I WRITE in regard to the accusation by the Member for Tamworth Peter Draper that “... the National Party and some sections of the media” are supposedly waging a campaign of instability against a new Tamworth hospital. Perhaps he could be more specific about those evil National Party identities who have destabilised the new Tamworth hospital plans? The question that begs to be asked is just how flimsy were the new Tamworth hospital plans if comments from a few locals critical of the local member “destabilise” them?

In a previous letter I suggested that the buck stops with Mr Draper “when our local health infrastructure is found to be mediocre and substandard and we have to wait two, four, six, eight, 10 years or more for new hospital facilities in Tamworth”. I still have a recording of Mr Draper announcing days out from the 2007 NSW State election that he was very proud that he had delivered a new Tamworth hospital where local nurse and doctor students could work and meet their life partners. Very romantic! Mr Draper took full electoral advantage of the joint Morris Iemma/Peter Draper new hospital for Tamworth announcement. Would it have translated into votes? You bet it did, Mr Draper won by 3969 votes on the back of promises such as the hospital and the forecasted Iemma ALP win.

It is quite pathetic that Mr Draper would now shirk his responsibility for the new Tamworth hospital promise by claiming that we won’t get it if questions are asked. Mr Draper is accountable to the people of Tamworth, as is any member of parliament, and as such the people of Tamworth are entitled to be critical and cynical when he fails to meet his promises.

I repeat what I previously said that it would be very cynical for Mr Draper to capitalise on another new Tamworth hospital announcement outside the next election due in 2011 which is very likely given the disposition of the current member and the ALP government. My prediction is that the conservatives will win the 2011 NSW State election. The challenge for the people of Tamworth will be to replace the current member with one that will be part of a team that could deliver important infrastructure such as a new Tamworth hospital. Not one that blames a party that is not in government when things go awry.

If suggestions such as this hurt Mr Draper then he is in the wrong

vocation.

Mark Rodda

TAMWORTH