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Which electorate are you in?

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Someone asked me recently which electorate I was in, and the answer completely eluded me! Despite my aversion to much of politics there really is no excuse for political ignorance... I admit I usually catch up with details around election time and anytime there's a pressing climate change issue (like Copenhagen!)... but I've decided to do a bit of research about my electorate, which happens to be Ivanhoe. There are over 37 000 voters in my electorate - that would require at least 100 door knocks a day for a year if I was going to visit everyone to discuss voting green in the next election. A rather sobering thought! Though I am impressed that so many candidates door knocked the neighbourhood when I lived in Malvern - a mammoth task.

Craig Landon is evidently the man of the moment, but not just the moment - the last 13 years! He stormed the 2006 election with a 60%/40% result. I guess this is a pretty safe Labor seat... though I was thrilled to discover that an independent has previously held the seat of Ivanhoe (it was in the 40s though). Craig appears to have completed high school in the area, but never attended university, going straight to work as a bank officer. He has been caught up in a number of scandals, including being accused of having a secret gay lover, inappropriate political conduct including pressuring prospective mayoral candidates to drop defamation suits against him and he has even been accused of trying to run over a councillor's son!

Most of his previous major projects have revolved around the Austin hospital and development of police labs, court houses and schools, with future and current projects all falling under the same pattern. In fact, to date he has not been involved in a green project at all. Very disappointing. I think I'll have to organise a meeting with this fellow - it's time to take on the challenge of the Australian Conversation Foundation and ask him to be accountable for climate action!

I'm really glad I undertook this fact finding mission - though extremely disappointed to find out what sort of leader we actually have in here in Ivanhoe.

Labels: electorate, politics, self improvements

posted by genloz at 11:39 AM 0 Comments

The Spice of Life

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Yum! I think I have a new favourite restaurant... We went out to the Moroccan Soup Bar last Saturday with a few friends for an absolutely delicious 3 course moroccan meal... One of my new favourite foods is the Moroccan Chickpea/Yoghurt Bake - one of the 7! main course dishes brought out for the 5 of us ~ and all for $20 each. The restaurant inspired me to take on a challenge... Cook all the recipes from a cook book - a Moroccan cook book! I'm going to master the art one recipe at a time, and of course have officially added this goal to my list of 43 things.

I'm actually quite excited today because I've come closer to finishing all my outside-work work than ever before.... Only 2 items remain on the list... and of course there are 3 new potential clients/jobs sitting in my inbox but it's exciting all the same. This has been hanging over my head for quite some time and I've been desperately trying to catch up... and now it's almost happened!! :-) Nothing like a day off work to get ahead (thank-you Melbourne Cup Day)...

I'm thinking my next restaurant to try will be the Wild Yak... Momos here I come :-)

Labels: moroccan soup bar, recipes, self improvements

posted by genloz at 9:50 PM 0 Comments