Far North News Editorial
Serial letter writer, Helen Kanak, a Liberal National Party puppet, and close relation of a former LNP candidate for the Mareeba area, Craig Batchelor, waffles on continuously about the great party of which she is a member.
This weeks diatribe is her frequent whinge about de-amalgamating Mareeba from the Tablelands Regional Council. The Cairns Post missive this time is directed at the TRC for making ratepayers aware of more economic pain should the de-amalgamation ever happen, which, according to her beloved LNP Minister, looks less likely every day.
Cairns News has been given copies of letters to the editor by other concerned ratepayers which the two Mareeba newspapers and the Atherton paper steadfastly refuse to print.
Both letter writers have demanded the de-amalgamation take place but stress the need for the state government to cover any costs.
“…after all amalgamation was a spiteful decision of a government, so government should pay…” one letter states.
Mrs Kanak, in her Cairns Post narrative, naively believes we live in a democracy, and we have the right to be heard. She doesnt realize the only democracy she has ever experienced was the two minutes she took to fill out her ballot paper.
She is oblivious to the sleight-of-hand political process unfolding around her.
The LNP Member for Cook, David Kempton, formerly a Cairns solicitor, has never been a supporter of de-amalgamation, but has cleverly, in solicitor-speak, always maintained the “right” to have a referendum.
During a recent interview on ABC Radio, Mr Kempton said he fully supported the right (of ratepayers ) to have a referendum, but when pressed further he said,” …I am not a decision maker…. that will be up to others.”
Mr Kempton has never publicly taken the process any further. He well knows, and the Local Government Minister David Crisafulli, has stated it many times that in the event of a yes result at referendum, the Treasury and his department will evaluate the cost effectiveness of de-amalgamation.
The Minister has stated on the record he doubts it will pass the $8million test.
Indeed, as previously reported on this post, a council candidate prior to the state election claimed Mr Kempton said there would never be a de-amalgamation of the former Mareeba shire.