Candidates for the Ipswich City Council election on 16 March are not getting much sleep at the moment.
There’s people to meet, places to be seen and not a lot of time to knock on as many doors as possible.
Elections are a funny old thing. Traditionally they have been about a contest of ideas and a vision for the future. In the digital age a candidate has so much more to deal with in terms of promoting themselves and telling us why we should vote for them.
I can recall the federal election of 1972 when I’d just started my first job in a supermarket. It was the year Gough Whitlam got elected prime minister. On the corner opposite was a Labor Party caravan adorned with banners and speakers. At random times throughout the day it would belt out the “It’s Time” song.
But I digress.
Back to 2024 and I wonder how many actively seek out policies of candidates. Teresa Harding, David Martin and Peter Robinson appear to be the only mayoral candidates with a web presence. On these sites you at least get an idea of what they are about and their priorities for the next term of council if elected.
All three highlight infrastructure and call for Ipswich to get it’s fair share. We know we need a bridge, trains between Springfield Central and Ipswich, and the federal and state governments to stop delaying major highway upgrades.
There’s one thing I haven’t seen. A solid and realistic plan for a new performing arts venue with an audience capacity to attract major shows to Ipswich. A revamp of the civic centre isn’t enough.
If I’m not mistaken the last time Ipswich received such largesse for performing arts purposes was from the Whitlam government to build Ipswich Civic Centre (aka Civic Hall) in the early 1970s.
We keep hearing Ipswich is the fastest growing city. Our leaders need to stop putting this on the backburner. Ipswich deserves a totally new performing arts centre to match its population.
It’s time.
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