I completely agree with Julie Lindsay (Southern Free Times, September 22) regarding Campbell Newman’s attitude to regional voters.
He seems to assume that we all came straight off the Christmas tree gift-wrapped for his benefit. Whilst Lord Mayor of Brisbane, he consistently argued for daylight saving, was a proponent for toll roads (doesn’t he think we pay enough in rego and fuel excise, etc?) and frequently gave the impression that he supported Kim Beasley’s opinion that any money spent on roads or infrastructure outside of metropolitan areas was simply “pork-barrelling the boondocks”.
And now, this bloke is the great white hope of regional Queensland? I don’t think so! I consistently voted Country/National Party for more than 40 years, not the Liberal Party. Back then it wasn’t the same thing, because I believed, and still do, that being demographically challenged, the rural tail has to be prepared to wag the government dog.
Also, I was annoyed at the way the “born to rule brigade” shoe-horned Newman into the leadership from outside the Parliament. Currently he is running a triple dead-heat with Bligh and Beattie for sole motherless last in my Preferred Premier Stakes. I’m hoping for this electorate to come up with a credible candidate from the Independents or Bob Katter’s mob. Best of all, as both Labor and Liberal keep reminding us, I can “just vote 1” in the State Poll, and I don’t feel lonely! There are a lot of like-minded voters out there so, if the “Can Do” man wants our votes he should have the guts to front public meetings and explain himself unambiguously. Flash fundraiser luncheons aren’t the way to go; those are merely preaching to the converted and he already has their votes!
Arthur Rowe,
Thulimbah
