[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Libs may have a candidate in Wollondilly for the state election next March but they have their work cut out finding ones in Camden and Campbelltown.
Over in Camden, sitting MP Chris Patterson’s announcement he would not be seeking re-election has sparked some pretty interesting speculation.
Nostradamus himself would be impressed by the suggestions from some self appointed experts on the local Liberal Party business.
The most obvious suggestion was that Chris has gone so former Camden mayor Lara Symkowiak will step up, thus explaining why she gave up the mayoral job in September.
But if you look a bit harder, it all points to the man who replaced her, Peter Sidgreaves, as the one getting the nod to fly the blue flag – which has not pleased some Camden Libs.
Back in Campbelltown, the Libs are in a really sorry state.
Not only they can’t get anyone to volunteer to be a sacrificial lamb against Labor’s Greg Warren, some of them are openly praising the enemy.
More than one high profile Lib has told me Greg Warren “has done a good job and will certainly win the seat next March.’’
Warren beat their man Bryan Doyle almost four years ago, and unless he gets run over by a bus he is set for a long parliamentary career in Macquarie Street.
Unless Doyle changes his mind and makes a comeback, maybe council leader George Greiss will need to step up and take one for the Liberal team.
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As fearlessly predicted here a few weeks ago, another long serving Campbelltown Council director is about to enter the revolving door and leave for good.
The latest domino to fall is Jeff Lawrence, whose job title is director city growth and economy.
Lawrence will be taking long service leave and accumulated annual leave from December 17 and that will be pretty much it, even though his formal resignation and retirement from council will take effect on August 30 next year.
Apparently the recruitment process to find a replacement will get under way from early next year.
The departure of Lawrence means Jim Baldwin – the council’s director of city development – is the old guard’s last man standing.
Baldwin, who has a bit of a resemblance to Russian president Vladimir Putin, is tipped to stay on for a while yet.
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You will not be surprised to hear most grounds across the South West Sydney region were closed by local councils following heavy rainfall in the past couple of weeks.
We saw Campbelltown Council’s list and it was a sea of red – red being code for “closed due to rain’’.
If a facility remained open it got a green dot next to it, but there was just two of those out of almost 50.
In among a sea of red we spotted a couple of greens: netball venue Coronation Park, naturally, being made of concrete.
And the second was Macarthur Rams soccer club’s home ground Lynwood Park, which a couple of years ago changed over to a synthetic pitch, courtesy of Campbelltown ratepayers and a federal grant.
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The name of Greening Australia’s community and education programs coordinator is, drum roll please, Nathan Green.
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And maybe another drumroll to announce that Menangle has a new mayor, Warren Morrison.
He takes over from footballer James Tedesco, who’s now probably mayor of Bondi, not that we care.
There’s been some other changes, with popular mayor of Minto Darcy Lound stepping down after his elevation to deputy sheriff on Campbelltown Council.
With wildlife advocate Ricardo Lonza still mayor of Ruse, that only leaves another 28 or so suburbs we need to find mayors for across Campbelltown: Glenfield, Macquarie Fields, Ingleburn, Long Point, Minto, Minto Heights, Leumeah, Campbelltown, East Campbelltown, Kentlyn, Ruse, Airds, Bradbury, St Helens Park, Rosemeadow, Ambarvale, Menangle, Glen Alpine, Macarthur Gardens and Heights, Park Central, Blair Athol, Claymore, Eagle Vale, Kearns, Eschol Park, Raby, Varroville, St Andrews and Bow Bowing.
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Back to more serious matters, and a question we were asked a few times after the Usain Bolt exhibition soccer match at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Friday night.
First point is that Bolt is an Olympic Games superstar and he would make headlines around the world if he decided he would take up tiddlywinks.
So, Friday night was huge from that point of view and 90 percent of people who were at the game it was because of Bolt.
As for his soccer skills, which is what I was asked by most people, well, sadly, there’s not much there other than desire to succeed.
I did like a couple of attempts to head in a goal and maybe there’s something there to work on.
If I were him I’d take on Timmy Cahill in a consultant’s role.
Finally, his chances of being offered a contract by the Mariners? Fifty-fifty.
Take away his marketability and I would say 30-70.
