Up with the anchor, set the sails..

Up with the anchor, set the sails and off we go again on my journey of political action based in my local city, Liverpool NSW.

My family and friends wonder loudly; Why do you bother? Little minds in the local public square accuse loudly; What a political opportunist!

I ask myself - do you really want to do this? Too often I say " no, no, no..". And yet in that very response I affirm and confirm a deep desire and my own thoughtful discernment because, as a Christian, I know an act of service to others not performed in the shadow of the Cross is a measured confined choice.

The hiatus of the last year has seen me perform a party political act. For the first time I joined a registered political party - the Democratic Labor Party of New South Wales, and as such am a member of the DLP. In June I will convene a meeting in Liverpool to form a Liverpool Branch of the DLP. I am doing this in response to what I know is a need for better political representation for Liverpool and in the hope of inspiring many, many, more fellow citizens to engage in this important civic act of hope in our democracy.

DLP Labor is an established political party with a Senator elected from Victoria in 2010. Thus DLP Labor has a member, Senator John Madigan, in the national Australian Parliament. But much of its policy focus and work will be on the local. This is where good and bad governments are felt most. And Liverpool knows a lot about bad government and self serving ineffective political representatives. We also know that nothing changes unless people have a vision and courage to work for it.

The DLP was founded by people who experienced hardship as a consequence of taking a stand on principle. Those Principles stand today in our Constitution ( Articles 11-13) with it upholding the Principles of Democracy, Liberty and Peace.

 A short history of an explosive time is at http://www.dlp.org.au/about/history/
 
An immediate problem to be addressed for Liverpool is the dumping of two intermodal freight projects in Moorebank by big business and big  (incompetent) governments. This is a deliberate "dumping" to attain a return on investment ( poorly researched) for big business and for an easy, cheap solution for government to a far too long neglected and real problem for Sydney. There has to be a loud public response and a direct political response to be planned over the next month. The political response will certainly be local but as well it can be national with a revitalised DLP Labor using preference power against Ministers such as the Hon. A. Albanese.
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Note:  This is written from a small hotel in Hanoi City Vietnam. I am travelling with a few old school mates ( not too old) and we enter China tomorrow for a 13 day tour including the Tiger Leaping Gorge. I am not sure what access to the internet will be available so it may be two weeks or so before I am back "on air".

Cheers

Michael













      

A quick reflection on two journeys.

Greetings

It is now 2 months since the election. And I offer again my thanks to my helpers throughout the campaign. I had family and friends ( who I acknowledge do shake their head at my activities) , and a few new acquaintances.  In particular I thank Casey Conway, a fine man from the Valley and with a good record of public service in Liverpool. 

My strategy, that of an outsider without Party backing, was to be there for the big swing and be a safe selection as a local and be in the running with preferences. A tough ask with the Optional Preferential voting system.  The swing in Liverpool did not happen. Indeed Mr Lynch was the only  Labor candidate to be elected with a majority of 1st preferences at 51% - down from 65%. I live in Chipping Norton, within the boundaries of the City of Liverpool, but in the State Seat of Menai which saw a 29% swing to the Liberals. There is much commonality with the peoples of East Liverpool and those suburbs of "the Shire" at the south-east end of the Menai seat. Liverpool's great mix of migrants, refugees and a whole sub region of rusted on welfare and low income voters held on for Mr Lynch. Sadly, forlornly.

I was happy with my result with 8.7% beating  the Greens and the Christian Democrats, both of whom, in my view, clutter up the electoral system for the Lower House.

I have just returned from a 20 day backpack trip through parts of Indonesia and Timor Leste -  Bali - Lombok - Flores - West Timor - Timor Leste. Another of my "tag along" expeditions with a few mates of many years.

It was a wonderful journey with an exuberant display of abundant life, as lived by the majority of people in the world. A life lived in accord with nature and a refreshing absence of the self autonomous individual ( hoons etc. ) with everybody getting about their daily lives. No SUV's doing the school kiddy drop off / pick up. Rather, school aged kids walking to school from villages to the town kilometres away. Schools were most prominent and their students appearing happy and engaged.

