Politics & Council
29 November, 2023
Our readers have their say on 'woke' declaration
Trapped in a time warp Sir I was shocked to read last week’s front page of the Loddon Herald (November 16) in which our new Mayor Gavan Holt spoke of stopping the virus of wokeism. Further into the paper I read an opinion piece from our previous...
Trapped in atime warp
Sir I was shocked to read last week’s front page of the Loddon Herald (November 16) in which our new Mayor Gavan Holt spoke of stopping the virus of wokeism.
Further into the paper I read an opinion piece from our previous Mayor, claiming treechangers are a threat to our conservative values and way of life.
How little things change in this part of the world. In fact, I feel like I’m trapped in a time warp.
It immediately reminded me of a Liberal Party talk several years ago when both National Party Damien Drum and Loddon Shire Mayor at the time, claimed “Blockies” were the ruination of our communities.
In response to that talk, I listed the number of services and clubs that ourselves and our four blocky neighbours either ran or were committee members.
It totalled 15, with many more groups that we supported or were members of. Perhaps I need to do another count with all our new Treechanger neighbours.
We should be celebrating new people coming into our towns, bringing new businesses, revamping old tired businesses, bringing new ideas, children for our schools, for our sporting clubs, a future for our communities.
I am so excited for the future of our towns, as I meet so many highly skilled, creative, passionate people who have chosen our towns to move to. Welcome!
As for the use of the word ‘wokeism’. Woke is a term originated in African American culture in relation to oppression. It gained notoriety during the Black Lives Matter movement.
Wokeism is a term to describe a heightened social awareness and social conscience that seeks to address social injustice, inequality and discrimination.
It challenges systematic issues such as racism and sexism. Issues that affect many in our communities.
In recent years the term has been hijacked by conservative white men (such as Trump) who have twisted its meaning into something derogatory, in an attempt to diminish the power of the word and belittle the people who use it.
Sad indictment that it now appears on the front page of the local paper and is used as the Mayor’s justification for three conservative white males to vote him back into office.
Marg van Veen
Wedderburn
Sharing the disappointment
Sir, I, too, Cr Jungwirth am disappointed that Cr Murphy was not elected mayor.
There are many points of contention to be raised in response to Cr Holt’s opinion on ‘wokeism’ in last week’s Loddon Herald.
Let me focus on sexism. Sexism is alive and well at Loddon council as demonstrated by the appointment of Cr Holt to the mayor’s position for the seventh time.
For those who are unaware, since October 2012 there have been five wards in the Loddon Shire. In that 11 years, only one female councillor (Cheryl McKinnon) has been appointed mayor, a position she held for two years.
Cr Murphy and Cr Straub both took up councillor roles at the same time yet Cr Murphy’s bid for mayor is rejected and Cr Straub is nominated for a third ter. Really?
Inglewood Ward’s previous councillor was never considered for the top job.
Don’t fall for the spin of our three male councillors. Gender inequality and gender discrimination at Loddon Shire must be called out.
The benefits of female leadership have been well documented but at Loddon Shire it is apparent that heads are still firmly in the sand.
Catherine Norman
Inglewood
‘Woke virus’ not a threat
Sir, Just in time for Christmas, the three wise men - Councillors Beattie, Holt and Straub - have engineered the seventh coming of Gavan Holt, (Loddon Herald November 16).
Selflessly stepping into the mayoral breach (yet again) and displaying an unusual grasp of epidemiology, Gavan is going to save us from the dreaded ‘woke virus’.
With Dan Andrews-like arrogance he has declared “We need to ensure the virus does not get hold in the leadership of Loddon Shire Council”.
Pompous, self-serving rubbish. Close the borders Gavan! Build a wall! Keep them out! Your attitude would resonate well with the likes of Donald Trump and Pauline Hanson.
The ‘Local Perspective’ on page 16, by retiring mayor, Dan Straub, displays a similar mindset. With addled logic, Dan depicts Loddon as a welcoming community that embraces diversity – so long as new comers leave that diversity at the shire border. A ‘conform and fit in or you’re not welcome’ sort of welcome.
That’s a parochial attitude shared by the similarly big-hatted and small-minded Queenslander, Bob Katter. It does not belong in the Loddon I know or care for.
Gavan Holt is reported as saying he “trusted all councillors would move forward from the vote and work together”. He and his backers,
Councillors Beattie and Straub, no doubt will. As for the women, Councillors Murphy and Jungwirth, if the boys don’t want to let you have a turn sitting in the big chair, you must be doing something right. Thank you, keep at it.
The ‘woke virus’ is not a threat to Loddon Shire. The cancer of entrenched male power, privelidge and insular conservatism is.
Max Higgs
Bridgewater