New Jockey, Same Ride

Illawarra Mercury

Friday September 19, 2008

I am amazed that there are some people who are still taken in by the old scheme of changing the jockey but not the horse.

The policies of the state ALP will remain the same as the Iemma crowd - it is already being admitted by our new Premier (what's his name).

I wrote in the Mercury (July 19), quote: "I suspect that the powers to be will dump some of their most notorious 'right-wingers' and replace them with stooges of the same calibre who are little known to the average voter." I was not far out.

If Noreen Hay goes, no doubt Marianne Saliba will love her $60,000 per annum job, and Hay will have to live off her parliamentary pension of $60,000 per annum, poor kid.

Although the events are not a revolution, it is a small victory for the people of NSW. What's that saying about fooling the people some of the time?

No amount of apologies will put bread and butter on the table, a policy for the people that will benefit the working class will.

Mick Pilton, Barrack Heights.

Tall poppy syndrome

Congratulations to the Mercury as you have hounded another "tall poppy", Ms Noreen Hay, to her and the community's detriment.

The Mercury's continual haranguing of Ms Hay has put her on the nose. The most common words used in articles relating to Ms Hay are "alleged" and "accusations".

There has been nothing concrete against Ms Hay and all matters raised by the Mercury are innuendo coupled with negative press.

Is our community to suffer through Fairfax's desire to sell papers?

Ms Hay has worked tirelessly for her electorate of Wollongong; Noreen is hard working in the branches and has done many good things in the community.

I have worked with Ms Hay since she was a union delegate with the Miscellaneous Workers Union, and then an MP, and I have found her straightforward.

This may sound like a list of cliches but I feel they are applicable. But the most important one, which the Mercury knows, is if you throw enough mud some will stick.

It also goes to show the more you do the more you get criticised, especially in the Illawarra. The NSW Labor Party is in disarray, but it is not because of Ms Hay.

One word that Ms Hay has not forgotten is loyalty, unlike some.

Ken Vaughan, Warrawong.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

Back to News Index | Back to Home