Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to express my disgust at just how far the Leader of the Opposition, the Labor Party and union officials have gone to attempt to increase their profile in my electorate of Dobell. They blew into Terrigal last Saturday like the dark cloud of a thunderstorm—plenty of noise and lots of hot air—but it ended as a fizzer. The Leader of the Opposition was there to address a forum on Work Choices, along with Senator Hutchins, John Della Bosca and Health Services Union National Secretary, Craig Thomson. The forum ran from 11.30 to 12.30. Thomson, as president of a new group to represent locals, invited me and others to the launch of the so-called independent Coastal Voice Community Group. He promoted free fun for the whole family to meet the patrons, the mariners and other local politicians. They were going to have a sausage sizzle, face painting and jugglers. Conveniently, it was to start at 12.30, right across the road from the forum at which he had a starring role.

He did not mention that none other than the Leader of the Opposition would do the launch. The hotel at Terrigal has a long history for the Labor Party, but Thomson would not know that—he was a blow-in from Victoria a few months ago. When Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, he held a national conference at Terrigal. There was a famous swim in the pool with certain ladies, as I recall. Then the Terrigal faction was formed. In those days the ‘Florida’—which was the name of the pub—was more in keeping with the local pub, not the five-star top class status for headlining comrades as it is now as the Crowne Plaza.

In addressing the House tonight, I must say that I am hesitant to give the ALP ploy any oxygen; however, I feel it is right for the Central Coast community to know how they have been hoodwinked. This so-called community group, Coastal Voice, purports to represent Central Coast residents. Specifically, it purports to do this through lobbying for more government attention and funding across issues such as transport, health, crime and youth and by ensuring accountability from the elected representatives of the Central Coast. This group is not the genuine apolitical community group that it pretends to be. It is in fact an Australian Labor Party front, with most, if not all, committee members affiliated with the Labor Party, including former Labor councillor Bill Thompson and former Labor candidate for the last council election, Kerry Stratford.

Its recently distributed glossy brochure includes four ‘concerned residents’ who outline their reasons for joining. These concerned residents are all ALP members. National Secretary of the Health Services Union, Craig Thomson, is president of this ALP front. I am shocked to say that Craig Thomson sees nothing wrong with blatantly misleading local residents. To add insult to injury to the people of the Central Coast, this group deceived our local soccer team, the Central Coast Mariners, with regard to their intentions. They convinced them to become patrons of their so-called community group. Thankfully, the group’s true identity was exposed, and I understand the mighty Mariners have withdrawn their support.

One of my constituents struck up a conversation with one of the group’s members at the barbecue launch on Saturday and was told: ‘Our plan is to hide behind other groups to get our policies out there.’ This is Labor in action. I am proud to be a member of the Liberal Party and people know where I stand. To be so blatant in trying to deceive people by hiding this group’s political affiliation is not the way things are done on the Central Coast. We say what we stand for; we are up front.

The union representative who blew in from Melbourne a few months ago cannot pretend to understand the issues of the Central Coast, much less the way things are done locally. I have been on the Central Coast since 1977. I have watched and been active in the growth and protection of this beautiful part of Australia. Never in my 29 years on the Central Coast have I witnessed such a manipulative scheme to fool local residents. Graham Richardson’s ‘Whatever it takes’ is not the way to gain trust. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.’ Mr Thomson, my challenge to you is: come clean, stop scamming the people of the Central Coast and disband this ALP farce. Some residents have already discovered the true colour of the group. One resident, who emailed me last week, said:

I noticed with interest the flyer (the third so far) that has come through my letterbox unauthorised featuring Mr Craig Thompson. Who is this man? I am a swinging voter, but smelt a rat, and set about finding out.

He goes on to say:

My problem is, how dare he now call himself the voice of the Central Coast? He is not from the Central Coast, and has only moved here to further his political ambitions. What would he know about the Coast and its people, and what they want?

He continues:

At least if you are going to run a political lobby group, be ethical about saying who you are.

(Time expired)