Eve Jeffery
In a show of unity and strength before the March state election, candidates for the seat of Lismore, Isaac Smith (Country Labor) and Adam Guise (Greens) stood together on Saturday night against the current state government and prime minister Tony Abbott.
Hundreds gathered at the Italo Club in Lismore to raise funds for Mr Guise’s political campaign and to give air to their frustration over the actions of PM Abbott and his ‘henchmen’, especially concerning their attitude towards the natural resources of the region.
The ever-eloquent and popular Echonetdaily columnist S Sorrensen was MC for the event which was peppered with performances by clowns, acrobats, poets, comics and musicians including Mick Daley and the Democratic Outbursts, Davey Bob Ramsey, the Blue Skillet Rovers, and the New Christs, the event was redolent of actions of both a distant past and recently reborn protest era, one that we are bound to see more of in the coming months leading up to the election in 2015.
Labor man Mr Smith received a warm welcome and response from the crowd.
‘I want to thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak to you tonight. I know many of you, there are a lot of people I call friends and even more I call revolutionaries’, he said.
‘Let’s be honest: our country is absolutely in the crap. We are so far down the tubes it is going to take a major enema to get it back again, and I think the right people to deliver that enema, are us.
‘We need to come together as a community and as a country to stop people who feel they are entitled, screwing up our lives and our environment and our businesses and our homes.
‘We are stuck with this mob for a couple of years, but I really believe we are going to see the first one term federal government in decades, ‘ Mr Smith said.
Mr Guise told those gathered that the next state election will be an historic one as it will be the first time in a long time that the Greens will have the opportunity to oust the National party’s Thomas George.
He said it was the actions of the current government working against its people that has galvanised him into action.
‘I have spent the last two and a half years fighting our own government, to get protection for things that should be no brainers’, he said.
‘Why wouldn’t you protect this great agricultural region, our great fresh unpolluted water, our sense of community that isn’t divided by pitting neighbours against neighbours or by causing a social division between those on the mining dollar and those who are struggling in other jobs in the community?’
Both Smith and Guise were relaxed and happy to show a public face of unity against what they see as a common evil.
‘It’s really good to be here with my friend Adam Guise’, said Mr Smith. ‘Adam and I are singular in our vision for the safe seat of Lismore when next March we are aiming to oust Thomas George and the Nationals and never, ever, ever let the Nationals win the safe seat again. I am a local person who is sick of the crap and want to make things better.’
Mr Guise said it was time to change the way we do politics and bring democracy back to the community.
‘It’s this community that knows what’s best for this community’, he said.
‘We’ve got Tony Abbott going against everything we hold precious, because he answers to the mining dollar. This election will be about securing the Northern Rivers for all time, to be gasfield free. That’s only going to happen if we put Thomas George last.
‘It’s important as we come into this election that we band together, unite and keep our community strong.’
Video David Lowe – Photos Eve Jeffery
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