Instead of baking Antonio Carluccio’s famous orange rice cake I’ve decided to run for Mayor of Launceston.
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It was a tough decision. But the skills required to be a good servant of the people have ‘me’ written all over them:
Creativity and flexible thinking – I’m known for my creativity with numbers and my ability to cave-in to a good argument.
Leadership – My way or the highway has always worked well for me.
Decision-making ability – Just light a few candles and start praying.
Team working skills – Team is my new favourite ‘thing’. It’s replaced the electric blanket.
The ability to work alone – I’m an only child … too easy.
Good communication skills, written and oral … 600 finely crafted words a week on these pages. Proof enough?
Enthusiasm and commitment for politics, policy issues and current affairs – I can confuse any politician or bureaucrat with great enthusiasm.
Voter-friendly – aka, get elected.
Therein lies a problem.
I’ve never really been Little Miss Popular. More often I’m Little Mrs Big Foot In Mouth.
Perhaps I’d appeal to the newly identified demographic – the dodgy voter?
Let’s face it, I’m probably not going to get too many votes from aspirational hipsters, the far left, the far right or even the skinny people in the middle who fly off to Provence each winter.
I might be an outside chance with the Collingwood, Carlton or Richmond fans who winter at home, couch-bound and eating peppermint chocolate, watching the footy, too much Netflix and the occasional Spanish movie on SBS.
Plus, I swear like a wharfie. However, I do have naturally curly hair. Do you think that might help?
Apparently, in another country, that starts with U and ends with A, they have support groups for elected public officials.
Why? They say it’s the fault of bureaucracy. They say elected officials get depressed because they can’t get reform through any level of government. Sound familiar?
Perhaps I’ll stay out in the real world and bake a cake. Recipe? www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/orange-rice-cake-torta-di-riso-al-profumo-d-arancio
On another matter:
How fabulous was Launceston last weekend?
The place was heaving and I sniffed generational change. That was, change mixed with economic recovery finally arriving in Northern Tasmania (just in time).
I am one of the team who presents Niche Market as a fundraising venture for St Giles.
Our Starry Night Niche at the Albert Hall last Friday was our biggest night market since we started in 2008/9 and returns from stallholder donations were close to our Christmas returns.
We had more than 3000 through the front door. At one stage, we were close to the hall’s safe capacity.
On Saturday at Launceston’s first night market on the revamped Civic Square, I estimated the crowd at close to 5000.
The dominant participants looked to be 30-somethings with a couple of small children.
That is, our kids with their kids. The younglings we introduced to Festivale 25 years ago, dressed for the weather with scarves, gloves, coats and beanies carrying or pushing their babies and toddlers; meeting friends in freezing but convivial circumstances…Local choirs, local food vans, goodwill.
Is this what economic recovery looks like? I hope so.
What was also cool about both events … Niche and the Night Market … was their use of community spaces, the Albert Hall and Civic Square, the old and the new, as real hubs bringing our community together.
PS … IF I was Mayor, I’d do something to incentivise AFL weekend trading for cafes.