Meg Andrews had no intention of standing for Parliament again – but when the Labor Government floated its offshore wind turbine plan
she blew her stack.
By Catherine Watson
ENTERING the Wonthaggi Baptist Church on Thursday night for a candidate forum, Meg Edwards must have felt a touch of déjà vu. Just over six months ago she was on the stage as a candidate for Monash in the federal election, when she stood as a Liberal Democrat.
This election Meg is standing as a ”conservative independent” for Bass in the state election.
“I honestly was not planning to be doing this again,” she told the forum. “What tipped me down this path was the offshore wind turbines planned for our coast.”
In October the Commonwealth and Victorian governments agreed to jointly fund feasibility studies and fast track Victorian offshore wind projects, most of them off the Gippsland coast, where there is no shortage of wind power.
ENTERING the Wonthaggi Baptist Church on Thursday night for a candidate forum, Meg Edwards must have felt a touch of déjà vu. Just over six months ago she was on the stage as a candidate for Monash in the federal election, when she stood as a Liberal Democrat.
This election Meg is standing as a ”conservative independent” for Bass in the state election.
“I honestly was not planning to be doing this again,” she told the forum. “What tipped me down this path was the offshore wind turbines planned for our coast.”
In October the Commonwealth and Victorian governments agreed to jointly fund feasibility studies and fast track Victorian offshore wind projects, most of them off the Gippsland coast, where there is no shortage of wind power.
To Meg Edwards the turbines represent environmental vandalism, pure and simple. “We have an issue here that wasn’t even on the radar a few weeks ago.
“It was not raised as an election issue and still not many people know about it or the extent of the proposals … they have been rushed through without proper consultation. What about the impact on our shearwaters and the whale migration? What about all alternatives?
“It was not raised as an election issue and still not many people know about it or the extent of the proposals … they have been rushed through without proper consultation. What about the impact on our shearwaters and the whale migration? What about all alternatives?
| “All energy options need to be explored. The prohibition on nuclear even being debated needs to be lifted so that we can have a full exploration of all options including it and small scale energy at an individual and community level.” She is disappointed that none of the major parties opposed or called for a moratorium on the offshore wind energy project when it was announced. “Elected representatives have a responsibility to actually represent their communities and unfortunately we are not seeing that from any of the existing candidates in relation to the wind turbines. I’m finding plenty of support now that I’ve picked up the gauntlet.” | Top issues for Bass 1. Stop the offshore wind turbines. “A #1 vote for Meg is a vote against the wind turbines.” 2. More government transparency. “The only way to regain the huge loss of trust in our government and other institutions is to push for transparency in every way.” 3. Less government over-reach. “We need small, effective government to provide core services and to get out of the way.” |
Clearly she’s not going to win but she wants to send a message to the majors and raise awareness about the turbines. “Bass is one the most marginal seats in the state. Our preferences could likely determine the outcome of the seat. We don't want huge industrial wind turbines destroying our coast and the environment for wildlife.”
She’s also supportive of the campaign to stop sand mining in the Western Port Woodlands.
In case this all sounds a bit Green she hastens to add, “Conservatives care about conserving what is good and that includes the environment.”
Since the federal election, she’s parted ways with the Liberal Democrats. She still believes in the libertarian values of less government but says she has a different stance from the party’s Victorian branch on a number of issues including drugs and brothels.
In the past year she’s also ditched the Liberal Party (for whom she ran as a candidate in the Upper House seat of Eastern Victoria in 2018). “My values still align with what the Liberal Party says on their website that they believe in yet we aren’t seeing those values and beliefs demonstrated by the current Liberal Party.”
She and her partner co-manage a sustainable building business and a small grazing farm at Fish Creek where they are practising regenerative agriculture. With two young sons, the family divides their time between the farm and a house in Inverloch.
She is Gippsland through and through, born near Maffra to a farming family that shifted to Fish Creek. She later went to Newhaven College and her first full-time job was at Phillip Island Nature Parks.
