Hastings Club collapse
I came to Hastings to take over the local Barber Shop in 1966. Prior to that I had grown up in Wycheproof where community spirit and local football were of primary importance. On arriving at Hastings I was automatically drawn to the local football club. I was immediately impressed with the welcome I received and the leadership at the time of Norm Francis, Richard Everist, his father Frank and Ted Lillywhite. They had a “bold initiative” to build their own clubhouse and dressing rooms due to the newly formed Shire of Hastings which was bereft of the necessary funds to carry out those works.
Now 59 years later, after all that was achieved in the ensuing years and having closely been involved throughout, to now see their dream come to an abrupt end due to the Mornington Peninsula Shire again lacking the willingness and necessary funds to avoid it happening, leaves me cold in disbelief and totally dismayed. How could our local council just walk away from such an impressive and much needed community inspired entity? All that is left for me is to do is acknowledge all those wonderful people who have willingly “rolled up their sleeves” to voluntarily contribute physically and financially to make that original dream become a “bold reality” and thank them all immensely.
On behalf of the members and community it also has to be acknowledged, since this sadly evolved over the past two years, the leadership and incredible personal commitment of David Gibbs and Peter Newton for advocating so strongly for a much better outcome.
In the recorded history of Hastings this will go down as one of its saddest outcomes and one which, in my personal opinion, will also live on permanently as a black mark against the Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Brian L. Stahl OAM JP, Hastings
Importance of the PBS
While our community has many problems to solve, our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme has solved a big problem for me. As a lifelong sufferer from asthma I can’t give enough thanks for the PBS in helping me to live through to old age. Last year I had several small operations on my lungs by Professor Langdon at the Frankston Hospital. I would like to extend my thanks to Professor Langdon and to all the caring staff there! Although I still require many medications, our PBS makes them both affordable and readily available. How lucky we are to be an Australian!
Jim Miller, Mt Martha
Pennies from heaven
This morning, my wife and I received our increased aged pension payments which have been widely pushed by our Labor politicians as saving recipients from the bread line. We were excited to see our pensions increased by $3.50 each, totalling a whole $7 per fortnight or $14 a month. We agreed we could now afford an additional coffee each a month, However, our euphoria was short lived, we realised our health insurance premium increased $17 a month on April fool’s day. Bugger!
We then realised we would have to wait for the government’s $5 a week increase for all Australian until July next year, to reinstate our once-a-month coffee purchase. Oops! I forgot that increase only applies to taxpayers and not pensioners, self-funded retires, junior and some part time employees.
Like many Australians close to 80 years of age and planning to live for a further 10 to 15 years, we trust future government payments are in line with the real cost of living movements and payable to all Australians.
Bruce White, Safety Beach
Jet ski joke
Regarding the article that appeared on 1 April (New laws to protect swimmers from jet ski danger, The News 1/4/2025). If only it was true and not MPNG’s traditional April Fools Day joke. However, the persistence of jet ski safety and complaint issues highlights the need for a more effective approach to regulation.
Currently, despite the efforts of various community groups including the around the Bay Regulate Jet Skis Group and council, the measures in place remain insufficient. We have been advocating for a straightforward solution: modifying zoning regulations to increase the number of jet ski-free/swim-only zones, requiring jet skis to remain a kilometre offshore after launching (prohibiting shoreline berthing), and defining jet skis separately from boats to allow for craft-specific rules.
It is essential for Parks Victoria and the responsible Minister to acknowledge their role in this matter and take long overdue action. It is imperative to establish an environment for beachgoers and swimmers, free from the hazards and disruption posed by jet skis.
Mechelle Cheers, Rye
Faith restored
Thank you to the Mornington Peninsula News Group and the engaged citizens of the peninsula for an impressive pre-election public discussion in the letters page (Electioneering heats up, Letters 1/4/25).
Letters are mostly respectful, make valid points, and demonstrate engagement in the political process.
