What a year 2015 has been – and it’s not out of breath quite yet.
Who knows what else it has in store for us as it sets sail for December 31 and its final day.
A Top 5 of news events of the year isn’t anywhere near enough to cover what happened in 2015. Time like these you wish you had a Top 100.
Nationally we had a change of Prime Ministers, while locally, in Campbelltown at least, change of mayors. Then there’s been the Robbie Farah saga at Wests Tigers, who from the outside look like a club in disarray.
Number 1: The Baird Government was re-elected to office in March for another four years, but has been nothing but disappointing ever since. Even that famous Mike Baird smile may be slowly turning into a frown. It’s all down to the fact that the major political parties hardly ever choose the best candidate to offer up so we vote in dunderheads who are no match for the public service mandarins who really rule the show.
Number 2: This follows from the end of one: politicians having the wool pulled over their eyes by bureaucrats, so we have decisions like closing down very popular local motor registries in Ingleburn and Campbelltown. Think about it: the Liberal Party choosing centralisation of a service like that instead of decentralisation. No wonder we can’t tell the political parties apart these days.
Number 3: But the biggest, dumbest decision came just a few days ago: Hurlstone Agricultural High School to relocate to Richmond from 2020 and the land at Glenfield sold for housing. Yes, the proceeds will be used for education, some of it locally, but what’s the point of having an education budget? Will they sell all the playgrounds in all schools in the future to fund education? It beggars belief.
Number 4: Liverpool in 2015 has hardly been ever out of the headlines, with “porkgate’’ and other Liberal Party shenanigans causing plenty of headaches for the first time since they were elected to power in 2012. Will need to sort out the mess or Labor will be back in charge at Liverpool Council at next September’s local government elections.
Number 5: Campbelltown switched mayors, just like it does every 12 months, but it’s still got someone with the name Paul in charge. This time it was Liberal Party man Paul Hawker who took the reins from independent councillor Paul Lake. It means Campbelltown’s leadership team is lacking experience at running things, with general manager Lindy Deitz having replaced long time GM Paul Tosi from October 1.
“It’s all down to the fact that the major political parties hardly ever choose the best candidate to offer up so we vote in dunderheads who are no match for the public service mandarins who really rule the show.”
You’re starting to get it Eric! Now you just need to realise that the idea that we’ll just one day elect a whole bunch of “good politicians” is fairyland stuff, and that the most realistic approach is to just keep more money in people’s pockets so the polies and the bureaucrats can’t do as much damage.