Wow,
what a busy end to 2012 and an even busier start to 2013!
7 months between blogs is a long time, even if it is only me reading them :)!
I wrapped up 2012 with the inaugural "Politics in the Pub" event in November, with over 70 people crammed into the delightful Cantina Tapas bar in Merimbula to hear the hon. Dr Mike Kelly and Dr Matthew Nott and Infigen representative duke it out over renewable energy issues for the local region. A very interesting and lively debate! Thanks to Jo Thorpe for moderating and doing her journo thing and of course to Liam O'Duibhir for organising all the tech stuff and people so that the event went smoothly and was streamed live to the net!
Following PITP work started almost immediately on the 2013 Seachange Start Up Camp Merimbula, which was bigger and better than the inaugural 2012 event! We had over 20 participants this time around, an opening ceremony hosted by Mike Kelly, a fashion show and the launch of a new online fashion store owned and managed by a local 19 year old entrepreneur, plus lots of visitors from Canberra and Sydney as well as the locals getting their innovation and entrepreneurial groove on, and of course Australia's very first start up bus, the Entrepreneuars Seachange Bus all the way from Sydney! Everyone was a winner, but the trophy went to a start up idea now called VoxVoxVox, which created a phone application platform for audio to be hosted and added for interesting places to visit!
As well as all this my twins turned 5, the NSW government turned 2 yers old, a federal election was called and in the midst of all this my wife Alicia went through cancer treatment. Luckily for us she has come out the other end as strong as ever and determined to make the best of things. All good news from the doctors too!
Only 8 months to go! phew
I am also starting to become involved in a new political movement, Centre for a Civil Society, which is a back to grass roots movement for poltical representation and engagement, as well as planning the 2nd Politics in the Pub. Plus, 2013 is the year to finish the renovations on my house! Well, at least to lock up...
Monday, 29 April 2013
Sunday, 2 September 2012
My Preferences
OK,
preferences....
I have had a few people ask me what will my preferences be, and will I be telling/asking/advising people how to vote at this election.
To which the short answer is no....
I can't honestly do this as a true independent.
The reason for me not declaring preferences isn't as obvious as it may appear. I have made up my mind about how I will personally cast preferential votes at the local election on 8 September 2012, but I don't wish to provide information about How to Vote in the classic sense.
This is for three reasons:
1) COST
There is obviously a cost issue to printing flyers and distributing them at every polling booth etc.
And whilst I don't like unnecessary costs, and it is even more abhorrent to me beucase it is such a 'use once' product. It just doesn't sit well with me.
Plus, once incurred, I would have heaps of paper work to fill in with regard to the election funding authority, whether voted in or not. So my strategy is to campaign electronically, at my own time (and therefore without financial cost).
2) THE RULES
Once printed, a How to Vote flyer must obey many rules imposed by the NSW Electoral commission, including being registered.
I think these rules are wise but technology has made them redundant - because if I distribute my information electronically, via a blog or an email with an attachment etc, then the rules wouldn't apply - obviously not the intent...A word of warning though - these rules would apply (repeat, would apply) once this info is printed, but to the person printing them.....not to me. Hence I am encouraging everyone not to print my info :)
3) I AM AN INDEPENDENT
Being an independent candidate is difficult at the best of times, no money, no party support, noone else invovled to help me out, etc etc. Boohoo...
But if I did declare my preferences, something strange would happen - I would inevitably then be linked to those other candidates' general philosophies/histories/track records no matter how good, bad or otherwise those candidates reputations might be perceived by the voters....
The association, once made, will inevitably stick.
Which I don't want to do.
I am quite clearly and proudly an independent - my decisions and my votes are entirely up to how I perceeve the situation - not how someone else tells me to vote (like every party representative) or 'group of like minded people'...
HOWEVER - isn't there always one?
I would encourage people to think about the following when casting their votes:
As a true independent I am not aligning with any other candidates.
Of course I will be casting my own vote with preferences, but I would encourage my supporters to simply Vote 1 Ivan McKay and then follow their own inclination based on existing issues that are important to them.
