Mason declares as Labor factions go to war in Rumney. Greens bid.

Paul Mason
True Independent
Candidate for Rumney

Legislative Council election
On 9 May 2011
Former Children’s Commissioner Paul Mason today announced that he had been persuaded to stand for the Legislative Council seat of Rumney.

“Since coming to Tasmania in 2005, I like millions of visitors have always loved Rumney, the variety of lifestyles, the strength of community, the people. Most people who arrive in Tassie actually land at the airport in Rumney. I do not currently live in Rumney but would love to now that my son has finished school. Ever since 1998 I have spent long summer days on the Peninsula and at Lauderdale and Seven Mile: it’s my favourite part of Tasmania, and I shall live there if elected.

“As Commissioner I have in another way already served all the children and young people of Rumney, from Rokeby to Nubeena and understand the gaps in services and the financial struggles of their families but their strong sense of community.

“The ALP and the Greens will say this is some kind of “revenge” for Lin Thorp’s and the Cabinet’s decision not to reappoint me as Commissioner and to replace me with Ms Ashford, formerly employed in the bureaucracy to implement the Government’s own Gateway system.

“This is no revenge. It is a realisation that Parliament is the best way I can put at the service of Rumney voters what I have learned about this Government, including the Gateways. As Commissioner I became disturbed at the way this Government works in Tasmania, the defensiveness, secrecy and downright arrogance, the “we can’t be told” attitude. This was the first election to come along and after 12 years of Lin Thorp in Rumney it makes sense to stand there. The other options are Launceston and Murchison in the North-West.

“Since October hundreds and hundreds of Tasmanians including in Rumney have been stopping me in the street and urging me to stand. They tell me how angry they are that this Government has failed and continues to fail children and their families.

“The fact is that the people of Rumney are represented in the Upper House by a person who really belongs with her Government Cabinet colleagues in the Lower House.

“They have no independent voice in the Legislative Council to chase up their worries and problems with Ministers and Departments, nor a set of eyes to keep a watch over what the Executive is planning, just a busy Minister surrounded by the usual army of minders justifying whatever happens and spin doctors who say as little as possible with as many words as possible.

“And when laws come up to the Legislative Council for review, their representative is part of the Cabinet that produced them, so once again Lin’s job under the rules of Cabinet and Labor solidarity is to defend the Government to the hilt, whether she supports it personally or not.”

Since his term as Children’s Commissioner expired in October Mr Mason has resumed his 3 decades long practice as a family and personal injuries lawyer. He is married to a specialist disabilities nurse and has a son who has just started at UTAS. He has a step-daughter in her 30s with a 6 year old of her own and works with Indigenous communities in NSW.

Paul has today launched a website for Rumney electors to tell him what they want for Rumney as well as for people who would like to help him in his campaign: go to www.masonrumney.com.au.

Liberals:
LABOR’S FACTIONS AT WAR IN RUMNEY

Revelations that former Labor member Cate Clark will run against beleaguered Labor Minister Lin Thorp in Rumney shows that Labor has abandoned Ms Thorp.

Ms Clark is the sister of Labor Senator and left-faction powerbroker of the Labor Party in Tasmania, Senator Carol Brown.

Her candidacy signals a major split in the Labor Party over Ms Thorp, who has been absolutely incompetent as a Minster, and is clearly an embarrassment to Labor.

The fact that Cate Clark is running against a high profile Labor Minister indicates that something is badly wrong in the Labor Party. We must ask ourselves these questions:

• Just why is a Labor Left faction candidate directly challenging another Labor Left faction candidate?
• Does Cate Clark and Senator Carol Brown organising this challenge indicate the Labor Left faction believes Ms Thorp’s time is up as a Minister?
• How many members of the Left faction of the Labor Party – and indeed the entire Labor Party – believe that Lin Thorp has been personally responsible for “…Tasmanian’s shameful child protection system” as described on Cate Clark’s website?
• And how many members of the Left faction of the Labor Party – and the whole Labor Party – believe that Cate “… will deliver much needed representation for the people of Rumney” – a backhanded swipe at Lin Thorpe is there ever was one.

This is unprecedented in Tasmanian political history. A sitting Labor minister is being directly challenged by a recently-resigned Labor Party member; a member who is from her own faction mind you and a member that is Senator Carol Brown’s sister. This is Labor in-fighting at its worst.

Tasmanians deserve better than a Labor Party whose internal factional fighting is becoming public. This personal, nasty in-fighting does nothing to help address the real concerns that Tasmanians have about the rising cost of living, threats to their jobs and the tanking Tasmanian economy.

After all, wasn’t it a former Labor Prime Minister who famously stated that if you can’t manage your own Party, then you can’t manage the country – or state in this case?

Cate Clark:

Media Release

Friday, 18 March 2011

Ms Cate Clark (above) has today announced her intention to stand as Independent Candidate for the upcoming election for the Legislative Council Division of Rumney.

“I am standing for election because too many people are straining under the pressures of electricity prices, water and sewerage bills, rising unemployment, hospital waiting lists, failed child protection systems, crumbling roads and infrastructure and out of control Government debt.” Said Ms Clark.

