I have not met my local/state member

of parliament. She is new. 

I did not vote for her. Voting for her would have been to vote for more than just inexperience. The alternative was not a lot better but I felt it was likely to have proved better. 

I have not changed my mind about that. It has been reinforced in recent days. Although she lacked any experience as a local member she was catapulted straight into a ministry, one of the most difficult ministries of all. She is also responsible for representing the members of her electorate. It is what she was elected to do.

There is a major construction underway in this state. There are road works and tunnels. When finished it will get some drivers to their destinations about ten minutes faster at the cost of billions of dollars. Someone, somewhere, thought this was a good idea.

Like any other major project the cost has blown out. It was always going to blow out. One of the major contractors, previously delighted to have obtained the work, is now wishing he had never heard of the project. He has been subjected to threats and violence. His family home was shot at while his elderly mother and his young daughter were there. A business he owned was burnt to the ground. He was refusing to pay the "fees" demanded by those who try to control any major project.

I do not know what his own business practices or habits are like. I have never met him. I am not likely to meet him. It does not matter. He won a contract to perform a job and, providing he keeps to the terms of the contract and the law, he should be free to do that job. He should be free to do it without demands from the criminal fraternity.  Nobody should be demanding more from him, least of all those who are not prepared to work.

When he went to visit our local state member to inform her of what had happened it was not simply because of what was happening to him. It was to say, "You, the state government, have a problem here. The cost of this project will blow out even further than it has. It is organised crime which will benefit."

If someone came to me with a story like that I hope I would have informed my boss immediately. The reports in our state newspaper suggest the first her boss knew of it was when it appeared in the paper. She had said nothing to her boss about a very serious issue with a major project. One of her ministerial colleagues said nothing. They are trying to blame their staff and also say that it is not up to them to deal with issues the police should handle. 

If this was bullying in the playground would you leave it up to the students to sort it out themselves? Would you do it even if you thought it might lead to serious violence? What if you were aware that a student had already been injured? Would you talk to a colleague but decide the head of the school did not need to know? If you were new to not just the school but to teaching would you ignore the issue or would you seek advice?

I do not like asking for help. I am apparently "far too pig-headed and independent" but I really do believe I would have informed someone with the capacity to take action that threats and attempts to intimidate had been made. What was allegedly happening to one contractor will likely be happening to others. This was not about telling tales. It should have been about saving millions and getting the job done.