This, alongside the positive story about the extension of the Briars wildlife sanctuary – protected by local citizens from the Harry Potter show last year (The Briars expansion near completion, The News 1/4/25) is restoring my faith in both community and democracy.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Postal vote deception
I received some troubling mail from the Liberal Party this week regarding postal voting. What appeared to be official postal vote registration materials turns out to be a concerning data collection exercise. The forms, while mimicking official documentation, direct applicants to return their completed forms to the Liberal Party’s address rather than directly to the Australian Electoral Commission where they belong.
Most concerning is that these forms request security questions and answers – the very information commonly used to verify one’s identity with financial institutions and government services. This personal data is being collected by a political party without adequate transparency about how it will be used or stored.
The practice of intercepting this process raises significant questions about data privacy and the integrity of our electoral system. I can’t say I expected anything more though. Most of us have more integrity in our pinky toes than the whole Liberal Party combined.
Craig Fern, Sorrento
McKenzie support
I am writing to express my support for Zoe McKenzie, the Federal Member for Flinders, and to acknowledge her significant contributions to our community and the nation.
Elected in May 2022, Zoe has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the residents of the Mornington Peninsula. Her commitment to local initiatives is evident through her work with many organizations in her electorate.
Zoe’s professional background is both diverse and impressive. As a former small business owner specialising in international trade, she possesses first hand insight into the challenges faced by local enterprises. Her legal expertise in employment and equal opportunity law, coupled with her service on the boards of NBN Co and the Australia Council for the Arts, underscores her multifaceted skill set.
In Parliament, Zoe has been an active participant, serving on several committees, including Employment, Education and Training; Communications and the Arts; and Intelligence and Security. Her legislative efforts reflect her commitment to addressing the needs of her constituents and the broader Australian community.
Beyond her professional and political endeavours, Zoe is deeply connected to our local environment. An avid scuba diver, she is passionate about preserving the natural beauty of the Peninsula for future generations.
Zoe McKenzie’s dedication, experience, and community involvement make her an invaluable representative for Flinders. I wholeheartedly support her continued efforts to enhance our community and advocate for our collective interests.
Phil Haas, Blairgowrie
Coalition debt
Zoe McKenzie’s ability to rewrite history is extraordinary. She says “I served in the last Coalition government that retired a generation of Labor’s debt and in the early 2000s” and “Thanks to Labor’s mismanagement of the Australian economy, and the delivery of a dangerous 2025 budget – that option will be denied the next generation of Australians, and we will be in a constant battle to redress the reckless spending and decade of debt and deficit left to future generations by Labor”.
None of this is true.
The last Coalition government did not retire Labor’s debt they tripled it by adding $500b to the nation’s debt through their nine consecutive budget deficits. Labor has since delivered two surpluses which have reduced the debt by nearly $200b!
How McKenzie can refer to the “decade of debt” left to Australia by Labor when it has only been in power for three years defies logic. The debt is Coalition debt not Labor’s, that is not opinion it is irrefutable fact. What happens in the future is speculative at best but history clearly shows that the Coalition has no proven record of good economic management.
Ross Hudson, Mt Martha
Same campaign
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got” seems to be the motto of the Libs, who are confidently employing their usual arsenal of fear-mongering, false promises and untrue smears. Do they not see that we have had enough of self-serving politics? Do they not see that the more they use our dollars on this, the more they drive us elsewhere? Perhaps into the ever-growing camp of Ben Smith – refreshingly apolitical, caring, ethical and able.
And funded by us, because we want change.
Paula Polson, Dromana
Tax cut vs excise cut
The Liberals full page ad, and comments in The News grossly overestimated the savings of halving the fuel excise for an average household. In fact, the average daily savings of an excise cut (50-82c/day) per vehicle are very similar to the 73c/day (according to the Liberal candidate) tax savings per worker offered by the Labor Party.
The excise cut, however, is for just one year so the tax cuts would save average households significantly more overall. The maths is easy. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the average distance travelled by cars in Australia is about 12,000 kms/yr. Depending on the vehicle you drive most drivers would save between 50c/day (at 6L/100kms) and 82c/day (10L/100kms) if the excise is halved (ie reduced by 25c/L).