I would however encourage others to consider these principles when trying to choose their preferences:
•To promote change in our council we have to change the council - Vote 1 Ivan McKay and then place subsequent numbers (at least 2-5) against the names of new candidates;
•To encourage gender and age balance we need younger councellors and more women - Vote 1 Ivan McKay for a younger, more energetic council. Then place subsequent numbers (at least 2-5) against female candidates names to ensure that we don't have a council full of old men.
• Our council is clearly struggling with the day to day management of core council activities (legislative and community demands) let alone planning for our future.
• Some councillors have been elected for almost a decade and they still can't seem to put aside petty differences for the greater good or have the capacity to cope with council demands.
Shouldn't we expect more from the people whom want to represent us? Vote 1 Ivan McKay to make it better!
• Isn't the purpose of being a councillor to be representative of the community, not just to be on council?
• How many existing councillors have demonstrable broad community interests? Most councillors and candidates are oriented in only one primary interest area: business, sport, agriculture/farming, the environment or disadvantaged groups....
shouldn't we expect more diversity, capabiltiy and complexity in the people seeking to represent all of us? I do - Get real, get local, vote for someone who cares about the interests of the whole community, not just those they are personally interested in. Vote 1 Ivan McKay to bring the whole community back into the council.
• Our council has a perceived history of being secretive, inconsistent and failing to recognise that due process is there to protect and represent the majority of our community, not as an inconvenience for the influential minority to overcome.
Is this really how you want your local community managed? I don't. I want our council to be open, transparent and representative of the community, not the interests of large developers or the philosophies of national party machines. I expect more from our local councillors. Vote 1 Ivan McKay for a better council.
•We need more disciplines and experience on the council - there are too many lawyers and too many farmers. I am not a lawyer or a farmer, Vote 1 Ivan McKay then place subsequent votes (at least 2-5) against those candidates that are not farmers or lawyers.
cheers
Ivan
preferences....
I have had a few people ask me what will my preferences be, and will I be telling/asking/advising people how to vote at this election.
To which the short answer is no....
I can't honestly do this as a true independent.
The reason for me not declaring preferences isn't as obvious as it may appear. I have made up my mind about how I will personally cast preferential votes at the local election on 8 September 2012, but I don't wish to provide information about How to Vote in the classic sense.
This is for three reasons:
1) COST
There is obviously a cost issue to printing flyers and distributing them at every polling booth etc.
And whilst I don't like unnecessary costs, and it is even more abhorrent to me beucase it is such a 'use once' product. It just doesn't sit well with me.
Plus, once incurred, I would have heaps of paper work to fill in with regard to the election funding authority, whether voted in or not. So my strategy is to campaign electronically, at my own time (and therefore without financial cost).
2) THE RULES
Once printed, a How to Vote flyer must obey many rules imposed by the NSW Electoral commission, including being registered.
I think these rules are wise but technology has made them redundant - because if I distribute my information electronically, via a blog or an email with an attachment etc, then the rules wouldn't apply - obviously not the intent...A word of warning though - these rules would apply (repeat, would apply) once this info is printed, but to the person printing them.....not to me. Hence I am encouraging everyone not to print my info :)
3) I AM AN INDEPENDENT
Being an independent candidate is difficult at the best of times, no money, no party support, noone else invovled to help me out, etc etc. Boohoo...
But if I did declare my preferences, something strange would happen - I would inevitably then be linked to those other candidates' general philosophies/histories/track records no matter how good, bad or otherwise those candidates reputations might be perceived by the voters....
The association, once made, will inevitably stick.
Which I don't want to do.
I am quite clearly and proudly an independent - my decisions and my votes are entirely up to how I perceeve the situation - not how someone else tells me to vote (like every party representative) or 'group of like minded people'...
HOWEVER - isn't there always one?
I would encourage people to think about the following when casting their votes:
As a true independent I am not aligning with any other candidates.
