FOBBED OFF: 02 DECEMBER 2016

Paul Toole still ignoring Nationals heartland

According The Central Western Daily the newly elected member for Orange Phil Donato phoned Paul Toole’s office to arrange a meeting and was told to email a request then was told “Mr Tool  is pretty chockablock ’til Christmas”.

Jock Haynes, Chairman of Cabonnes’ Amalgamation No Thank You (ANTY) group, said: “Given the spanking the National Party suffered at the recent Orange by-election, one would think that a meeting with a new member of an adjoining electorate regarding the proposed forced merger of Cabonne with Orange City and Blayney Councils, would be something Mr Toole and the Nationals would be looking to address as soon as possible rather than continuing to ignore it in the hope it will go away.

“Given most of the decisions running through Mr Toole’s local government portfolio appear to be made from the Premier’s office, and Parliament will not sit again until February, we are not sure why Mr Toole would not have the time to meet with Mr Donato to discuss what the people of the Orange electorate clearly demonstrated IS an important issue in regional NSW that the National Party needs to address.

“One can only speculate as to why Mr Toole would fob off Mr Donato.

“Perhaps he is trying to punish him for winning the unwinnable Nationals' seat?

“Or is he trying to assert his authority and let Mr Donato know where he thinks Mr Donato stands in the pecking order?

“Does he know he will be shifted in the upcoming ministerial reshuffle, or maybe even lose his position in the ministry altogether, due to his poor handling of the forced amalgamation process, thus there is no point in meeting Mr Donato?

“Maybe he thinks he can stall until Cabonne Council is forced to make a decision regarding an appeal in the courts?

“Or is he still just taking orders from Mike Baird and really has no authority to discuss this forced merger with Mr Donato anyway?

“Whatever the reasons for the fobbing off of Mr Donato, it confirms that he hasn’t yet understood the electoral reality that now exists in regional NSW, where the Nationals are seen to be too easily controlled by their city Liberal stable mates, whilst continuing to ignore their natural constituents.

“This is yet another example that again reflects very poorly on Mr Toole’s ability to connect with voters in NSW who employ him.”

Based on media release issued by ANTY.