Charlie Clarke, Mornington
Libs attack ads
Libs have gone on the attack with exactly what most people do not want in political advertising. All other candidates are running a good campaign based on the issues not innuendo, misinformation, outright lies and personal attacks on the other candidates like Ben Smith. At the same time Ben’s material was delivered. It was professional and addressed what he was going to be working on. A big difference.
But when they have no policies what choice do they have? Can’t promote nuclear as their own party is against it. Liberal supporters (Liberals Against Nuclear) launched an election ad campaign against Peter Dutton’s plan to build nuclear power plants. So Dutton has emulated a well-known hardware store’s policy matching Labor policies, but without the “beat it by 10% guarantee”.
Emulating Trumpism, promises with no detail. Do we really want Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price as the Minister for Government Efficiency emulating Musk? Eliminate 40,000 public sector jobs, will tell you more after the election? Actually, like Trump, most of their initiatives will be explained after the election.
Libs excel at Trumpistic tactics:
- Black Swan Theory, a rare, unexpected event that has a huge impact and is difficult to predict, there is no past data to indicate when they could occur.
- Imaging something improbable, then feeding off the controversy.
- Creating doubt, which does not have to be true or accurate, just outrageous enough to sow the seeds of doubt and its energised cousin, fear.
- Throwing so much garbage into the wind that no one can keep up with it, just hoping some of it sticks.
- Throwing out sound bites and hope no one asks for details.
- Inundate other candidates with smear campaigns.
Look to the USA, do we want to duplicate that here?
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Public School Funding
It would be interesting to know Zoe McKenzie’s commitment to fully funding public schools on the peninsula. The Albanese Labor government recently signed an historic agreement with Victoria to provide 25% of public school funding with the state government providing 75%. This will be the first time that both levels of government have agreed to provide public schools with the funding needed to bring them to the minimum level of resourcing outlined by the Gonski Review in 2012.
As a government school teacher on the peninsula for more than two decades, I have watched principals and teachers struggling to provide a quality education to their students without basic resourcing and support. School staff ensure that students don’t miss out by working ever harder and, often, paying for resources with their own money. Full funding is a matter of equity and fairness and goes to the heart of providing a fair go for everyone. Labor candidate Sarah Race sends her children to state schools and well understands this issue.
Dutton has never once supported the full funding of public schools. Not once has he said he would lift the government’s Schooling Resource Standard share from 20% to a minimum of 25%, as the Albanese government has committed to. In the 2013 election campaign, the Coalition promised to honour Gonski agreements and then ripped them up and cut $30b from public schools in the 2014 budget. In the decade following, schools have never caught up.
I hear Dutton has said he plans to cut the Federal Education Department and scrap the Australian Curriculum which was endorsed by the Morrison government in 2022. Somehow this curriculum has now become ‘woke’. Does McKenzie support this Trumpian agenda? There is no evidence that she has disagreed with any of his policies in the past.
Deb Fischer, Arthurs Seat
Questionable values
What an excellent discussion on your Letters page last week about the candidates for Flinders. As Geoff Hilton notes, “For the first time in a very long time there will be a competitive race in Flinders at the forthcoming federal election” (Flinders race, Letters 1/4/25).
Keith Davis, however, once again uses the page to disparage renewable energy, net zero, and climate concerns (Nuclear alarmists, Letters 1/4/25). He again promotes Chris Uhlmann’s documentary The Real Cost of Net Zero, despite its bias. Uhlmann extensively interviewed fossil fuel and nuclear industry representatives, but none from renewables. His key nuclear advocate, Prof. Stephen Wilson, accompanied Liberal climate spokesperson Ted O’Brien on a 2023 US nuclear study tour. Wilson is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, a right-wing think tank funded by Gina Rinehart and known for climate scepticism. In a 2023 speech to the IPA, Wilson thanked “the far-sighted group of donors” led by Nick Jorss, executive chairman of Bowen Coking Coal and chair of Coal Australia.
