Let this forum be an avenue for all those of us who have, or regret not having contacted their local member’s office, to make all political parties aware of the dissension and dissatisfaction with both the member’s and governments performance.

I include the Labor Party in this, but they have not been in office for 11.5 years.

As individuals, we all have our own interests, and quite often these are only shared by a percentage of the community at large.

I can well imagine that there is a log kept on the subject of the call, and at a weekly accounting some subject matter would only be a small/very small percentage, and therefore be condemned to the WPB as being of not worth while taking time over.

Unfortunately for these member’s, and their parties, these small numbers spread over ALL electorates, have the potential to swing governments. I can recall past elections where a few thousand votes, over the nation, could have swung the result from one party to the other. Remember Jim Killen in Moreton, he won that seat for the Liberals by under 10 votes, and that electorate win meant that Mr Menzies formed government, once again.

Do NOT assume that what is being said in these forums is overlooked, I am quite sure that ALL parties are monitoring what people are writing, and taking the subject matter on board, and who knows, by chance somebody’s gripe MAY make it onto some member’s list, or parties list, or, even become policy.

Who is sick of promises that are never kept? Promises that have not been “Core” promises? I even heard after the 2004 election a remark to the effect “That you say anything at election time”. Who has had enough of promised expenditure for up to 5 years down the track? Expenditure starting 2 and 3 years hence, and what happens if they are turned out? Do you honestly think that that commitment will be honoured by the ‘new’ government?

Promises to do with money, should be limited to the term that the party is trying to win and govern in, not a future period that they may not necessarily be in control. The future allows grandiose amounts of money and time, which sound excellent, but permit too much in the way of change, which only proves that the original remark was not deeply thought out, and/or planned sufficiently, or costed.

These are just a few of my gripes, what are yours? Make the final 2 weeks a time of awareness by letting our federally elected members become knowledgeable and cognisant of our feelings, desires, and wishes for GOOD governance.