Cate Clark is campaigning for change and she is committed to:

Caps on energy prices for pensioners and those on low incomes
Returning Aurora Energy, Transend and Hyrdo Tasmania into a single Government business
A review of the Water and Sewerage legislation imposed on Tasmanians
A Commission of Inquiry into the Child Protection System in Tasmania
The introduction of private members bill to legislate minimum sentences for child sex offenders
An immediate cap on rental prices for Housing Tasmania properties for pensioners and those on low fixed incomes
Free dental treatment for all Tasmanian children and I will lobby the Federal Government to include all oral health services under Medicare
Increased sporting facilities such as a re-development of Pembroke Park, a swimming pool for Sorell and a sports stadium for the Rokeby/Clarendon Vale area

As a parent with a young family, Cate Clark has a real understanding of the cost of living pressures that are crippling so many Tasmanians.

“I am standing for election in order to send a strong message to a State Labor Government that has ignored the real problems facing battling families, seniors, working people and small businesses.

On 7 May the people of Rumney will have the opportunity to express their disappointment at the performance of the State Labor Government by exercising their democratic rights at the ballot box.”
Ms Clark said.

As an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE, Cate Clark is committed to standing up for the people of Rumney and making a real difference in our local community.

Cate Clark has spent her entire life living on the Eastern Shore where she was educated and has raised her family.

Ms Clark has a rich political heritage with many members of her family having strong involvement with the union movement and also having been elected to State and Federal Parliament.

Her passion and care for those in her local community has lead Cate to stand for election to State Parliament in the seat of Rumney. Cate believes in “constructive politics” and advocates an approach of working together in order to achieve optimum results.

Cate believes that the State Labor Government has lost its way and that too often the real issues that affect daily lives of Tasmanians are lost in an adversarial political environment. As an Independent Candidate, Cate is committed to putting people above politics.

Although a first time candidate for State Parliament, Cate is already well known for her community work. Cate is the founder of the Eastern Shore Community Association and established the Eastern Shore Fun Day event which raises money for the Cancer Council. Cate has also been active in a campaign calling for a Commission of Inquiry into Tasmania’s shameful child protection system.

Cate is already a strong local advocate and given the opportunity, she will deliver much needed representation for the people of Rumney.

Cate and her partner, Darren are the parents of four beautiful children, Emily, Luke, Sophie and Jake. In her spare time Cate enjoys spending time with her young family, reading, cinema, computing and nature walks.

And,

Media Release
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Independent Candidate for Rumney, Ms Cate Clark has today responded to comments made about her candidacy by Liberal Party state director, Jonathan Hawkes.

Ms Clark hopes that this will be the only response she will need to make in order to refute comments made by those that seek to make mischief about her decision to stand for State Parliament.
“I know that people are not interested in adversarial politics and I would prefer to engage in positive and constructive politics that benefits the people of Rumney and Tasmania.

However, I take this opportunity to make it absolutely clear that I am no longer a member of the Tasmanian Branch of the ALP. My resignation was official on 27 February this year after a considerable period of concern.

Any suggestion that my candidacy has anything to do with a conspiracy within the ALP is an exercise in political desperation and total nonsense.

I firmly put on the record that my decision to stand was made without any discussion with the ALP, any faction or any member of my family associated with the ALP.

I completely reject any assertion that I am not standing as a genuine Independent.

At the last State election we saw the brother of former Labor Premier, Michael Field standing for the Tasmanian Greens without question. This is supposed to be what democracy is about.

I also note that many others have made the decision to stand as Independents after having stood for political parties. Federal MP Andrew Wilkie previously stood for the Greens, Huon MLC Paul Harriss stood for the Liberal Party and now sits in the Legislative Council as an Independent and former MLC Terry Martin was initially elected as a Labor MP before turning Independent.

This election also sees Tony Mulder standing as an Independent when he stood for the Liberals as recently as the last State election.

I have never stood for election for any political party.

I have also openly campaigned against the State Labor Government on the issue of child protection since October 2010. I called for an independent review into the case of a 12 year old girl that was sold for sex as well as the entire child protection system. I also made submissions to the current Parliamentary inquiry into child protection and launched a community petition.

The fact that my position actually supported the policy taken by the Liberal Party at the time demonstrates my independence and preparedness to stand up for issues of importance without fear or favour.

As I have already stated, I am disappointed that the Tasmanian ALP has failed to deliver for the people of Tasmania and I am making a stand for people who are struggling because of issues such as continued rises in cost of living expenses, lack of access to transport and services, the failure to protect our children, the devastation of unemployment, poor planning and funding for roads and infrastructure and out of control Government debt.

If I am elected on 7 May I will be an independent and strong advocate for the people of Rumney, not representing the interests of any political party in the Legislative Council.

As an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE, I am committed to standing up for the people of Rumney and making a real difference in our local community.”

Tasmanian Greens announce candidate for the Legislative Council seat of Rumney

Greens name seasoned campaigner

The Tasmanian Greens today confirmed that seasoned campaigner Penelope Ann will contest the seat of Rumney at the upcoming Legislative Council Election.

Party Manager Suzanne Cass said that Ms Ann would be running as an endorsed Tasmanian Greens’ candidate. Ms Ann is a former teacher, and now a small business operator.

‘Penelope Ann brings a wealth of experience to this campaign’, said Ms Cass.

“The Tasmanian Greens’ Legislative Council election campaign will aim to shake up and dust off the Upper House.”

“A vote for the Greens during the Legislative Council elections will be a vote to put an end to the divisive Gunns Tamar Valley pulp mill, a vote for responsible budget management, and a vote to continue the economic transition to a modern and sustainable economy.”

Ms Cass also said that other Upper house candidates will be announced in due course.

• Download Letter from Terry Field: Tuffin-PremiersOfficeLet9836.pdf

• Editor: We have no knowledge of the accuracy of the statements made by David.