Echonetdaily’s election ‘mantra’

Donna Hammond, Ocean Shores

Congrats to Simon Richardson for attaining the position of mayor of Byron Shire. The numbers show that it was a very close-run race and not accepted as a popular win by a large majority of the voters north of the shire and, according to the numbers, also Byron Bay.

To those who voted for Diane Woods in the hope of getting some commonsense governance and recognition for the ratepayers, I’ve been informed that, contrary to Sol Ibrahim’s how-to-vote handouts, 1,172 votes that should have been preferenced to Diane Woods were not marked accordingly.

If she had received these preferences I understand that she would have gained the mayoral position. Alas, too late, what’s done is done, but a good indication of how close it was.

Simon Richardson won but if the people who voted for him were connected in any way with the ‘mantra’ in the Echonetdaily on the Friday night before the elections, ‘vote early, vote often’, the blatant vandalism of the Woods team electronic signs and the desecration of the Woods team coreflutes with green paint, plus indirect threats to two businesses who ‘dared’ to display the Woods team coreflutes, are any example of his followers in this ‘green’ shire, then, Mr Richardson, you have nothing to be proud of. These actions sicken me and are so undemocratic that it beggars belief. How desperate and low can people become. Thank God the Green power and the fear it carries with it has been challenged and buried.

We are no longer under Green-dominated power in Council. Finally, ‘the winds of change’, here and in so many other areas. Mr Richardson, you are now the mayor of the whole of the shire. You are under scrutiny.

Let’s see how fair-minded, unbiased and understanding you will be towards all of the constituents. To the mayor, the new council and the staff: do remember, you take on your responsibilities as public servants, not as egomaniacs or bully-boys. Good luck and good governance.