Constituents, counsellors and concerned rate payers have every right to question how Nationals candidate Peta Betts claims she can fulfil a state MP role and remain mayor of Edward River Council.
Maybe she can, but one role will certainly suffer at the expense of the other.
As your state MP, who has travelled the electorate for the last four years, I feel I am qualified to offer my opinion.
And while I have no experience working as the mayor, I do have experience as your local member.
Council requires a minimum commitment of one workshop and one public meeting a month.
These obligations are currently not being met at Edward River Council and we are only in campaign mode.
I admire anyone who has a strong work ethic, but you have to be practical, and you cannot do the best for your community in either role, when you have your finger in two separate pies.
Do you want a mute back bencher who is going to warm a seat and whose performance is mediocre, or do you want someone who is going to throw their heart and soul into the job?
I have averaged $363 million into the electorate annually over the last four years, while the Nationals wallowed at less than $50 million and neglected the region.
Murray is bigger than Scotland and it takes over six hours to travel from one end to the other and that’s just driving time.
The geographical size of Murray makes things difficult, throw in the immense workload and the after-hours and weekend work, and it borders on impossible.
Twenty weeks of the year are spent sitting at parliament in Sydney – that’s over a third of the year.
It doesn’t leave much time to see your family, let alone time to work another job.
Being the member for Murray is an honour and a major commitment, I don’t see how you can do both well.
Helen Dalton
Member for Murray
