Where's the federal support?
Congratulations on the front page headline and article highlighting the need for a new single campus hospital for Albury-Wodonga. However, how do we actually make it happen?
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Currently the area is represented federally by senior federal cabinet ministers in Sussan Ley and Bridget McKenzie (in the Senate) and the independent Dr Helen Haines. Helen Haines is a vocal advocate for this basic infrastructure.
The two Coalition cabinet ministers, who are very vocal on many other topics, seem strangely silent on this issue.
Could The Border Mail, as part of its coverage of the lead up to the next federal election, ascertain what is their position on a new single campus hospital? Further, if they are supportive of the idea, what actual steps will they be taking if re-elected.
As a non-aligned voter, my current wish would be for a quality independent candidate to stand against Sussan Ley for the seat of Farrer on this issue alone and hopefully at the very least turn the seat into a marginal one. This way we just might get some action.
Kevin Rocks, Albury
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Bureaucrats pull strings
I refer to a statement made by former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack (The Border Mail, March 1).
In relation to Mr McCormack, the article states: "He also warned those pushing for the federal anti-corruption commission that some proposals for such a bill could lead to decisions being made by 'faceless Canberra bureaucrats' rather than elected officials."
Come on, Mr McCormack, ministers don't make decisions in the real world. Those faceless people make the decisions whilst the minister is doing other things.
A simple example is the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Reference Committee which investigated the "accuracy of information provided to Defence Force Retirement and Death (DFRDB) members".
The committee's 79-page report was issued in July 2021.
It is no surprise that the Department of Defence submission to the committee was signed by two faceless bureaucrats, the secretary of defence and the chief of the Defence Force.
And what a submission it was.
It contained misleading information that was bought to the attention of the ministers for Defence, Defence Personnel and the Senate committee. But alas, nobody did anything.
The Coalition promised there would be an Integrity commission, member for Indi Helen Haines has pursued this issue with vigor.
But maybe she has also run into the faceless bureaucrats. If we had an integrity commission, would that mean our elected members and Senators would have to do what they are paid to do?