But for how long? With power widely distributed, television is present as the great communication tool we have known it to be for over 60 years. There is already  in place in the larger towns American style youth culture expressed in hair, body and clothe fashions. And graffitti.

Our journey took us to the top of mountains, often in cloud, down to the steamy coastal coral sands. It was superbly diverse. Both countries have fine opportunities to promote enviro tourism that does not require too many *** on the personal comfort meter.


I am now back in Chippo, pondering my future path(s).

Cheers to all

Michael





 

Liverpool Stakes - final race is run

To Read my Background and other Notices see ------------->

NOTE:  See my final week Pamphlet....  under Speeches, Media Releases etc...--------->


Greetings.     ( with Chipping Norton Stakes Day at Warwick Farm still in my mind)

Continuation of the great race...  start at the bottom for the start of the race..

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.......   Whooaaa..  The crowd failed to roar enough.

Hadid the Lib failed to swing and bounced off Labor Lynch providing him a push over the line. The Hadid the Lib momentum crashed. Indy Byrne was listening for the roar from the crowd, but they were quiet. The jockey eased up for a third placing with a view of retiring the old horse.

The Liverpool Stakes is over, providing little for the punters to cherish.


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........   150 metres to go  and   Green Stupidity is gone, Christian Ineptness is on its knees with Hadid the Lib and Labor Lynch whipping each other and shifting in towards Indy Byrne which has responded to the whip, still a length behind but going straight to the post.... keep your tickets folks, anything can happen here...

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..... into the straight Green Stupidity has exhausted itself with vacuous words and is failing.  Christian Ineptness has realised it is in bad company with Labor Lynch and is seeking reconciliation by falling off the pace. Hadid the Lib is making a move. He is very excited with all of the signs on display along the course urging him to win.  Labor Lynch is distracted with many of his support signs looking defaced. Indy Byrne has slipped into a rails run position a length and a half off the pace. Labor Lynch appears agitated with Hadid the Lib giving him a bump or two. With those two "at it" within sight of the winning post Indy Byrne is under the whip and going for it........


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Hey, the pace is on in the Liverpool Stakes as we swing around the bend into the straight with Labor Lynch out front with his 27% margin. I am travelling smoothly at the rear of the five horse race with a maintained momentum ready to pounce. I am shadowing Hadid the Lib who has size and a prominent stable backing him. He is providing the run for me.  Labor Lynch is being protected by two plodders, Green Stupidity and Christian Ineptness. It seems they are in the race to steer Labor Lynch a clear run by exhausting the other contenders who have to steer around them..................  ( to be continued )

Time for Tag Along Politics - My Commitment

Vote 1 :  Michael Byrne  Independent
Seat of Liverpool  

To Read my Background and other Notices see ------------->

NOTE:  See my final week Pamphlet....  under Speeches, Media Releases etc...--------->

When I go bush walking I tag along with mates. They organise, I just pack my pack and tag along. 

One night around the fire, in deep discussion, it came to me that the idea of “tag along” is prominent across all levels of social activity from kid's sports and activities to special interest groups where everyone participates once gathered. The organisers have the skill and memory of things past which underpins their activity.

This, with the outer glow of the fire and the inner glow of the red wine, triggered further thought about my own interest in civic affairs. I ask where today in Liverpool and elsewhere are the civic organisations with the properties required to assist the “tag alongers” to actually contribute with their skills and talents. They are almost non existent, with the void filled with narks, nongs and opportunists that tend to drive peoples’ hopes into the ground.

Thirty years ago, as a 30 year old, I signed  a petition concerning a local issue that turned out to one of private interest with Councillor support in favour of a local businessman against the wider public interest.  This saw me attend a monthly meeting in February 1980 of the East Ward Progress Association. I knew such organisations as fronts for the Liberal Party at the Local Government level. Not this organisation. It comprised of more than twenty regular members many of whom were aged 60 thereabouts -  my age now. They were generally conservative with a strong sense of commutative justice. They contained a wisdom and command of respect.  Its Executive comprised two Communists, Don and Kath Syme, and Pat Devlin, a man steeped in Catholic Social Doctrine. Now that was a dynamic that contained a real sense of truth in purpose and well supported by the conservative membership. The EWPA had members as Councillors on Liverpool Council for over 30 years until 1995.

