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Letter: Working mothers deserve the same standard
The Tamworth Branch of the Australian Labor Party has no intention of entering the debate about the leadership or internal affairs of Gunnedah Shire Council. Those matters are for the elected councillors and the Gunnedah community.
However, a public comment by newly elected Deputy Mayor Rob Hooke raises a much broader issue about how women in public life are judged.
Speaking on ABC New England North West about his predecessor, Cr Kate McGrath, Cr Hooke said:
“The deputy mayor did a great job, but she was a working mum, and couldn’t give the time that was necessary to support the mayor.”
Whatever the circumstances within Council, suggesting that a woman’s capacity to fulfil a leadership role is limited because she is a working mother is outdated and inappropriate in 2026.
Working fathers hold positions of responsibility across government, business and community organisations. Their capacity to lead is rarely questioned because they have employment and family responsibilities. Women deserve to be treated by the same standard.
We acknowledge that Cr McGrath is Senior Vice-President of the Tamworth Labor Branch. Our response, however, would be the same if such a comment were directed at any woman, regardless of her political affiliation.
On 26 September 1994, the Australian Labor Party formally adopted affirmative action for women candidates at its National Conference. That decision recognised that equal representation would not happen by simply waiting for attitudes and institutions to change.
More than 30 years later, the Australian Labor Party remains committed to supporting women to participate, lead and hold public office.
Five members of the Tamworth Branch Executive are women, including our President, Laura Hughes and Senior Vice President, Kate McGrath. They are among the many women in our community who successfully combine work, family life and public service.
This is not about taking sides in Gunnedah Shire Council matters. It is about rejecting an outdated double standard.
Women in public life should be judged on their conduct, capability and contribution, not on whether they are mothers.
Laura Hughes, President
Robyn Lang, Secretary
Tamworth Branch, Australian Labor Party
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Letter: A remarkable double standard
Re: Deputy mayor under fire for ‘working mum’ remarks
I listened to incoming Gunnedah Deputy Mayor Rob Hooke’s comments on ABC Radio about outgoing Deputy Mayor Kate McGrath, and frankly I was appalled.
His suggestion that McGrath’s capacity to serve as Deputy Mayor was somehow compromised because she is a working mother with children is not only patronising, it could not be further from the truth.
McGrath has already demonstrated that she can balance work, family and public service. She served successfully as Deputy Mayor for two years. She has also made perfectly clear why she chose not to nominate again: she does not support Colleen Fuller continuing as Mayor and believes a Deputy Mayor must be able to work constructively with and support the Mayor.
That is a decision about leadership and governance. It has nothing whatsoever to do with being a working mother.
The irony is difficult to miss. The new Mayor and Deputy Mayor have a combined age of 159. Age should no more disqualify Fuller or Hooke from public office than motherhood should disqualify McGrath. They should all be judged on their capacity to do the job.
And that is where things become interesting.
New England Times reported more than 20 minutes of procedural confusion at the very meeting at which Fuller was returned as Mayor, including difficulties with meeting procedure. McGrath has since stated that she has been advised Hooke will chair council meetings going forward.
Why?
Chairing council meetings is surely one of the most fundamental responsibilities of a Mayor. If the Mayor is capable of performing that responsibility, why is the Deputy Mayor apparently going to do it? If she cannot chair the meetings, ratepayers are entitled to ask why she is Mayor.
Against that background, Hooke having a swipe at a working mother’s supposed capacity to perform the Deputy Mayor’s role is breathtaking.
Women across the New Engalnd and North West combine careers, children, families and community responsibilities every day. They should be encouraged to put their hands up for leadership, not have their motherhood used against them by men who apparently think having children is evidence of diminished commitment or capacity.
Kate McGrath has already proved she can do the job.
Perhaps Cr Hooke should spend less time questioning the capacity of working mothers and more time explaining why, as Deputy Mayor, he apparently needs to do part of the Mayor’s job.
Denise McHugh is an experienced educator in Tamworth. She is Chair of the NSW ALP Education and Skills Committee and Deputy President of the Independent Education Union (IEU).
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Letter: Duty is not treachery
I disagree with Andrew Hastie on plenty politically, but Pauline Hanson’s attack on him is disgraceful. The cartoon, posted and pinned to Hanson’s own social media account, depicts Hastie as a “traitor” over the evidence he gave in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case. That is not ordinary political criticism. It is an attack on the character, reputation and service of a former SAS officer who served this country in Afghanistan.
