I am heartened Mr Gallard, Mr Taylor and Ms Murphy have taken interest in my “Imaginary Conversation” regarding the disingenuous “promise” by the Labor MP for Gosford to fix Rawson Rd.
It is a serious issue, but is not being treated seriously by the ALP. The point I am making is Ms Tesch and Mr Harris are misleading the community. The Central Coast has been bedevilled for decades by this lazy, dishonest approach to infrastructure. As I said it is terrific for a media grab. It is good politics. This proposal is a significant infrastructure challenge and won’t be delivered by a one-liner and photo of the Shadow Minister with arms crossed looking serious.
This approach failed repeatedly and will fail again. It is the community that is owed an apology from Ms Tesch and Mr Harris. In my meetings with any interested community advocate, Business Chamber or Council member, I have explained the best way to advance the cause of an upgrade of road infrastructure in this area is for Central Coast Council to resolve to commit funds to a developing a plan and business case to scope the project and calculate preliminary costings.
At that point, the community, Central Coast Council, elected representatives and the NSW Government can make decisions about want them to commit to. Promises can then be meaningful with realistic funding attached. Additionally, I have offered to support Council to lobby for financial assistance to do the business case. This is how we have successfully advanced infrastructure proposals across the Hunter and other regions that require local and state government co-ordination. Routinely on the Peninsula, we have a failure of leadership and a preference for smoke and mirrors.
We owe it to the community and families of those injured to do this properly. Stop playing silly, lightweight political games that give the illusion of interest or activity. Part of my job is to call out political deception as practiced in this instance by Ms Tesch and Mr Harris. Business as usual with the standard stunts hasn’t delivered in the past and won’t in the future. None of us should tolerate this contempt for Woy Woy and the Peninsula shown by Labor. In the meantime, my standing offer to Central Coast Council to assist in the development of any infrastructure proposal on Rawson Rd stands.
Email, 23 May 2018 Scot MacDonald, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Central Coast and the Hunter