Of course I will be casting my own vote with preferences, but I would encourage my supporters to simply Vote 1 Ivan McKay and then follow their own inclination based on existing issues that are important to them.
I would however encourage others to consider these principles when trying to choose their preferences:
•To promote change in our council we have to change the council - Vote 1 Ivan McKay and then place subsequent numbers (at least 2-5) against the names of new candidates;
•To encourage gender and age balance we need younger councellors and more women - Vote 1 Ivan McKay for a younger, more energetic council. Then place subsequent numbers (at least 2-5) against female candidates names to ensure that we don't have a council full of old men.
• Our council is clearly struggling with the day to day management of core council activities (legislative and community demands) let alone planning for our future.
• Some councillors have been elected for almost a decade and they still can't seem to put aside petty differences for the greater good or have the capacity to cope with council demands.
Shouldn't we expect more from the people whom want to represent us? Vote 1 Ivan McKay to make it better!
• Isn't the purpose of being a councillor to be representative of the community, not just to be on council?
• How many existing councillors have demonstrable broad community interests? Most councillors and candidates are oriented in only one primary interest area: business, sport, agriculture/farming, the environment or disadvantaged groups....
shouldn't we expect more diversity, capabiltiy and complexity in the people seeking to represent all of us? I do - Get real, get local, vote for someone who cares about the interests of the whole community, not just those they are personally interested in. Vote 1 Ivan McKay to bring the whole community back into the council.
• Our council has a perceived history of being secretive, inconsistent and failing to recognise that due process is there to protect and represent the majority of our community, not as an inconvenience for the influential minority to overcome.
Is this really how you want your local community managed? I don't. I want our council to be open, transparent and representative of the community, not the interests of large developers or the philosophies of national party machines. I expect more from our local councillors. Vote 1 Ivan McKay for a better council.
•We need more disciplines and experience on the council - there are too many lawyers and too many farmers. I am not a lawyer or a farmer, Vote 1 Ivan McKay then place subsequent votes (at least 2-5) against those candidates that are not farmers or lawyers.
cheers
Ivan
How to Vote/Why to Vote for me at the 2012 BVSC elections!
OK,
so we are down to the nitty gritty now. Only 5 sleeps to go...
If you want the council to change, if you think, like me, that the way our community is managed should be better, then make your vote count and change the council at this election.
All but one council member is an old, retired, white man....the other councillor is an old, white retired woman. sigh.
They certainly don't represent me, they don't seem to have a collective plan for us and most just don't understand the role of IT and the knowledge services economy that is sweeping the world...
Council can't solve fuel prices, or immigration, or education and health funding
but they can REPRESENT their whole community, they can reduce redtape to make innovation easier and encourage entrepreneurs to want to start up their business in our shire, not Moruya, let alone Batemans Bay, Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne.
They can respect and value the natural assets we have here, the very things that drew almost all of us here it the first place. And it is these same things will bring more investment and more innovation to us than anything else.
It is this forward thinking and planning which will provide an exciting future for our children, not nimbyism and the same old same old respsone to the same old problems that just wont go away.
So, if you want things to change, start by changing the council - vote 1 Ivan McKay this election!
and at least 4 others, so your vote is formal!
we get the council we deserve - we voted for them!
so we are down to the nitty gritty now. Only 5 sleeps to go...
If you want the council to change, if you think, like me, that the way our community is managed should be better, then make your vote count and change the council at this election.
All but one council member is an old, retired, white man....the other councillor is an old, white retired woman. sigh.
They certainly don't represent me, they don't seem to have a collective plan for us and most just don't understand the role of IT and the knowledge services economy that is sweeping the world...
Council can't solve fuel prices, or immigration, or education and health funding
but they can REPRESENT their whole community, they can reduce redtape to make innovation easier and encourage entrepreneurs to want to start up their business in our shire, not Moruya, let alone Batemans Bay, Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne.
They can respect and value the natural assets we have here, the very things that drew almost all of us here it the first place. And it is these same things will bring more investment and more innovation to us than anything else.