After a stint in Queensland, she and her partner returned in 2013 and she was soon involved with community groups and committees. In 2016 she was elected to the South Gippsland Shire Council but was one of several councillors to resign from a dysfunctional council that was later sacked.
“There are ways to debate that are productive and there are ways that just shut it down. There is never a place for personal attacks in politics. We need to have respectful dialogue.”
Despite that experience, she likes the contest of ideas and would dearly love to see more people in the public square debating policy. “We all need to have a say in the future of our region, our state and our nation. How does a policy dreamed up in Spring Street or Canberra actually affect people? We see so often that it’s out of touch. There are some very well intentioned policies that create chaos with unintended consequences.
“I believe in the philosophy of less government and more personal responsibility. I see the overreach of government at all levels. We need essential infrastructure and services such as hospitals, schools, roads and as a community we need to look after vulnerable people.
“But we don’t need government to make every decision for us. We don’t need a government telling us how to live our lives.”
She acknowledges an elected representative can’t please everyone, but says they need to listen, engage and explain how they reached a position.
“I’ve been incredibly disappointed that we have not seen that substance from our current representative in Bass. In fact when I called her to discuss some legislation last year she referred me to Fiona Patten’s [Reason Party leader] videos and refused to answer my question of whether she had even read or understood the legislation she was to vote on.
“Cutting ribbons is retail politics but voting on legislation is what actually changes lives and the trajectory of our state and being able to explain how and why you reach a position is a responsibility.”
She’s also supportive of the campaign to stop sand mining in the Western Port Woodlands.
In case this all sounds a bit Green she hastens to add, “Conservatives care about conserving what is good and that includes the environment.”
Since the federal election, she’s parted ways with the Liberal Democrats. She still believes in the libertarian values of less government but says she has a different stance from the party’s Victorian branch on a number of issues including drugs and brothels.
In the past year she’s also ditched the Liberal Party (for whom she ran as a candidate in the Upper House seat of Eastern Victoria in 2018). “My values still align with what the Liberal Party says on their website that they believe in yet we aren’t seeing those values and beliefs demonstrated by the current Liberal Party.”
She and her partner co-manage a sustainable building business and a small grazing farm at Fish Creek where they are practising regenerative agriculture. With two young sons, the family divides their time between the farm and a house in Inverloch.
She is Gippsland through and through, born near Maffra to a farming family that shifted to Fish Creek. She later went to Newhaven College and her first full-time job was at Phillip Island Nature Parks.
After a stint in Queensland, she and her partner returned in 2013 and she was soon involved with community groups and committees. In 2016 she was elected to the South Gippsland Shire Council but was one of several councillors to resign from a dysfunctional council that was later sacked.
“There are ways to debate that are productive and there are ways that just shut it down. There is never a place for personal attacks in politics. We need to have respectful dialogue.”
Despite that experience, she likes the contest of ideas and would dearly love to see more people in the public square debating policy. “We all need to have a say in the future of our region, our state and our nation. How does a policy dreamed up in Spring Street or Canberra actually affect people? We see so often that it’s out of touch. There are some very well intentioned policies that create chaos with unintended consequences.
“I believe in the philosophy of less government and more personal responsibility. I see the overreach of government at all levels. We need essential infrastructure and services such as hospitals, schools, roads and as a community we need to look after vulnerable people.
“But we don’t need government to make every decision for us. We don’t need a government telling us how to live our lives.”
She acknowledges an elected representative can’t please everyone, but says they need to listen, engage and explain how they reached a position.
“I’ve been incredibly disappointed that we have not seen that substance from our current representative in Bass. In fact when I called her to discuss some legislation last year she referred me to Fiona Patten’s [Reason Party leader] videos and refused to answer my question of whether she had even read or understood the legislation she was to vote on.
“Cutting ribbons is retail politics but voting on legislation is what actually changes lives and the trajectory of our state and being able to explain how and why you reach a position is a responsibility.”