Make Narracan marginal

The Committee for Gippsland has once again raised the issue of the need for a new hospital in the high growth area of West Gippsland.

There is no doubt such an important piece of community infrastructure is most desperately needed based on population growth and facts alone. However the cynic in me believes it is a long way off because politics doesn’t work that way. Common sense is bypassed for political pragmatism.

The seat of Narracan must become once again a knife-edge marginal one. Electorates that are in this delightful position have gained so much over the years compared to safe seats.

Both sides of politics need to see that Narracan is winnable and could be the one that tips them into or out of power. Safe seats get little in return especially if their incumbent representative is in opposition. Even if the safe seat’s representative belongs to a party in power very little is gained and in some cases the representative has to choose whether to support his or her electorate or the party if there is some negative impact on that electorate caused by party policy.

Such an event is currently happening regarding the new youth detention facility to be built in the Werribee area.

The best thing for the people of Narracan is to create awareness that the electorate is undecided who to vote for, regardless of how the incumbent is perceived.

Even in that case, whilst promises will be made to improve the living and working conditions and infrastructure in Narracan, these may not be enacted after the election as we have seen so many times before.

But that is the way the system or game works. By people recognising how the game is played they can level up the playing field and Narracan has at least a chance of getting the things it needs and deserves.

Greg Tuck, Warragul