LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
I COULDN’T believe my ears when I heard Darren Chester criticise the Gippsland Times on ABC Radio (last Wednesday morning).
Darren reckons a vigorous campaign is being run against him and he thinks the letters to the editor are “orchestrated” because of people voicing their concerns over same sex marriage and Darren’s change of heart.
Not surprising, when it’s the most talked about issue in our country at the moment and Darren has put himself in the spotlight when it comes to this issue.
Not surprising, when the majority of the electorate (66 per cent) don’t agree with Darren’s position.
Despite Darren’s recent attempts to gauge the feel of his entire electorate by asking a ‘yes or no’ question on Facebook regarding the matter.
What MP turns to a social media platform to form an opinion of his entire electorate and then assumes a position totally reverse to his own party?
There are 255,718 people who live in Gippsland according to the last census, yet Darren’s decision to do an ‘about face’ on his decision for gay marriage was based on 487 comments on his Facebook page of which, by far, not all were supporting the notion.
It is extremely disappointing that an elected MP for Gippsland did not consult with his party and did not consult with his electorate in an appropriate manner before making a decision for the entire electorate of Gippsland, which is an opposite value to that of the National Party.
It is not surprising he made national news headlines for his “historic move”.
All this was not unexpected.
He even says, “I accept not everyone will agree with my decision.”
That is exactly what is happening in the paper — not everyone agrees with Darren’s decision.
We live in a wonderful country with freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and we are allowed to voice our opposition.
I have read the Gippsland Times every week for years and almost every issue I see multiple photos of Darren in it.
In fact, I thought the Gippsland Times was totally pro-Darren. Darren warming up at the lake, Darren giving blood, Darren latching onto the Sale Specialist School funding victory (it was all state government money).
Darren’s own Facebook page portrays himself and the work he is doing in a positive light, even if it is by getting a response from 487 people to form an opinion on a subject which does not represent the total electorate.
Should he have asked people via Facebook for an opinion on an issue that effects potential mothers, fathers, children and future generations that will lead this country?
Darren has enjoyed more than his fair share of positive publicity in this paper for years.
When he got a bit of bad press he took to Facebook and an online war began where people, including Gippsland Times staff, became targets of potentially damaging comments.
When he got pinged in The Australian for telling his local party members they were “bigoted and homophobic” he attacked the journalist over Twitter.
Now he’s having a go at letters to the editor in the Gippsland Times and saying there is a “cohort” orchestrating letters.
He has a team of staff, PR people, a website, the vocal gay lobby and the ‘I Do Support Same Sex Marriage in Gippsland’ photo campaign advocating for him all over Gippsland (even a few local reporters got their photos taken in that campaign).
Is he really going to cry foul over a few letters to the editor?
Good on the Gippsland Times for letting some ordinary people have a voice.
Perhaps if Darren reads all these letters to the editor he will realise that his recent notion for his electorate does not actually reflect that of the opinions of the people in his electorate accurately.
