Letter to the Editor: Election outcomes determine mandate

DEAR News Of The Area,

This is a response to Ian Roberts, Fingal Bay (Letter to the Editor, 19 February).

Mr Roberts claims there was “no political mandate” for offshore wind.

The record tells a very different story: it was opposition groups, not Labor candidates, who turned offshore wind into a federal election issue.

Social media posts from April 2025, including those shared by Mr Roberts and his fellow activists, make this clear: they staged sit-in protests outside Meryl Swanson’s office, produced their own “how-to-vote” cards, and actively supported the Liberal candidate, who campaigned explicitly against offshore wind.

The reality is that poorly planned campaigns by local activists, who misread public sentiment and lacked experience in electoral politics, carry consequences.

By failing to win a single polling booth, these campaigns handed their opponent exactly what they claimed didn’t exist: a clear public mandate with an increased margin!

Election outcomes, not protest signs or rhetoric, determine mandate.

Regards,
Justin PAGE,
Hunter Jobs Alliance.