I stuck with the organisation across the years. The term stalwart is often used. Today it is in a remnant state. As is, I fear, the values of open civic engagement for higher worth than just politics. From that first experience I was appalled at how political manipulation can so easily steer an agenda that stands for private interests against the broader public interest. So I engaged, and my pamphlet writing began.

An annoyance for me over the years was how people would come in and use the organisation to fight their cause and then move on. Out of 100 you may hold 3. I would ponder on why didn’t people commit to what is so important? Answer: That’s life sunshine! In a sense it is the biblical “many are called but few are chosen” which keeps alive our thousands of civic entities from the local childrens’ sports to other recreational, intellectual and civic pursuits.

Political engagement is a positive civic value, if only to keep the windows and doors ajar for light to shine on those in power or seeking power.

So what is “tag along” politics?  I would promote it as a positive engagement in local civic affairs across all sorts of activity. Where a citizen knows they can contribute by simply being present at a meeting or by offering their matched skills and talents to a particular cause. It requires an entity being in place that contains the local memory and an organised forum. Social media lends itself for far easier access and ongoing recording of retained memory and current issues. It requires, to survive, goodwill generated from a common sense of purpose.

I commit upon being elected to engage with existing local public groups across my electorate of Liverpool to form neighbourhood groups that will promote "tag along" politics. We need such entities where an eager young 30 year old can walk in to engage in respectable debate on a local issue and tap into the local memory and wisdom of people who live in their neighbourhood.   And bring the public interest to the fore in all issues.

Coming into the final week - with Labor Lynch moving sideways

To Read my Background and other Notices see ------------->

NOTE:  See my final week Pamphlet....  under Speeches, Media Releases etc...--------->


Greetings.     ( with Chipping Norton Stakes Day at Warick Farm still in my mind)

Hey, the pace is on in the Liverpool Stakes as we swing around the bend into the straight with Labor Lynch out front with his 27% margin. I am travelling smoothly at the rear of the five horse race with a maintained momentum ready to pounce. I am shadowing Hadid the Lib who has size and a prominent stable backing him. He is providing the run for me.  Labor Lynch is being protected by two plodders, Green Stupidity and Christian Ineptness. It seems they are in the race to steer Labor Lynch a clear run by exhausting the other contenders who have to steer around them..................  ( to be continued )

Well that is the news of the week. The Greens and Christian Democrat Party are using the Legislative Assembly election (where the Government is determined) simply as a tool to have some prominence for their Legislative Council candidates. They are not recommending Preferences. This will have the effect of exhausting primary votes when they are ruled out of the count. We will see several thousand votes go nowhere because people were not guided to preference another Candidate. Vote exhaustion can see the major party candidate elected with less than 50% of the vote. This  happened in 2008 when the Labor Mayor Waller was elected on 39% of the vote after preferences.

In my view the Greens and the CDP stand as hypocrites seeking to promote truth and justice as they see it but in complete ignorance of what is going on around them in reality. As a consequence Green and CDP Poll Workers will in fact be working for Labor Lynch as he firms in the market.

I will be asking my poll workers to discuss this with the individuals who are working for the Greens and CDP and request them to verbally encourage preferences -  Use Your Preference to Make a Difference.

Hey, I hear the cheering of the crowd from a few hundred meters away and notice Labor Lynch shift slightly sideways in his run.... ( to be continued)

In the meantime watch for daily updates along with Policy matters to be announced.


Cheers

Michael

PS.  To make election day roll out easier I am looking for poll workers to lighten the load of the day for other workers. I can be contacted through byrne4livo@gmail.com  

PS1 :  What name will I give myself in the Liverpool Stakes?  Leave a comment..

