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If you’ve been wondering what our local political parties are doing with the taxpayer funding they receive for every vote they collect, join the club, because the Hawkesbury Gazette has been trying to find out too.
Political parties are given public money to run their organisations, develop policies, and hold monthly meetings where, in theory, they discuss how to make life better for the community. So we thought we’d ask the obvious question: “What exactly are you working on for the Hawkesbury?”
Here is what we’ve found out.
The Liberals
"We’d tell you, but then we’d be breaking the party rules."
The Liberal Party responded to say their own internal rules forbid them from sharing any information about what they’re discussing. We appreciate their honesty; secrecy is always easier when it’s written down in the handbook.
They did, however, reluctantly confirm they are keen to know who will replace Susan Templeman if the rumours are true and she doesn’t recontest the next election. Beyond that, zip. Locked tighter than the Council’s confidential reports.
Labor
The sound of silence (except the rumours). Labor didn’t respond at all, but sources tell us they’ve stopped circulating their meeting minutes altogether out of fear the Gazette might report what’s in them. (We’re flattered. Truly.)
The whisper around the traps is that Susan Templeman will not recontest the next election. This has triggered the unofficial, off-the-record, hush-hush pre-pre-selection conversations about who’ll replace her. Everyone’s talking about it, just never to us.
The Greens
Membership “now 100% organic, free-range, and purity-tested.” The Greens didn’t respond either, but we hear they’ve been extremely busy rewriting their local party constitutions, the goal being to ensure no one who falls short of their preferred shade of “green” can join the party. Lime green? Mint green? Eucalyptus? Sorry, purity matters.
While they’re fond of Susan Templeman, word is she’s still not green enough to meet the new membership criteria should she ever fancy a change of colour.
So, what are our political parties doing?
Well… nobody will tell us. Not what they’re discussing. Not what they’re planning. Not even what issues they think matter to Hawkesbury residents.
Despite receiving public money to develop policies for the community, all three parties have adopted a strict “don’t ask, don’t tell the public” approach.
And what helpful things could they be talking about?
An analysis of feedback we’ve received from our readers shows they would welcome policy development from the political parties to make their lives better on many things. We’ve put them into a poster to nail to the door of the party room.
So, for now, the Hawkesbury Gazette will continue doing what we always do: keeping an ear to the door, listening closely, and reporting what we can because someone has to.
If transparency is too much to ask for, we’ll settle for a good rumour and an unlocked meeting room window.
