Letters – Melbourne (issue 139)
Clem Newton-Brown #1
So, Clem Newton-Brown has proven he is a party first, constituents second man by supporting this draconian law clawback (鈥楤aillieu govt strips rights protections鈥�, SSO online).
I suggest he not get our vote at the next election 鈥� no matter how poor the alternative candidates may seem.
The man is clearly just paying us lip service in the quest to secure votes.
鈥� Jack
Clem Newton-Brown #2
To all the people who voted for Clem Newton-Brown, remember he is still a Liberal.
He is too weak to speak up for the gay community which got him into the seat.
After a lot of correspondensce with him he never really answered any questions in a way that gave the idea he was concerned about 鈥楾he Gays鈥�. These questions related to Robert Clark鈥檚 comments, the homophobic member for Frankston鈥檚 emails, Victorian Equal Opportunities Act being discrimatory.
He鈥檚 frightened he might be kicked out by the people of Prahran/ Windsor/ South Yarra at the next election and replaced by a person who is genuine.
He rides his pushbike in Pride March then he鈥檚 off being a good Liberal family man with the wife and kids in the 鈥楾oorak Tractor鈥� at his Liberal Party events.
He is not a Clover Moore from inner Sydney and will never do for the seat of Prahran what she has done for the gay community of Sydney.
Ask him hard questions 鈥� that will test his courage!
鈥� Ian
Cross the floor
It is a shame The Safe Schools Coalition Victoria will not be getting long-term funding from the Liberal/National Party. They are doing groundbreaking work creating a safe culture at schools for students to be themselves, straight or gay.
Perhaps if Education Minister Martin Dixon and Prahran MP Clem Newton-Brown attended some of these schools, they might not have cut the GLBTI community from access to billions of dollars in government-run services, and had thousands of people sacked, and denied jobs at these services, simply due to their sexuality.
These are people doing the jobs who look after you when you cannot wash yourself, the people who feed and clothe you at a homeless shelter, those who look after people with a disability.
People who work hard in aged-care services, and those who work in many schools, hospitals, and pharmacies.
The good people who work with youth who are in trouble and living on the streets, those of us who foster a child out of love.
Remember, Clem and Martin, next time you pay your bills, that our community pays them for you. Remember when you look at your love, we cannot marry. What is the maths, we get denied access to billions while you give us back $100,000?
If you were both really committed to the ideals you talk about, why did you not walk three metres across the floor of Parliament?
鈥� Dave
