THE poor performance of women candidates by the Liberal Party selectors this year did not surprise me in the least.
In six Laborheld marginal electorates, the men in suits were successful in all but one contest. Every one of these seats is currently held by a communityminded Labor Party woman.
If the Liberal Party head office thinks that these electorates will be won easily then I, for one, think that they are wrong. Complacency in Opposition can be equally as dangerous as in Government.
State Labor members including Heather McTaggart and Dympna Beard have worked hard for their constituents since being elected to Parliament two years ago.
No wonder a Liberal Party insider said (The Age, 7 June) year that Labor will be able to say that the Liberals are recycling candidates.
One of the endorsed Liberals has previously been rejected by the electorate.
This is not good enough for the Liberals to invest in recycled candidates – many of whom are yesterday’s men and women.
Jeanne Lawrence
Montrose
I AM a member of the Wilderness Society and opposed to any limits on the hunting of deer, cats, foxes, pigs, cane toads, or any feral animal.
I think that deer hunters perform an environmental service and should be financially rewarded for their efforts by DSE.
Dale Johnson accuses that “all the green movement is based on opportunism”.
Dale, please note that the State Government made the decision to limit the cattle in the Alpine National Park based on water yield statistics, and political expediency.
The decision had little to do with campaigning by any green group, as they have next to no influence with this government.
A far more effective way of securing future water yield would have been to stop logging water catchments, but that would upset the woodchipping corporations who are financial backers of Mr Bracks, so it’s tough luck for the mountain cattlemen.
I would like Dale Johnson to know that there is a difference between genuine environmentalists and animal liberationists, so kindly don’t throw us all into the one category.
The Greens and the Wilderness Society both have web sites, and there is no policy in either about limiting deer hunting.
Stewart Kerr
Badger Creek
GOOD on you, Cr Len Cox (Policy Change Fight, Mail 30 August).
Imagine silly us thinking it was our elected representatives making all those bad, indifferent, and sometime good planning decisions.
A pity your fellow councillors do not agree. Or was it only the process? There’s democracy for you.
How about when planning decisions are publicised, they are categorised as “Yarra Ranges Council approved – etc” or “Yarra Ranges Shire rejected – etc”. Then we will all know where we stand.
June Delbridge
Lilydale
I DIDN’T care that Lilydale International was putting on a show with boxer Jeff “I luvs ya all” Fenech at a huge price, but to quote him as Australia’s greatest ever boxer made me sick.
Ever heard of Les Darcy, the greatest middleweight boxer in the world (1916), Johnny Famechon and Lionel Rose? These champions were loyal to their sport and Aussie heroes before Fenech was out of his nappies.
I wouldn’t pay 10 cents to see Fenech. He must be doing it hard if he’s got to speak at pubs to make a buck, but he’ll have a few sparring partners by the end of the night, as I read it’s free grog.
Geoff Aarons
Launching Place
