Why Tony Perrett has not actually achieved much for Gympie

Letter: Mr Perrett, please find your voice.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett and Member for Wide Bay Llew O'Brien. Picture: Josh Preston

LETTER TO EDITOR:

OF OUR three levels of government, Tony Perrett's state division is by far the smallest in land size and therefore constituents, yet he appears to be our least active representative.

Occasionally we hear of him writing a letter to the Premier requesting assistance for a natural disaster; which is largely ignored.

He can be occasionally seen on the nightly news bulletin backing Llew O'Brien's endeavours as a nodding head.

He occasionally has a swipe at the Mayor in this newspaper for matters he previously approved as a councillor. He poses well for staged photographs at the occasional rural show as the Shadow Minister for Agriculture, a great day out for a Kilkivan cattleman.

Shadow Emergency Services Minister Lachlan Millar, Shadow Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Stephen Bennett, Parliamentary Agriculture Committee deputy chair Pat Weir and Gympie MP Tony Perrett, who is Shadow Minister for Agriculture. Picture: Arthur Gorrie

But what has he actually achieved for Gympie since taking over from David Gibson in 2015?

I'd advocate not that much.

In fairness he is in Opposition, as have been most of our representatives since the heyday of Max Hodges who held the seat of Gympie in government from 1957 until 1979.

Gympie got accustomed to being on the winning side, but since 1989 the members for the seat of Gympie have only been a part of a reigning government twice; two years under Borbidge in the 90s, and then three years under Newman.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett. Picture: Philippe Coquerand

It takes an immensely strong voice in state parliament to obtain government spending approvals from Opposition, yet I can't recall Perrett making any headlines for pounding out an argument in that chamber on our behalf.

We know Perrett can act, in 2017 he went against LNP policy and crossed the floor to vote against a state-wide gun issue; now he needs to act for Gympie and politically manoeuvre us into the limelight before the next round of budget allocations.

We know what this community needs going forward.

Tony Perrett and Lachlan Millar inspect storm damage in the Gympie region. Picture: Contributed

We have more elderly residents than the State average; therefore we need improved health care facilities and more aged care beds. We have more kids in public schools than the State average and noting that our population has grown two-fold since the second state high school was built in the 1970s (under Hodges); we need a third. We have more unemployed than the State average; but there have been no enterprising efforts by Perrett to address this situation.

We have a rich rural past and agriculture remains a significant employer, however with our ever increasing population and the imminent by-pass of the highway; we need to get on the front foot in attracting industry and business to town. Gympie deserves a passionate and pro-active representative.

Voters don't expect the State Government to magically solve all of Gympie's needs, but they do want their representative fighting hard at every opportunity to obtain their fair share of the State's budget. Gympie will continue to grow and can thrive with a little help.

Mr Perrett, please find your voice.

Col Morley,

Pie Creek