CONGRATULATIONS to Dandenong Council on electing John Kelly as mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong.
In doing so it has just proved that democracy can and will prevail if we allow our system to operate honestly and fairly as it rightly should.
Cr Herring made this possible by keeping the 2007 mayoral elections honest and how it ought to be by nominating Cr John Kelly openly at the public mayoral election as opposed to settling for the presupposed done deals carried on in the past behind closed doors pressured by factional hacks and local party political warlords.
To have a Liberal Party mayor in a blue ribbon ALP seat with nine of the 11 members on the council in the Labor party is proof that true democracy has prevailed and is something that we as residents of this city need to be pleased and proud about.
I congratulate the Labor councillors who supported the nomination as it must have taken great courage to vote with their conscience as opposed to political party membership. Local government must be just that, local, and not political. Well done!
Finally, congratulations to the new mayor and his family. As his commitment and perseverance is well deserving of the job.
“All’s well that ends well!”
Geraldine Gonsalvez,
Dandenong.
WHEN I submitted my letter (Star, 6 December) I had forgotten that a change of mayor in the City of Greater Dandenong was just around the corner.
In fact the new mayor John Kelly, who I heartily congratulate, was elected that very day of Star distribution.
The outgoing mayor Youhorn Chea claimed he was proud of his achievements in the last 12 months.
It cannot be said that distancing himself from local involvement in a Global Human Rights Torch Relay rally, which highlighted the widespread and horrifying human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, is any achievement at all. On the contrary, this is a disgrace.
He should have publicised the truth that human rights abuses in China and the Beijing 2008 Olympics do not blend.
By not using a real chance in such a prominent position to challenge the Chinese Government’s unjust imprisonment and killing of its Falun Gong citizens to just extract their organs for transplant (among other atrocities), Cr Chea seems to have forgotten his Cambodian roots and the history of murder and torture of his own people.
How can these stark, inhumane and sobering realities be justly buried by promoting ties with the Chinese sister city Xuzhou or good public relations with China?
I believe Cr Chea owes a deep apology to the residents of Greater Dandenong as well as the Chinese people, especially those suffering abuse, torture and death.
Somehow I trust our new mayor will express more compassion by dealing with the sister city scenario appropriately should he ever be faced with a choice between expediency and defence of human rights denited to the Chinese people.
Naturally, the same applies to any other nation in similar circumstances.
Peter Phillips,
Springvale.
I AM writing out of concern at the Federal Government’s decision to close down the off shore detention centres and bring all individuals claiming refugee status to the mainland.
Such a move will guarantee these individuals permanent status, because the human rights organisations will leave no stone unturned to guarantee their stay.
I don’t place much confidence in the Government’s decision to be guided by the United Nations on who is and who isn’t a refugee.
The decision is more of a surrender to political correctness than national interests. Every time these minority groups scream, the more their demands are met.
As we throw open our doors, I wonder when some of the nasty bugs like foot and mouth or a flu virus will be introduced by these in-coming individuals.
I know it may be ancient history, but let us not forget that the great plagues of the world have always been introduced by incoming personnel.
We have just experienced equine influenza, a virus that didn’t exist in this country, and we saw the damage that it did.
This decision tells all and sundry that all they have to do is get onto our shores and they are home and hosed, because the government will dance to every tune played by the human rights and refugee councils of Australia.
Richard Ryan,
Dandenong.