It is this forward thinking and planning which will provide an exciting future for our children, not nimbyism and the same old same old respsone to the same old problems that just wont go away.
So, if you want things to change, start by changing the council - vote 1 Ivan McKay this election!
and at least 4 others, so your vote is formal!
we get the council we deserve - we voted for them!
My speech at the MNW/MCoC Thursday 30Aug12
Hello there,
here is my 2 minute speech that I was invited to give at the the Sapphire Club in Merimbula on Thursday 30 August as part of the "Meet the Candidates" night, hosted by the Merimbula News Weekly and the Merimbula Chamber ofCommerce.
here is my 2 minute speech that I was invited to give at the the Sapphire Club in Merimbula on Thursday 30 August as part of the "Meet the Candidates" night, hosted by the Merimbula News Weekly and the Merimbula Chamber ofCommerce.
Where: Sapphire
Club Merimbula
Duration: 2
minutes max
When: 30
August 2012
Why: Merimbula
local council 2012 elections
Hello
everyone,
My name is
Ivan McKay and
I’m up here
because I want you to put a number 1 in my box at the council election
– plus vote
for at least 4 other candidates…..
So that’s the
easy part over with.
The hard part
of course is why should you vote for me?
I have three
reasons:
First,
I think our
council should be better. But to fix things means changing the council. This is
why I’m here tonight.
Second,
I chose to
live here.
In fact I sold
everything to move here. It is my profound commitment to the shire which makes
me a good candidate for council. The very things that attracted me in the first
place are the things I now feel protective about: the natural beauty, our abundant
resources , the infrastructure and of course the lifestyle. I know how rare it
is to find all of these things in one place and I wont take them for granted.
What I didn’t
do was choose to live in a franchised blob of a town just like every other one
on the map – is this what we really want? I don’t.
And last but
not least, the third reason
you should vote
for me is I have the skills, experience and proven track record of just getting
things done.
I will be
transparent and consistent in my decisions and I will represent the community
as a first priority, every time.
These are serious
issues that all candidates should be able to demonstrate to you if we want your
vote.
And the only
way to be sure that these things are important to each candidate is to look at
their history, not their clever words or advertising.
And my track
record speaks for itself.
Prior to
moving here I was a successful engineer managing hundred million dollar
projects for SBS TV and Radio, rolling out infrastructure in councils just like
ours across Australia.
And since moving
I have been involved in many local community activities, like setting up the
Merimbula Mens Shed, being a Board Member of the Mumbulla Foundation, running
an Australian first IT “Start Up Camp” in Pambula, to name just a few - as well
as being a former small business owner, a devoted family man, owner/builder and
full time employee of a local training company.
In summary, if
you think counsellors should be capable, consistent and transparent in their
decisions, if you want genuine community representation, then things need to
change. Vote 1 Ivan McKay this election and make it happen.
Thank you
Response to MNW sent 29Aug due 31Aug
Dear Denise/Liz
thank you for the question/s, some good ones for the final week!
My responses to your questions are included below.
I have not yet made up my mind about preferences, but at the moment I am not inclined to be directing any, however I may change my mind (it will basically be how I think I would vote, which, Iamnot yet settled on).
thank you for the question/s, some good ones for the final week!
My responses to your questions are included below.
I have not yet made up my mind about preferences, but at the moment I am not inclined to be directing any, however I may change my mind (it will basically be how I think I would vote, which, Iamnot yet settled on).
Q:The
extension of the Merimbula Airport runway (This is the extension not the
repair)
A: I don’t see the value. We have better things to spend money on.
Q: Rebuilding
Bega Town Hall (as opposed to refurbishment)
A: Heritage is worth preserving. If the Hall is of heritage value then it
should be protected.
Q: Increasing
the base rate to allow a lower ad valorem
A: No. This only benefits some at the expense of many with no obvious advantage
to council.
Q: Staying
within rate pegging
A: If council was well run, well planned and stuck to core business we
should be able to stay within rate pegging. Anything else should be publicly justified
and be in accordance with the plan for the shire.