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A day in the People's Parliament

To Read my Background and other Notices see ------------->

What a day. I must say I was quite comfortable sitting in the Parliament and come four weeks time with the support of the people of Liverpool I may be there for the next 4 years or more. Let's Do It Liverpool.


I was successful in the first session to have a resolution passed.: see the Telegraph's  tweet for the moment : 

*************@dailytelegraph   The People's Parliament has voted 40-24 for a referendum on any future changes to liquor laws. #nswvotes #peoplesparly  ****************

I had the occasion to request that this be a proposition to be put to the People's Forum. It was accepted and carried.

I pointed out that from 1916 through to 1954 there were several referenda put to the people to change the closing hours of the Hotels.  In1954 the people of NSW voted to change the closing hours to 10PM,  thus ending the notorious 6 o'clock swill. It was in the 1980's that that astute politician and current big business man Neville Wran, always in full communion with the workers, teamed up with the Liquor Industry and saw the late, late opening hours extended without reference to the people. I suggested that things are a mess now with young people going out at 10PM for their night out and getting home at pre-dawn hours. We then see them sleeping through daylight hours when they should be out enjoying our beautiful Australian elements. I suggested it is a bad habit, and one that can be changed.


I recommended to the people's forum that the decision on Liquor Hours should be held by the people to let their collective wisdom decide on what is good for our youth.

And so my first visit in the Legislative Assembly saw a policy developed by me adopted by the People's Parliament.   Indeed, I could get used to this.

I was disappointed there was no room for discussing the quality of governance and of the  participants in the political process in NSW. A process to improve the quality of politicians is to have Mayors elected by the people for a four year term rather them being elected annually by their peers on Council. It is a circus.

I led the campaign in Liverpool 25 years ago to have out Mayor elected by the people. We used a provision in the Local Government Act to force Councillors to give up their annual circus of electing the Mayor from amongst themselves. Mark Latham became our first elected Mayor in 1991, and proved a whirlwind of fine civic development and Council  reform in Liverpool.

Interestingly the 1993 Local Government Act had excised the provision we used in 1986 to force the issue. This displays how State Government is so entwined with local government interests because it is the training ground for the State House.

If I am elected on March 26th I will seek to move a Private Member's Bill to change the Local Government Act changed to have all Mayors elected by the people in 2012. There are 152 general purpose Councils in NSW, and 33 of these have their Mayor elected for a four year term by the people. There are another 5 Councils due to begin the process in 2012, after a 2008 Constitutional  Referendum.

The Bill will also contain the restriction that any Political Party that has representatives elected to a higher level of Government be not permitted to run or finance candidates at a lower level. This invokes the principle of subsidiarity - a fine governance principle coming out of Catholic Social Teaching. It will encourage people to organise at the local level and encourage leaders to rise without all of the political argy bargy that goes on today.

We need to improve the quality of political representative.

Well done to the Daily Telegraph for organising this superb and most worthwhile experience.

I enter Parliament 3 weeks early.....

Hey ho.. I have been given a trial run at Parliament. I will not earn the daily $4000+  salary and expenses a State Member earns even as a lowly backbencher. That's okay. I will go for the free tea/coffee and sandwich lunch.

Yes this morning I enter the NSW Parliament as one of the 65 citizens selected from across the State of NSW for the People's Parliament organised by the Daily Telegraph. see: Read the Telegraph's words :

It will be an interesting day with a range of expert speakers for key areas of State policy and we ordinary folk from across the State engaging in questions and comments. I will be the only person from Liverpool, with another from nearby Voyager Point.

I hope to initiate discussion on the quality of politics and its practitioners these days and a way to improve it.

As well on the need to return major social reform back to the people.

I will Tweet on this if I am permitted to operate my Notebook PC ( no Smartphone for me until my ordinary old Nokia phone falls apart - not far off)

Have a peep on Skynews Local or  streaming video on the Daily Telegraph site.

Hey, the bells are ringing  -  I am off to the Chamber.

Cheers

Michael