SINCE I last wrote my editor’s column there have certainly been some major changes!

I must admit I would never have picked that Labor’s Emma Husar would claim Lindsay in the Federal Election. I knew it would be close, but I still thought right up until

the last counts that Fiona Scott would nick in.

Congratulations to the new member for Lindsay. It will be a tough gig, and not least because it is the first time in history our local federal seat has not been held by a member of the government.

It will definitely be challenging for the incoming member being in opposition - as the promises made during the election campaign are not going to see the light of day unless Labor wins the election in three years time. I’ve noticed that many people don’t understand that’s the way it works, but Malcolm Turnbull is hardly going to honour Labor’s promises as well as his own.

Hopefully Ms Husar can tackle the role in a positive manner and work to continue achieving things for Penrith, and not be tempted to just throw grenades at the government.

I’d like to thank the outgoing member Fiona Scott for her dedication to our electorate over the past three years. Politics is a thankless job, and the spotlight is often focused on the negatives rather than the positives. Definitely not a gig for the faint-hearted!

The other major change in the last fortnight was the banishing of greyhound racing. It was a shock announcement that is certain to take centre-stage and continue to ripple for quite some time.

As an animal lover I can see that, what essentially has been exposed as a blood sport, could not have continued in the manner it did. It’s just a shame that that there couldn’t have been an option that involved more policing of the practices rather than a complete ban. I grew up with greyhound racing, my Dad and my Uncle both raced dogs, but I can tell you the love they had for their dogs was about as polar opposite to cruelty as could be. My father woke at 5 every morning to walk them in Centennial Park and they even had their own bedrooms!

Not all involved in greyhound racing were inhumane or even dismissive of their

product. There’s a bucket load of love there too.

Your thoughts? kerrie@nepeannews.com.au

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