Q: Extending the sewerage system to include Bemboka and Quaama
A: What have they been doing all this time?
Q: Changing
the location of the Wolumla tip
A: If it’s feasible, I am in favour of it.
Q: Pambula
hospital poll question - how are you voting - yes or no
A: YES.
Response to BDN due 30Aug12
Dear Ben,
so I don't miss the 10am Thursday deadline again - please find below my response to your 3rd question.
I am happy with this response at the moment, but reserve the right to send an alternative closer to next Thursday - if I have a new one that is :)
so I don't miss the 10am Thursday deadline again - please find below my response to your 3rd question.
I am happy with this response at the moment, but reserve the right to send an alternative closer to next Thursday - if I have a new one that is :)
BDN Q&A due 10am Thursday 30 August
Q: Which sector/s do you see as having the most potential
for the Bega Valley? Which do you intend to champion if elected? Industry,
commercial, health, tourism, arts and culture, and sporting groups would be
some examples, but I’m sure there are many others.
ANSWER
The sectors that would be of most interest to me as a councillor would be those that demonstrate and allow for a community to thrive and be healthy, which is more than just the basics like employment. Some are probably more important than others in predicting whether our community will thrive or merely survive in the future. There are many examples of community collapse because of an over-reliance on just one sector or industry, or an inability to ‘see the writing on the wall’. I don’t want to live in that sort of community and I doubt anyone else does – the trick seems to be not having our eggs all in one basket, and having a broad community plan to judge opportunities against. If elected I would champion the establishment of a community plan which allows the most flexibility and integration lifestyle and development to allow all sectors to flourish.
The sectors that would be of most interest to me as a councillor would be those that demonstrate and allow for a community to thrive and be healthy, which is more than just the basics like employment. Some are probably more important than others in predicting whether our community will thrive or merely survive in the future. There are many examples of community collapse because of an over-reliance on just one sector or industry, or an inability to ‘see the writing on the wall’. I don’t want to live in that sort of community and I doubt anyone else does – the trick seems to be not having our eggs all in one basket, and having a broad community plan to judge opportunities against. If elected I would champion the establishment of a community plan which allows the most flexibility and integration lifestyle and development to allow all sectors to flourish.
Response to WRAG re Wolumla CWF sent 24Aug12
Dear Jeff,
thanks for your email updating me
on the feedback you are receiving wrt to the CWF, and might I just say
congratulations (from an 'admin' perspective) - it is great to see the
collected responses (to date) of the candidates (those that have
responded so far) on this issue but most importantly all in one place -
it allows a real appreciation for the range of responses. Some weasel
spin words in some of them.... :)
and a pity that council decisions aren't also so
plainly visible. If elected I would hope to make this part of the
council process more obvious.
WRAG has certainly become much more very sophisticated, which is great to see.
I have had some time to go over the responses and your
earlier email, and find that I am tending to agree with two logical
approaches that are important to me :
1) if
council has made a legally binding decision then this needs to be
carried through, so in that respect I would support the defined usage of
the CWF as outlined by previous council. If this decision could be
changed then I would consider support this also, eg if we can find a
suitable piece of crown land (as offerred by Andrew constance/NSW Gov)
and whatever other important factors line up to make it feasible. Big
ifs here...
My understanding with this offer is that it is merely
lip service at this stage - the council would still have to find and
investigate the land, do an EIS and explain to the larger community the
benefit of moving the CWF after so much time and money has already been
wasted.
2) however, when the facts change, I am inclined to change my mind as well....
But I don't think the facts have changed here.
Whilst
one of my key positions is to be proactive for the tech sector and
innovation in general, in this context I am not sure of what the
increased value this NBN faciltiy brings to the shire if located in the
CWF - it is an upload satelite station, whom will relocate a small
number of skilled staff from elsewhere to man it, and it wont bring the
NBN to our region any faster....there are many other accessible mountain
tops with good satellite access in the BVS, so I don't understand the
necessity for this to be part of the CWF.
I hope this clarifies my position with you
cheers
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