Tony Gilding, Knockrow
Congratulations to Tamara Smith and Janelle Saffin who will be our representatives in Sydney for the next four years.
Both local seats were clearly a strong vote for the environment. It was the number one factor in polls and each party’s advertising material reflected it. Labor and Greens both sold themselves as the climate change action party.
It’s going to be a tough time for the environment with the Liberal/National government in Sydney. It will be up to us as Northern Rivers residents to remind them we voted to protect our forests and our water and our rivers and our koalas. And that’s what they need to do regardless of who won our local seats. Gladys and her team need to manage for the state.
It will be on again in four years. In the meantime, let the pork barrelling continue. The coalition have made so many promises and we need them to deliver on those for a start. Then more promising and delivering big please.
We don’t want stadiums but we do want funding for TAFE, schools and hospitals. Fix our roads and bridges please and we would like a comprehensive public transport plan researched, costed, and commenced.
Then in four years time we will judge you on that and not just the promises made in the ten weeks leading up to the next election.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
