“I had a commitment for a $10 million allocation to the Wangaratta hospital that if elected, I was going to announce the week after the election. That is $10 million that Wangaratta hasn’t had because Cathy got elected.” Liberal Indi candidate Sophie Mirabella last week.
If political come-back-aspirant Liberal Sophie Mirabella was chasing a headline, she was successful.
But no doubt, she didn’t secure the one she was looking for.
Did Sophie have a moment of candour or was she simply telling porkies?
If it was the latter, then no one will be surprised and she’ll soon pay the price at local polling booths in Indi.
The current Health Minister Susan Ley has backed this explanation saying; “neither I, nor my department, is aware of any public commitment to give Wangaratta Hospital $10 million”.
So let’s all hope Sophie is just a liar because the alternative is much worse.
If the good people of Wangaratta were punished for not voting for Sophie our democracy has been violated.
Voters and politicians alike should be very concerned.
Voters - because the incident suggests funding decisions are being made for the wrong reasons.
Politicians - because Sophie’s comments put us all in “the dock”.
Her comments have the potential to leave every funding decision and every project under a cloud.
So answers are required if the integrity of our democracy is to be restored.
Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce didn’t help much, suggesting that the only porkies to be taken seriously are those made by ministers.
I assume he meant to say ministers or shadow ministers.
Otherwise nothing a shadow treasurer or any shadow minister says in the lead up to an election counts.
I remind the Deputy Prime Minister, Sophie Mirabella was a member of Tony Abbott’s shadow cabinet prior to the last election.
Of course there are at least three people in a position to settle this issue.
The first is Tony Abbott, who as Opposition Leader would have ticked off on every spending decision.
The second is Joe Hockey, who as Shadow Treasurer would have chaired the Coalition’s Expenditure Review Committee.
The third is Peter Dutton, who was at the time, the Shadow Minister for Health.
Until one of them confirms Sophie was telling porkies last Thursday night, voters everywhere will be left with no choice but to conclude the Coalition’s model for funding is not one based on merit or need, but rather, one based on voting intentions.
That’s a concern not only for the electors of Indi but for communities right across the nation.
For those who know the truth, now is the time to speak up.
