Here’s $250,000 to ensure Tony Windsor is booted out at the next Election for betraying his electorate and country
I was overseas when I heard the news that 2 Independents, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor sold out their electorates to support an incompetent Labor Party, in order to form a new minority government to lead Australia for another 3 years.
I prefer not to get political however regardless of your political persuasion you must be somewhat concerned about what has just happened in Australian Politics.
Here we have a clearly incompetent Labor Government that’s racked up excessive debt like all good Labor Parties have done throughout history, with a leader appointed by its ‘communistic’ Union faction leaders, forced upon the Australian people for a further 3 Years of economic damage.
Consider the fact that a clear majority of Australians voted for the Coalition, over 696,000 more or 43.9% to 37.8% [Out of approximately 8 million voters]
All of this has come about because of our ridiculous preference voting system. Labor, instead of being wiped out like the voters have voted, has been kept alive by a bare minimum because of the Greens preferences.
Thus we had a hung Parliament.
Then we have 3 Independents, all ex nationals who were elected largely because they were anti labor. In these electorates the highest Labor vote was 30%, in Lyne for Rob Oakshott, and as low as 8% in Tony Windsor’s New England Electorate.
Yet in one of the most undemocratic processes ever seen in this country these 2 Independents sold out on their constituents wishes. They accepted effective bribes from Labor who would offer anything to be elected again knowing they won’t deliver on a fraction of their promises; yet these two independents did the unthinkable and defied the very people who elected them.
How can they do this and still sleep at night without selling themselves a fanciful story? Now of course Tony Windsor and Rob Oakshott have put their political spin on it.
But let’s ask the New England Electorate’s opinion:
If Tony Windsor had said before the election that a vote for me is a vote for the Labor Party then would he have been re elected?
The answer is pretty obvious that Windsor would have only received a fraction of the votes. In fact he would have been run out of Tamworth and barred from entering any other town from Tamworth to Moree.
Was it hard to gauge the electorate’s wishes for the Independent seats?
No, I don’t think so. In these 3 rural electorates the voters voted against Labor. Plus to add insult to injury these 2 so called independents negotiated an undemocratic, possibly constitutionally illegal, agreement with Labor (that they can’t recall an election for 3 Years).
Since when can 2 independents who betrayed their electorate have the right to prevent Australian’s from going to another election, and thus enforcing a minority Labor Government on this country that the majority of Australians did not vote for; nor its leader (after Rudd was expelled) who was appointed by the Union (Communistic factional regime).
I’m sure Mr. Windsor will now lay claim to all the money that is promised for the rural seats. ($10billion) This is nonsense though to suggest he had to side with Labor for benefits for New England as there still would have been massive benefits for New England and Rural Australia from the Coalition’s promises and a much more likely chance of it being delivered.
It’s a sad time in Australian Political History.
The only positive is that from such frustrations, the seeds are being planted for a much needed change in this country, a much better political system, better political leaders and political parties, and this is why I am prepared to put my money where my mouth is and commit at least $250,000 towards seeing Tony Windsor be shown the door at the next election (which he has conveniently arranged cannot be for another 3 Years).
*Jamie McIntyre is CEO of the 21st Century Education Group of companies and Best Selling Author of “What I Didn’t Learn at School but Wish I Had”.
He also has spent most of his life living in the seat of New England having been raised on a farm east of Glen Innes where his family still operates several farms to this day.
Visit: http://www.21stcenturyacademy.com
Jamie McIntyre
CEO 21st Century Education
Well said Jamie. It is indeed absurd to see how this has all unfolded. It seems the nonsense of politics has no bounds. I too am not politically active in any way but am appalled at the way this has unfolded. These independents have no idea of integrity or their responsibility in representing their people. We are left with nothing but the chance to show our feeling in 3 years time. A sad story.
I 100% totally agree with everything you have just said. My father would be rolling over in his grave hearing about this.
My family and I have had some big discussions on the implications of the country and the labour party being voted back in. No one from our camp is happy one bit.
Jamie, I am normally fairly non-political. I am in the New England Electorate. I think he has just committed career suicide There are a lot of very disappointed people here. And considering the number of votes that labour received here, I cannot believe that he has gone against the voters wishes. I believe majority spoke by not voting for labour and he has not listened. The voters will not forget this.
Hi Jamie
I felt sick as I watched those two morons ramble on about why they were supporting Labor. Many commentators are saying that is great for reform. All it will do is produce week government. I agree throw these idiots out of there seats. I think if you are raising funds to get rid of Tony Windsor I think that is a great thing. Tony Abbott would have made a great Prime Minister. I hope that we keep the pressure on and force an election as soon as possible.
The people have lost interest, sad it is indeed!
