As political moves go, Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis’s decision to second a motion condemning the Baird government’s proposed merger of Shoalhaven and Kiama councils was either very brave or utterly foolish.
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Mrs Sudmalis stepped into the fray at a public meeting in Sanctuary Point last Monday. After some hesitation she decided to second a motion which in strong terms condemned the Baird government and urged South Coast MP Shelley Hancock and Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash to do more to add voice to community opposition to the merger plan.
The intention might have been to show her support for her constituents who oppose the proposal but the result was akin to pulling the pin from a grenade and forgetting to throw it.
Mrs Hancock, who suggested in no uncertain terms Mrs Sudmalis stick to federal issues, is an MP and therefore entitled to speak her mind publicly. More telling comments came from those members of the local party who risked disciplinary action if they put their names to their opinions.
By Friday, they were talking about disendorsing Mrs Sudmalis as their candidate. Yes, they were angry about the misstep in seconding the motion but it was the tip of an iceberg of discontent.
Several party figures who spoke to Fairfax Media over the weekend said the motion was the last straw in an ongoing feeling of dissatisfaction with Mrs Sudmalis’s performance. They made comparisons with the record of Peter Hendy in neighbouring Eden-Monaro. He had managed to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding and had been allowed into the cabinet tent as an assistant minister. By contrast, they said, Mrs Sudmalis seemed to wield very little influence in Canberra. The chatter in local party branches has been happening for some time.
Mrs Sudmalis has been nominated as candidate but will face a crucial meeting in April at which 33 delegates to the Federal Electoral Conference will vote to accept or reject her nomination. While members of the public are applauding her principled stance on the merger, party members might not be as forgiving, especially when the popularity of the Coalition government is falling.
Gilmore is a marginal seat the government can’t afford to lose. It needs to fight the election with the best candidate it can find.
John Hanscombe