Why is big coal funding nuclear advocacy? Because the Coalition’s nuclear proposal depends on extending coal power and mining, which the Climate Change Authority says would add two billion tonnes of emissions, jeopardizing Australia’s 2030 target and net zero. This may not trouble Mr. Davis, but those who value transparency and climate action are seeking candidates who share these values – hard to find in the Coalition.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Busy times
Perhaps Marg D’Arcy (Transparency, Letters 25/3/25) was so involved in the selection process for the Labor candidate for Flinders that she missed the community-led search for a community independent candidate. It was well and truly out there for all to see and respond to.
As a community group, we are thrilled and proud to have such an excellent candidate in Ben Smith, who ticks all the boxes for the thousands of volunteers and supporters involved in his campaign.
Debbie de Laps, Pam Pitt, Gerard Heidjen, Hilda McLeod, Luke O’Brien,
Organising Team, Independent for Flinders.
Ben Smith
Marg D’Arcy’s letter (Transparency, Letters 1/4/25) on Ben Smith’s background is both misleading and disappointing. Let’s start with some transparency of our own: Marg was the Labor Party’s local campaign manager during the last election and remains deeply involved. While calling for transparency from others, she hasn’t declared her own clear political interests.
Attacking someone’s religious beliefs is unnecessary and unhelpful. It would be far more productive to focus on respectful discussion of policy and ideas, something our community is crying out for.
Ben has never hidden his faith – in fact, he has spoken about it openly. But to suggest his religion influences his politics is like saying his football team does. Of course it doesn’t.
I’m voting for Ben not because of his past religious affiliations, but because he is a genuinely caring, transparent, and principled person. He listens. He answers questions directly. And he shows up for our community without the party machine telling him how to vote.
Let’s focus on policies and integrity – not dog whistles and distractions.
Kim Robbins, Safety Beach
I’m Ben’s sister
To the great people of the peninsula, I’m writing in as Ben Smith’s sister, the Independent candidate for our area. I know that politics can be pretty nasty, but I’m getting tired of hearing people intentionally spread lies about Ben – so I’d like to set the record straight.
I’ve known him all his life. Recently, I’ve encountered Liberal Party campaigners telling voters – including myself directly – that Ben is a “Mormon preacher”. When I corrected them that he is not, and has no connection to the Mormon church, they said that I am wrong and that they have it “on good authority” that he is Mormon. I then confessed that I am Ben’s sister, and repeated that they are incorrect. Quite remarkably, they still insisted that I was wrong about him! And cited Facebook group gossip as more authoritative than his own family.
What disappoints me isn’t just the falsehood, but the calculated intent to undermine a good person who wants to serve his community and country. Ben is a person of high integrity, and approaches challenges with compassion and pragmatism – qualities we desperately need in our representatives, and in the halls of Parliament. He is not in this for himself or for personal notoriety.
So, enough with the lies. The peninsula deserves an honest conversation about our future and the future of our country – not smear campaigns. Ben would be a strong, dedicated representative who puts the community’s wellbeing above the corporate profits that dominate public policy.
After years of watching him help others and advocate for systems change, I know he has both the experience and character to represent Flinders with distinction.
Karli Smith, Dromana
Ben Smith
The avalanche of support for independent Ben Smith verges on infatuation. The supposed concentration on “local issues” is a smoke screen intended to entrap the non-thinkers hoping for a revival of the Rosebud Hospital etc. Fact is that “local issues” have little relevance to proceedings in the federal parliament which is supposed to be dealing with national issues. As an independent Ben Smith will have little influence on how such matters are decided. He will merely vote for them and maybe assert some deciding factor in a close contest.
What I would prefer to hear is his policies on matters such as immigration, inheritance taxes, electricity supply and construction of new dams. Ben denies any connection with the Teal group yet does not deny that he is being funded by Climate 200, a known founder of the Teal movement. The Teals are not a formal party but they usually vote as a bloc and usually in unison with the Greens. However much he tries to deny it Ben is a Teal and this group is just another re-badging of the Greens.
A vote for Ben is a wasted vote no matter how impressive he may be as an individual. The major parties make the decisions whether we like it or not. Labor will never be defeated by voting for an independent. If you are fed up with Albanese and his gang of thieves, you must vote Liberal despite their unimpressive candidates.
