs? The local member of Parliament is not the only person whose job it is to lobby for a community. There have been many high-level government appointees in town with direct access to the relevant government departments. It is a vital part of their job to assess the needs of the community and make appropriate submissions based on this region's needs. Have they all been mugs for over a decade? Why has the Barkly suddenly become the flavour of the month in Darwin? As soon as Bill Cross was endorsed as the CLP candidate for Barkly, he became the Chief Minister's representative with direct access to the top. Suddenly, as if by magic, there was nothing too good for the Barkly, it was just that they had never heard of us before. Poor Mark John [the previous CLP candidate], he never had anything like that level of support. Surely you too, Paul, would have liked to have seen that amount of interest in the Barkly when you had a shot at winning it. It seems fairly clear that we were not nearly so much on the Government's mind for most of the last decade. It's only now, after ten years of neglect, with the CLP Government's grip on the Territory weakening, the bean counters have realised that every seat is vital, so how does that make us the mugs? You'd have to be Blind Freddie not to have noticed the economic and social reforms that various Labor governments have brought to our Australian way of life. We have a fine tradition of changing our elected governments to meet the needs of the times. It is the threat of Opposition that keeps a government on its toes. Have a look at any government in the world without an opposition party and you'll find appalling abuses of power and reduced liberty for its citizens. Australia as a nation, and most of us as individuals, applaud the efforts of people in totalitarian regimes to form effective oppostion parties. Are we and they, all of us, mugs? When Tennant Creek was crying out to be heard in Darwin and we voted in a new Town Council, you stood again as Mayor and, as usual, were elected with an overwhelming majority. Does that make us all mugs?		Tennant & District Times ad – 10/8/01