Shelley’s Shaolin election problem

The Queensland result has shown that you are already handicapped due to the federal government, through no fault of your own. 

You have now become the meat in the sandwich as your local Shoalhaven City Council has shown a complete disregard for its ratepayers in its fawning capitulation to Patrick Pang and the Shaolin Foundation. 

It appears that Tony Abbott and Joanna Gash have been drinking from the same well, and you are the one who will wear the backlash from their bizarre decisions and strange lack of judgment. 

Even you can see that Team Gash’s support for this project is beyond any explanation. They misled the public by telling us the cheque had been paid to council. Only later did we find that not only were there three post-dated personal cheques, the second has now bounced. 

And the council’s reaction? Give them more time to present a bank cheque, and not even for the full amount outstanding. Anyone who has ever purchased property knows full well that only bank cheques for the total amount is acceptable, despite whatever spin the council’s general manager puts on it. We are not stupid. 

Labor’s candidate for Kiama, Glenn Kolomeitz, has stated that he will launch an investigation into Shoalhaven City Council and the Machiavellian dealings with the Shaolin Temple, should he win the upcoming election. 

You now have the opportunity, and indeed responsibility, to cross the political line and immediately tear up this contract and launch an investigation into this council. 

If not, all of the alliances and support groups who successfully lobbied the Planning Assessment Commission will be forced to realign and come out in support of your opposition. You rightly distanced yourself from the extremely questionable goings on at Shoalhaven City Council and Team Gash. 

You also have publicly rebuked Patrick Pang and Joanna Gash in their recent calls for pursuing the re-introduction of the 300 houses on the site. 

All of this is about to explode in your face on the eve of what already will be a difficult election. You have done a wonderful job so far. Don’t let Shoalhaven City Council drag you into political obscurity. Be proactive now and put a hold on this questionable deal while you launch an investigation into the Shaolin development. Don’t become the target of the Shoalhaven’s anger over this issue by reigniting the opponents of Comberton Grange. 

Enough is enough. This debacle has to stop now, and you must show the leadership we need by taking immediate action, before it is too late for both of us.

G. Bathurst,

Woollamia.