Barry Rumpf, McCrae
Ben Smith
As some one who is taking more interest in the up coming election than ever before, I am impressed with the effectiveness of Ben Smith’s campaign. It would appear from the many supporting letters in this paper each week and the posters all around the district that he has a strong chance of succeeding.
However I believe a closer look at Ben Smith is warranted. There is no doubt that he is campaigning on some important local issues that we all want to see resolved.
Something interesting that has come to light is his involvement in a religious movement that is obviously an important factor in his life. It is hard to understand why Ben never mentioned this commitment when he first presented himself to the electorate. The other thing is that it is difficult to find out exactly what he is a member of. However, the thing that concerns me most is his continued claim of being Independent and only answers to his electorate. The fact is he has accepted funding from Climate 200 which provides funding to 35 independents. Often to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, on the basis that they support climate 200’s policy of only renewables for our energy future.
I can only conclude that they are independent on local issues but on the matter of climate they are not free to vote how they like. They couldn’t, for instance, vote on gas as a source of energy in favour of wind farms. The Independents are beholden to Climate 200. They are in fact an alliance of people who are knowingly or unknowingly, another political party very cleverly presented as being independent.
Every developed country that has gone down the path of renewables as their main or only energy source now have the highest electricity prices in the world.
Wake up Australia before it is too late.
Keith Davis, Somers
Ben Smith
The diversity of opinion in last week’s letters left me asking: Would the real Ben Smith please stand up?
Is Mr Smith the leader of a people powered movement with a “very small amount of funding”, as Peta Watson claimed (It’s that time again, Letters 1/4/25)?
Will Mr Smith restore “some integrity in politics”, as John Whalley suggested (Seven facts ad, Letters 1/4/25)?
Alternatively, is Mr Smith a “political wolf in sheep’s clothing” as Michael Binney suggested (Candidate forum, Letters 1/4/25)?
Does Mr Smith appropriate other people’s community work and make it his own, as Marilyn Merrifield claimed (Grassroots campaign, Letters 1/4/25)?
Did he intentionally fail to be transparent about being an ordained minister in the Reorganised Church of Latter-Day Saints, as Marg D’Arcy attested (Transparency, Letters 1/4/25)?
I am undecided about who will get my vote, but I am currently finding it hard to reconcile a man who failed to be to be transparent about his ministry in the Reorganised Church of Latter-Day Saints (Community of Christ) with a man who will restore “integrity in politics”.
It is also difficult to believe he only has a “very small amount of funding” when you see all the social media posts, the advertising in The News, TV and YouTube, the billboards on Peninsula Link, the digital truck and the regular mail outs. My back of the envelope calculation is well over $1 million has already been spent – and there is no transparency about who donated these funds.
I was also interested to learn that the community independent campaign is using American multinational fast-food franchises and city printers while the candidate claims to stand up for small business.
Is this a case of “Do as I say, not as I do”.
Deidre Bail, Rosebud
Ben Smith
I wonder, if as stated by Peta Watson (It’s that time again, Letters 1/4/25) regarding the small amount of funding and the tight budget of the local independent candidate for the seat of Flinders Victoria, about the cost effectiveness of having TV ads broadcast in Northern NSW and the Gold Coast. If this is an example of his financial competence, he is certainly not my first choice in helping to cut the cost-of-living crisis that Australian households find themselves in, or any other financial issues within the Australian Federal Government (not state issues).
Expenditure seems of little concern for this candidate who seems to have an unlimited budget to spend on large numbers of t-shirts, signs, paper adverts, not to mention interstate TV ads, as well as a reported $217,300 in just 90 days for Facebook. I wonder just how concerned he is with the cost of living.
With reference to the interstate TV ads, it is a long way from Hastings Victoria to a small community in Northern NSW called Hastings Point. Maybe he should refer to Google Maps before committing chunks of his “tight budget” to areas over 1700 kilometres away.
