DEAR News Of The Area,

KEITH Bensley’s very well written letter (‘If Nationals are not reflecting community views, have your say’, p27, Coffs Coast News Of The Area, 29 April), which puts a very reasoned view that in order to effect change within a party, and express a diversity of views in a party, the best course of action is to join a party to be heard.

“Better to be in the tent contributing, than outside the tent and dissatisfied.”

It’s a great idea, in theory.

But I suggest that the high road of major party politics is full of potholes and large landslides.

A bit like the road from Bellingen to Dorrigo at the moment.

In fact for many other roads in our region.

I suggest that the reality of ‘modern politics’ in our existing major party system works somewhat differently to that.

A few phrases spring to mind, including branch stacking, preselection by powerbrokers not party members, manipulation and corruption of party processes, pork barrelling according to the colours in a spreadsheet.

It’s more about party and politics rather than good governance and policy.

Look at what is ‘announced’ rather than what is ‘done’….or more often, not.

Being outside the tent and dissatisfied is an understandable response when a party system continues to focus on the game of politics.

However it’s how we step out of the tent that counts.

We as a community change the way the system works by choosing an Independent candidate who values a diversity of views, not a party view.

And we as a community can choose to allocate our own preferences the way we want, rather than what is suggested to us by parties.

It’s a much more satisfying, inclusive and quicker approach to getting our voices heard than by chipping away at the coalface of the major party system.

Regards,
Juliet THOMAS,
Sawtell.