We know that Prime Minister says he now has his double dissolution trigger for a July 2 election, but it has not been officially called yet, has it?
So why is that every time we bump into a local pollie in the past few days, they pull us aside to whisper a rumour about their opponents?
Usually Macarthur region MPs, state or federal, Liberal and Labor, get on reasonably well, behaving in a civilised manner with each other and when talking about each other behind their backs.
I am sure I’m not the only local journalist who’s been told to check out the home address of Labor candidate for Macarthur, Dr Mike Freelander, who apparently lives more than 50 kilometres away from Macarthur.
Returning fire, Labor people tell me the Liberal Party is about to make a major league mistake by selecting Liverpool’s novice mayor Ned Mannoun as its candidate for the seat of Werriwa.
This is currently held by veteran Labor Party warrior Laurie Ferguson, who is calling it quits. Liverpool councillor Anne Stanley has won Labor preselection for the seat.
We’ll follow up the Freelander suggestion but not the Mannoun one – surely the Libs aren’t that stupid.
And the final whisper we copped was that Macquarie Fields MP Anoulack Chanthivong has been told by his state opposition leader Luke Foley to stop publicity stunts like handing out rotten apple awards to Baird government ministers – something we admit was published in the South West Voice in Macarthur recently.
♦ Speaking of pollies, it was good to see Bryan Doyle at the Anzac Day service in Campbelltown. The former Campbelltown MP looked sartorially very sharp and also had a nice hat covering the melon. Congratulating him on the hat, he responded: You’re my inspiration, Kontos, you’re my inspiration.
♦ Let’s get a breather from politics for a moment because there’s just three sleeps to go before the winner of the design for My Ideal House will be announced this Friday high up on Raby Road, just where the actual house will be built.
The estate, Crest by Mirvac, is part of its Gledswood Hills development, and someone very clever came up with the idea of running a competition for the design of the house of the future with Australian House & Garden magazine.
The six finalists were announced earlier this month, and they will all be there on Friday to find out which one of them takes the big cheque home when local MP Chris Patterson reads out the winner’s name.
As for us, we just can’t wait to see what the house of the future looks like. And of course we will let you know soon after.
♦ And just staying on the property scene, not everyone is happy with what’s happening in Appin regarding Walker Corporation’s amended design plans for houses in Macquariedale Road, currently before Wollondilly Council.
But it’s important for Walker critics to understand that if you want your concerns to be published they must be objective and stick to facts.
More importantly even, it’s good to remember that we have what could arguably be described as draconian defamation laws in this country.
Criticism is OK, but it has to be fair comment otherwise it cops the Delete button.
♦ Not happy to hear that a serving naval officer copped a punch on the nose when he tried to talk to a group drinking alcohol on a train from the city on Anzac Day. Apparently this bunch were being way over the top and the officer took it upon himself to have a quiet word to them. When the train stopped at Glenfield, one of them punched the sailor in the nose. There’s no doubt that for a very small minority of Australians Anzac Day is an excuse to get on the tiles, but hitting a serving officer when he tells you to pull your head in is totally unacceptable.
♦ And while on Anzac Day, at the dawn service in Ingleburn, when the MC announced the member for Werriwa, the Member for Macarthur Russell Matheson got up and presented himself. Not missing a beat, the announcer said: It looks like the member for Macarthur has just slipped in.
♦ Former Campbelltown deputy mayor and good guy Paul Blyton had a spare seat next to him, so when our old legs needed a rest we parked our backside next to him in Mawson Park at Campbelltown’s Anzac Day parade and service. Paul confirmed he still would like to serve so he will be running a ticket at the September 10 elections for councils.
• Contributions to this column are welcome. Email the editor at erickontos@southwestvoice.com.au