Colin Prowd, Bittern
Editors note: We reached out to the Smith campaign. They told us they are not running television commercials in any markets. They said they do run ads on streaming services that are targeted by the registered postcode of the viewer.
Ben Smith
I am wondering who John Whalley is that he should warrant his photograph and political comments on a third of the inside page of the The News or is he part of the extensive advertising campaign launched by or for Ben Smith.
Personally, Smith’s face atop so many billboards and posters around the community, presumably not paid from his own pocket, is enough for me to not want to see him as my federal representative for the area. He, like others, is supported by individuals who use their wealth and power to put their agenda across through candidates they support.
Beverley Treloar, Mt Martha
Ben Smith
Like John Walley I too attended the Mt Martha meeting to hear Ben Smith speak. I was a bit reluctant to go as I have been a major party supporter all my life, however I was highly impressed with Ben, his ethics, enthusiasm, motivation, history of community service and Victorian Father of the Year.
More importantly his commitment to the peninsula and his ideas are totally refreshing. If you get a chance to hear Ben speak, do yourself and the electorate a favour, go along and listen to what he has to say. He has my vote.
Peter Davis, Tyabb
Kindness of strangers
I recently received an SOS phone call from a dear friend last Wednesday night. She was driving from Hastings to Mt Martha at 9pm when she collided with a horse on Graydens Road. Unfortunately, a gate had been accidentally left open and several horses had escaped.
By the time I arrived, an ambulance, police cars, a fire truck and a vet were all on the scene. A thoughtful policeman immediately assured me that my friend and her dog were OK. He then escorted me to the ambulance where a very kind paramedic demonstrated genuine concern for my friend’s wellbeing. The paramedic did not want my friend going home alone. My friend had recently had surgery for new pacemaker, so the paramedic thought it may be best for her to go to Frankston Hospital for monitoring.
After I explained that I had once been a critical care nurse, the paramedic felt reassured that my friend could come home with me. The police then explained that they would take care of the car, and re-iterated to my friend that this was not her fault. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all the professionals who went the extra mile and took such good care of my friend and her dog after such a devastating accident.
Sarah Russell, Mt Martha
Mornington missives
Not surprisingly, the clocks on the Main/Barkly Streets clock tower have “lost their tick” and are again out of action. It has only been about eight weeks since they were last fixed!
Talking of “not working”, the down travellator in Mornington Central has been out of action for over two weeks, so it is now a non-travelling travellator. I hope they don’t plan on getting the same repair person who “fixed” the clocks eight weeks ago to “fix” the travellator.
Also, the spelling mistake on both sides of that sign on the corner of Barkly/Gordon Streets is still there. It’s been like that for many years so I assume that it has now been accepted. I must admit I would not mind if it is never corrected.
If you are hungry then the next two items may interest you. The first being Chocolat, the French patisserie in Barkly Street, it has very nice Croque-Monsieurs. They are better than the ones we had from a small patisserie in Loctudy when we were in France (the English translation of Croque-Monsieur is “bite a man”). The second is the tuna melt at the Barrett Lane Sandwich Bar. I didn’t know that tuna and cheese could taste so good!
Lance Rickard, Mt Martha
Daily bread
Mary had a magpie sitting on the grass, Mary had her fingers on the magpie’s – don’t be mistaken, don’t be mislead, Mary had her fingers on the magpie’s head. Until voting day, still a month away.
They tell me to stop smoking, a health risk, the question being when?
Other health risks (may) include the crooks within the NDIS system, youth crimes, the sad Queensland floods victims, never forgetting Peter Dutton’s promises, if elected?
Add in the superannuation shonkies, the hackers, Donald Trump and overpriced COL from my supermarket and fish shop ($4 for a dim bloody sim?).
Heaven (or hell?) appears to be calling at 89, sights set on 90, if only to celebrate a Labor victory (despite a stumbling Albanese) and a Collingwood premiership (despite a team of millionaires).
Locally Zoe McKenzie at my letter box, promises of low inflation, cheaper energy, quality healthcare. Stop smoking? They’re surely kidding? And so it goes.
Cliff Ellen, Rye
