Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I noticed our previously invisible member Billy Gordon has had a change of heart and now says he wants to do something for the people of Mareeba.
That is very noble of him, but wasn’t he elected a year ago? What has he been doing over the last 12 months?
Apart from attracting the attention of national newspapers over his photographic ability, has he done anything positive instead of voting with his beloved Labor Party on almost every motion in Parliament?
Relocating from Cairns to Mareeba will at least give him kudos for being the first Member for Cook in many years to live here. Maybe he just realised there are others in his electorate who don’t live on the Cape.
Seeing he has done very little for the southern end of Cook, do local people think he should pay back his government salary for the last 12 months?
He had a chance to get more state representation for people living outside of bigger cities but no he voted with the ALP to water down rural representation and give three more seats to Brisbane. By continually voting with the ALP he has helped himself to get voted out at the next election after the electoral commission changes the boundaries in the far north redistribution, expected in August.
I have been told that Atherton will be added to Mareeba again and their seat of Dalrymple will be abolished. It is not hard to work out who the Atherton people will vote for.
Mr Gordon might find himself running against their excellent politician Shane Knuth, from whom I have been getting help in dealing with the government.
I doubt Mr Gordon will get much support from Mareeba people either in the new electorate because Mr Knuth has been their defacto member since Mr Gordon was elected.
Yours faithfully,
Keith Courte JP