Playing Hockey

To: Joe Hockey MP
PO Box 1107
North Sydney
NSW 2059

Dear Mr Hockey,

1. Please remove me from your mailing list
2. Have more faith in your State colleagues and let them handle State matters
3. Do not assume that Labor = Unionism = death of society

I have lately had the displeasure of receiving political propaganda in my mailbox dressed in the guise of postal voting information. While I respect your right to advertise your policies, I find it deeply unethical that you should resort to this Trojan Horse method of communication, namely pairing useful, possibly relevant, postal vote information with a missive bearing your letterhead.

I have also received two other letters sent through the postal system, one outlining your plans for Graythwaite and the other, a short biography on your connection to the North Sydney community. I suggest that you leave the matter of Graythwaite to your able State Liberal colleague, MP Jillian Skinner and concentrate on federal issues. Lastly, your biography does nothing to convince me that you are the man for the federal seat – have you considered running for local council?

I do not appreciate receiving mail from you. I assume you accessed my details from the electoral roll. While I would like to exercise my democratic right to vote, I would also like to exercise my democratic right to request that you remove my name and address from your mailing list, immediately. Stop wasting my taxes posting me letters that I do not want to read.

On another note, your first letter specifically targets aspects of your biggest rival, the Labor Party, which you deem unworthy of the public vote. This is your opinion and it in no way reflects my own and nor should it reflect or influence that of a democratically minded public.

Firstly, I am a journalist and member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). I have found my union relevant to my profession and their actions have been more than helpful to me throughout my membership. On the contrary, the Howard Government, a member of which you are currently part, has done nothing but restrict the freedom of the press throughout your tenure. I note, in particular, reducing media diversity through new ownership rules, restrictions to Freedom of Information and the introduction of broad sedition laws under the thin façade of 'anti-terrorism'.

Secondly, I point to the contradiction in your campaigning that states the current irrelevance of the unions in this country. If unions are irrelevant, why should the people of Australia be afraid to have them in government? My union has done far more for me in terms of workplace relations issues than your department has. I am happy to pay my union fees and less happy to pay the portion of my taxes that go to your department.

Lastly, in examining Work Choices and the changes made to workplace relations in the past few years, you have indeed made it easier for businesses to hire more staff, boosting employment and subsequently lowering the unemployment rate. But in doing so you have also eroded job security, which means that while you have fostered the creation of new jobs, you have also made such employment less certain for many others.

Finally, I need not remind you of Justice Catherine Branson's ruling concerning the $30,000 fine to be paid by the Department of Workplace of Relations to the Community and Public Sector Union, for breaking the very laws they are mean to enforce. It's almost like you want us to elect unions to run this country considering the job you're doing.

I could go on, but I won't, I'll just cast my vote on 24 November.

Yours faithfully,
[Dr Witmol]

P.S: One of the first tenets of environmental conservation is 'reduce' e.g. reduce paper usage by choosing other methods of communication. Keep this in mind next time you want to communicate to your electorate.

P.P.S: It saddens me to think that I can't guarantee that you'll read this, care or reply in a manner other than a standard form letter.