Hi Jamie,
Wow you really say it as it is. That I know I can say as you know what you are talking about. Very sad to hear how Their Most Honourable Excellency Prime Minister Julia Gillard is “a leader appointed by its ‘communistic’ Union faction leaders, forced upon the Australian people for a further 3 Years of economic damage, and so too was ex Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. I can see a lot of change needing to take place and I can trust you to keep others informed such as myself as to what is going on in Australia. Thank you so much as I make mistakes and can choose someone for what seems good qualities yet am not sure how they perform as I have not been that able to see what is going on though I going into reading the papers in Australia now.
Australia needs a great prime minister and I think we should vote for you!
Cheers
Ariel GB Kennedy
Jamie, please calm down it’s not like you are personally going to have hard times, you are an entrepreneur and a rich one at that.
I accept everyone’s right to let off steam and say it like it is, but at the same time you can’t go off the deep end without someone barking back.
I am proud to be working class and have always been a Labor voter, and the last 13 years have had to live on one income whilst working very hard for someone else.
Now I know you may hate the unions for what they stand for etc but they are a necessity for many workers out there. I have worked for 35 years and have seen my rights as a worker erode over the last 20 years since enterprise bargaining came in, then Abbott thought lets take away the power of the unions as well.
Well guess what that has done to the workforce, there are many families working casual hours between 4-8 hrs a day at different times of the day every day that can be sacked at a minutes notice. How is this good for the families that work hard to manufacture and distribute goods and services to the well to do’s of this world.
I realise that you have the answers and would encourage people like myself to join in your workshops etc, but I think you have somehow forgotten what we actually go through on a daily basis just to make ends meet.
Personally I think we should all be grateful that we can work, have freedom of speech within reason and have a right to vote. There are many countries that cannot boast about that.
I did take exception to how you feel about the unions, and as an old union rep I can honestly say I always thought about the bigger picture for both the management and workers and don’t like being bundled into that sort of generalised statement.
I can’t understand why Liberal supporters are whinging, the system is the system for both parties and as for being bribed by labor….that’s hogwash! Abbott could have done that as well. As for betraying the electorate, these independants were doomed which ever way they went.
You and most, not all Liberal supporters think that the voters voted against Labor. To me as a Labor supporter it seems to be that they voted against the Liberal candidate as well, why else would they vote independant?
We can argue, talk, discuss or debate till the cows come home, but whoever won government was always going to have a hard time governing with such a small minority. This is where we agree that the next year at least will be disastrous.
I think we have all learned a lot in this election. I admire your passion for what you believe in because it is or was your circumstances that brought about your opinions, just as I and the circumstances that I was brought into this world with.
The differences between both parties from this election are as follows:
Labor: Investment for the future in Education and the Health system.
Liberal:Debt and more debt.
Neither party had a clear and concise vision of where it was headed, that is why I believe the people voted the way they did.
However as a South Australian I can’t help feeling that NSW and QLD let local politics get in the way of Federal issues and spoilt what would have been a fairer result for all.
Kind regards
Dermot Kelly
Julia and the labor party are not perfect, and nor is any other party. One overlooked issue is that during labor’s rule we avoided nearly all the pain the rest of the world has suffered during the GFC. Was there perhaps a reason for the spending that led to the deficit?? OK I may have spent it differently, but something worked! And by the way, Windsor’s electorate also voted away from the Coalition.. This is a brave new world and people better start adjusting to new ways of thinking or risk becoming dinosaurs – of which Abbott sadly is one. And a misogynistic one at that. Let’s give it a go before we go huffing and puffing and blowing our house down.
There will be no need for money, Windsor will never be voted in again in New England, and can effectively be prepared to wear his flack jacket every time he ventures out in public here because there is a thorough hatred for his betrayal.
Like said above, he did not need to side with labour to get money for rural areas, Abbot would have given similair if not better funding.
RIP Windsor… your finished
An Independent’s job is to look after their own electorate. They don’t vote on legislation along party line, but based on what is good for their own constituency.Fact is no-one can afford another election and what if it ends in the same result. Who knows what the result would be ? The democratic process has run it’s course. The System stinks but it is the only system we have. This is how the Westminster system works. I have stood as an Independent candidate for the house of representatives five times in the past. The System is biased against everything except 2 Party preferred. Credit where credit is due, the Greens capitalised on a deep seated animosity which is currently in place against both of the major parties. BOTH the Greens and independents who were elected via the democratic process claim to want stable government.Before we launch a lynch mob after the Greens and independents let’s see what eventuates. The next 3 years will be an interesting time in Australian Society. IF it doesn’t work, I have no doubt the public will punish the incumbents for their follies.
Hi Jamie
I whole heartedly agree with you. I only wish I, too, could add another $250,000 to hve both Oakeshott and Windsor removed. A most disgusting display by 2 men who were obviously voted in by non-labour supporters. How could you trust either man after this appalling display of judgment. Only 2 days into the new rainbow coalition, and both independents have found to their “shock” that Labour can’t be trusted. If only we had more like you in the Liberal/National Party, things would change for the better in this country, particularly in the way we vote and operate Parliament. What happened to the first past the post with the most votes wins!
