AMALGAMATION: 24 JANUARY 2017

Donato and the SFF confront the Government on amalgamations

Molong Online has received the following statement from Phil Donato, the recently elected Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party NSW State MP for Orange, regarding forced council amalgamations:

“Our party has been opposed to forced council amalgamations from the very beginning. After a loss in the seat of Orange, The National Party are clearly concerned about losing more seats and thus the change in policy. I am happy to see the National Party now support the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party on this issue.

“The National Party are talking tough but let’s see if they can back it up. We all know that the Liberals still hold the numbers, both in the Coalition and Cabinet, and the Nationals will only be able to do what the Liberal Party allow them.

“Last Saturday I attended Oberon in relation to an anti-amalgamation protest rally along with about 80 other members of both the Oberon and Cabonne communities where Hon Robert Borsak and I addressed the crowd and outlined a strategy platform.

“Then, on Sunday, the three elected representatives of the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party, Hon Rob Borsak, Hon Rob Brown and myself attended a Save our Councils anti-amalgamation rally behind Parliament House, with about 100 other protestors from across NSW protesting against forced council amalgamations.

“Our party is continuing to work hard for all councils affected by this Government’s policy on forced council mergers. We are the only party prepared to go in to fight against the Government.”