Vindication
VINDICATION
It is not good to gloat. But having been proved right gives one a great feeling.
The Government is not keen on anything critical of it being released before Parliament breaks up for summer. That way the major criticism of their failure is largely kept out of the press.
But after the break up of Parliament, evidence comes that my stance on so many issues has been vindicated. To be vindicated means to be shown as right or to have earlier actions or statements seen as now justified.
Not everybody feels this. Some colleagues on the Crossbench often make speeches criticising some Government action, then put out a multitude of press releases praising their own concerns, but they never print how they voted! From most of these comes the criticism, but when it comes to a vote they support the Government and the very thing they criticised. But it doesn’t matter. Their supporters have been hoodwinked as few will ever check the Hansard record.
But if you criticise the Government and then vote against the Bill you show integrity. At the time, Government Ministers may ridicule your criticism, but sooner or later comes vindication. The only problem is that it is never released until holiday time or on late Friday afternoon when the journalists are away.
This is a time for feelings of vindication.
I fought against the Government for a rise in pay and conditions for the police, the nurses, TAFE teachers, the power workers, shop sales persons, and retired police superannuation. I also argued for the Gold Medicare card for war widows.
I opposed strongly the sale of electricity assets to private companies, the lack of rights of farmers against oil and gas exploration, a dozen issues concerning better water management and waste recycling. I spoke against human organ harvesting, increasing energy charges, ethics replacing scripture, the take-over the Mona Vale Hospital Auxiliary funds by the Government and got them restored.
I spoke many times against recycling dust, sand mining dust, coal mining dust and eventually the Health Department changed its mind and installed monitoring systems. The Department of Education’s ridicule concerning our claims for the dangers of unflued gas heaters in classrooms, was unscientific and this led eventually to another back flip but no apology.
Successfully, I fought in the Upper House until I won for the confiscation and tip out of alcohol from binge drinkers by the police and Council rangers; changes to the Department of Education and training, providing computers, software, and teacher training for all children with dyslexia and related learning difficulties; and changes to the powers of the Ombudsman to prevent Government Departments using a legal loop hole to escape his scrutiny. These were all passed in both houses.
I helped gain motorists extra demerit points before they lose their licence due to speed cameras, the Government confiscate property, cars, boats, houses and other unexplained wealth from criminals to be given to victims of crime; helped save the river red gums, helped save lives of Rock fishers.
I fought on behalf of long neglected public housing tenants and got better conditions for all in Warrawong, Maroubra, Redfern and other places.
I fought against but lost changes in the law concerning gay adoption of children, ethics to replace scripture in schools, continuation of the heroin injecting room at King’s Cross.
But fought against gay surrogacy; the Gay Relationship (marriage) Register; the end of donations to political parties from land developers, tobacco and alcohol companies, and the overdevelopment of the Coogee Bay hotel site. I fought against wasteful and sometimes damage to the environment and the community concerning the hundreds of millions of dollars given to the Racing industry and support for new gaming facilities, loose Casino control, helped get rid of the Repco Rally Cars in the Tweed, and stopping the extravagant waste of money and local loss of ambience of V8 Supercar racing at Homebush. On these issues my constancy and argument led to ridicule of myself by the Minister.
In a continued effort to raise poor performance in our public hospital especially, I raised with the Minister of Health specific issues at Westmead, Wyong and Gosford, rural radiotherapy services and hospital acquired infection control, gynaecological cancer, smoking and health, sunscreen safety, tanning clinics danger, nutritional support for cancer sufferers, lack of staff in Coffs Harbour hospital, Melanoma and artificial tanning.
I drew attention to suicide in under resourced prisons at night, the problems of faulty speed cameras, antisocial behaviour at Club M at The Entrance (later closed down), male victims of domestic violence.
The great thing about all of these, is that on those issues where I stood firm and more often than not supported only by the Greens, the Auditor General later proved that our financial criticism were always right. As a result of our longer term campaigns against Tillegra Dam and the Metro Rail for example, even the Government backed down, admitted it had wasted hundreds of millions of dollars and scrapped the plans.
All of my speeches and voting record can be read in Hansard and all are in full on www.gordonmoyes.com
I served on committees that exposed rorts, waste and inefficiency in the Department of Education school halls programs for the BER, the provision of education to students with a disability or special needs; the Budget Estimates 2010-2011, the review of the implementation of the recommendations of the Inquiry into the Management and Operations of the Ambulance Service of NSW and into Bullying of Children and Young People.
As I do every year, I promoted good causes and Christian concerns including obituaries to notable Christians who passed away during the year, and as well, promoted St John Ambulance, Blacktown Group homes, school libraries, the Assyrian Genocide monument, Karelle Life Enrichment Service, Aged Care facilities, food production against ethanol production, and St Stephen’s Church.
As usual I ran the weekly Parliamentary Prayer Fellowship and hosted the Church leaders and politicians luncheon, and helped raise money for many worthy causes.
It has been a satisfactory year especially with the vindication by the Auditor General on those issues where I challenged the Government.