Kind regards
Marilyn Rekdale
It is a shame that money that was wasted in “building a better education” in urban areas (was that Labour and marginal seats?) could not have been applied to the regional education and health requirements that have become a part of this new agreement.
Labour can’t call an election, thus loses it’s strategic advantage, which could be seen as a good thing. I was concerned with the fact that Gillard called an election for 2 weeks before a potentially damaging report on her ministry was due to be released. Why should either side have the ability do this? It should be a defined period, save for an extra-ordinary situation.
It may not be a full term depending on what way the next bi-election turns.
Perhaps this could be the first in the world of democracy that a party with most vote and most seats does not form the government (regardless hung parliament or majority)
a bit sad, really…
The excuses these electorate “representatives” gave for voting Labor were pathetic too. Their speeches consisted of “family, blah, family”, then “broadband, blah, future”.
The only real point being “Super-fast Broadband is important”.
Huh?
What FOR? And why stake the future of Australia (after all, one thing leads to another) on a policy that needs to go through the independents anyway if Labor and Liberal don’t agree?
Sure regional areas should get reasonable connectivity at reasonable prices but fibers right to the house? At a cost of $40 Billion+? To download movies and other … ahem … stuff super-quick? You gotta be kidding!
Q: Is super-fast Broadband good for anything productive?
A: “Oh, it’s good for tele-conferencing”
Rebuttal: ever heard of webex.com.au? If you need anything more maybe you need to rethink how you do business.
Anyway I guess you have to ramble when your only REAL reason is under-the-table promises.
I must admit, it’s been good for the markets this week. Though the nice performance is really spurred by strong employment stats.
But “business-as-usual” politics can’t hurt … for now!
Jamie, What I find pretty concerning about your pov, is not it’s opinion, but it’s lack of acknowledgement of Parliamentary Democracy.
Representing their local constituents, they are not in anyway bound to represent the wishes of any other electorate. Indeed, this new ‘rule’ of supporting the side that the most people voted for (based on ones own interpretations on how the preferential system is either fair or not) seems to be strangely lacking when, betting back to basics a sitting members vote, is a vote on behalf of the majority (and lets make no mistake Robb Oakshott has a clear majority) of their electorate.
The Presumptive point that the three independents got voted in because the electorate is anti labor & therefore supportive of a Coalition, is frankly disingenuous with parliamentary principle. What is failed to be understood is that regardless of having previously stood on a Nationals platform, and having gone through a very public and nasty break up (have you been in hibernation) All three members have been standing as conservative independents in their own right, and won election in their own right.
Now, all that Labor has offered the independents is a list of things their electorate wants. In return they have guaranteed supply & supply only. This is where your blog is dangerously wrong. The Sitting members retain their right & their power to vote against legislation. there isn’t any parallel between a conservative leaning electorate & 100% backing of the coalitions policy. The Nationals got 14% of the vote in RO’s electorate – period. I can’t understand how going through a good education you fail to see the difference in guaranteeing supply, and supporting an Agenda.
Now, they havn’t betrayed their electorate at all, and you will have absolutely no way of knowing until the next election whether or not their electorate thinks they have. Until that happens it’s pretty important just to return to earth for it to be pointed out that you don’t speak on behalf of their electorate – and it’s not your call to make the decision on behalf of their electorates on whether they have or not. Failure to grasp this leaves you hardly in the position to talk about undemocratic processes.
The analogies of misrepresenting the electorate are hence fallacious, (and somewhat simple) – The independents electoral reform proposals may well be realised, so people like yourself can’t “Buy” a result. If you are serious about giving money for good, I suggest a course in politics at a reputable university where you may be able to provide your readers with reasoned comments – or even to charity, lest you loose your 250 grand because the electorate actually likes Windsor.
I Agree and will not vote for Tony Again as a vote for Tony is a vote for Labor. And selling his property to a mining company when he is so against mining in the liverpool plains and then he recieves more then twice as much as his neighbours for his property per acre .dont get me wrong i think we should promote mining in the area not complain but if that is you stand tony stick to it and dont sell out
you have sold out to the mines , sold out to labor and sold out your voters (well Done)
Well I would not vote for the liberal party as long as Tony Abbott is the leader.I listen to what he has to say and he spends all his time slinging mud. As politicians are paid a lot of money their time would be better spent by putting a members bill to get the independants to vote on it and you may be surprised as to how they would vote and you may get more things passed in the federal parliament.Continual bickering is of no avail but to put proper ideas up for a vote would show more initiative and get much more through parliament.
When are we going to get another election so we can change the government and the so called independence.
I along with millions I am sure, totally agree with you Jamie,