The Bulletin is proud of being a truly independent locally-based voice — while openly admitting a preference for the progressive side of politics with its greater focus on social justice. We’re proud of championing our voiceless and powerless fellow species, away from a laser focus on human issues. Injustice to other species does beg coverage.

From that perspective, we make no apologies for exposing and critiquing National Party’s activities. We fault the Nationals for their antiquated and damaging environmental politics that had free reign in recent NSW and federal Coalition governments.

On the hot button issue of vote buying incentives — linked to a recent damning NSW auditor general report in Monaro the Nationals mode of doing this was on clear display during John Barilaro’s years (we tagged him early as “Pork Barrelaro”) in his stint as local Member from 2011 until he chaperoned Nicole Overall (wife of former Queanbeyan mayor Tim Overall) to take over the seat in late 2021.

While Monaro communities benefited with programs and dollars from this style of politicking, one notable cost has been toxic resident disagreement about the hasty government decision to locate a new high school across various parcels of land in central Bungendore starting with the town park. This controversial location, rather than available greenfield sites, was promoted as a quick-fix election sweetener by the Nationals and Barilaro and carried forward by his successor Overall and state bureaucracy, over local council objections.

The cost is also a ’whatever it takes’ campaign style linked to Coalition forces in Monaro in recent elections. As we prepare for another state election March 25, I’ve pulled together this story after Terry Campese stepped aside as Labor candidate, and looked back at familiar tactics employed by National party/Coalition forces that we reported on.

You will also find in this issue a bizarre example of the federal Nationals commitment to continuing the international wildlife trade, featuring our best-known wildlife.

That doesn’t excuse Labor and the Greens in all states, locally in NSW and in the ACT, on their status quo wildlife ‘management’, forestry and biodiversity environmental policies stemming from colonial traditions to make money and change the nature of Australia.

Who knows this Australian colonial legacy that happens in our name? Kangaroos including wallabies remain the victims of the world’s biggest on-land wildlife slaughter — nightly butchered in the countryside, including in Eden-Monaro to ‘wild harvest’ as they call it, bushmeat (likely infested, as normal in wildlife, with pathogens) destined for human and petfood consumption, (please avoid) and for export skins for sports shoes. (No Virginia, they are not cleanly ‘farmed’ as many believe.)

That is on top of being shot as agricultural and urban ‘pests’. Looking at you ACT/Canberra government. Australians, including the mainstream media, remain resolutely quiet or unaware, or they have normalized the lethal and brutal treatment of the animal that holds up one side of the national coat-of-arms — and its joeys.

A century ago, this country had almost wiped out koalas in a similar commercial and export business trading in the fur and skins of those now beloved animals — tagged at the time as being as ‘abundant and disposable as bacteria’. We see the legacy for the koalas today coupled with habitat destruction. ‘Save the koala’ campaigns all over the place.