Hastie was subpoenaed to give evidence and, under oath, did what the law required of him. To portray that as betrayal is an extraordinary proposition. What exactly does Hanson believe he should have done: ignored a subpoena, refused to answer questions or lied under oath? Australians are entitled to disagree vehemently with Hastie’s politics, as I frequently do, but giving truthful evidence before a court is not treachery. It is an obligation under the rule of law.
Hanson has built much of her political persona around being someone who “tells it like it is”. Well, here she plainly is not. Hastie did not betray his country. He obeyed a subpoena and gave evidence under oath. Calling that treachery does not make Hanson fearless, outspoken or refreshingly politically incorrect. It simply makes the accusation false and grossly unfair.
Jacqui Lambie, herself a veteran, has cut through the political noise better than most, telling Hanson to “leave our veterans alone” and warning veterans considering supporting One Nation to “think twice”. She is right. This is bigger than whether you like Andrew Hastie, Pauline Hanson or Ben Roberts-Smith. It is about whether Australians who serve their country should be able to fulfil their legal obligations without having their loyalty and military service smeared for political purposes.
What makes this worse is Hanson’s response. Rather than recognise that she has crossed a line, she has doubled down. Her performance in the Chris Kenny interview, refusing to accept responsibility for a cartoon she authorised, voiced and continues to display prominently on her own account, demonstrated breathtaking arrogance.
And frankly, who does Pauline Hanson think she is to brand a decorated former SAS officer a traitor because he obeyed the law and gave evidence under oath? Political popularity does not confer moral authority, nor does a rising opinion poll give a politician licence to trash another person’s reputation.
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Letter: Perhaps read the curriculum first
Just when you thought political teacher-bashing could not become any more ridiculous, along comes the double act of Matt Canavan and Angus Taylor.
Canavan blames the rise of the toxic online “manosphere” partly on the supposed “feminisation of our curriculum”, claiming boys are tired of being lectured about “how bad men are”. Taylor then jumps aboard, warning ominously about “political agendas” in schools. Asked for an example, the Leader of the Opposition could apparently offer little more than the observation that his own children had occasionally come home from school saying things that concerned him.
Seriously?
These are senior politicians making accusations about an education system staffed by highly trained professionals teaching approved curricula and accountable to schools, systems, parents and professional standards. If Canavan can identify where this mysterious “feminisation” lurks in the Australian Curriculum, let him point it out. If Taylor has evidence of political indoctrination, let him produce it. Name the curriculum content. Identify the syllabus outcome. Tell us precisely what teachers are supposedly doing.
Otherwise, enough.
Teachers are already expected to respond to seemingly every social problem confronting young people — bullying, violence, vaping, mental health, online abuse, consent and respectful relationships. Now they are apparently responsible for misogynistic online subcultures and unspecified political indoctrination as well.
The manosphere was not created in Australian classrooms, and teaching respect, equality and healthy relationships is not an attack on boys.
Before Canavan and Taylor lecture teachers about what is happening in schools, perhaps they might try something radical: read the curriculum.
Until then, spare teachers the evidence-free culture-war nonsense and let them get on with doing their jobs. And frankly, just shut up!
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Letter: New management at Bupa impresses
I would like the Tamworth community to know about the positive changes at Bupa Aged Care Tamworth under its new General Manager, Katie.
The home has experienced many management changes in the past. Since Katie took over, however, I believe the service has changed for the better. She leads professionally, responds quickly to concerns and works hard to keep residents happy.
The nurses, nursing assistants and other staff are highly trained, kind-hearted and caring. New nursing staff have experience supporting elderly residents, people with mental health conditions, neurodivergent residents and people with complex health and mobility needs.
The staff have been very accommodating to my family. They allow us to have lunch with my parents and dine alongside other residents, which helps families remain connected.
A qualified commercial cookery chef is now employed at the home. The food is nutritious, well-balanced and served at a suitable texture and temperature for elderly residents. Residents are also given menu choices so they can select what they would like to eat.
When a resident passes away, staff hold a farewell honour walk as a mark of respect for the resident and their loved ones. I witnessed one while visiting my parents, and it was a deeply moving and emotional moment.
Monthly meetings give residents and relatives an opportunity to discuss services, activities, outings and any concerns. When a problem arises, Katie and her team act quickly to resolve it.
Since Katie became General Manager, I have seen meaningful improvements throughout the home. She and her staff deserve recognition for their dedication and for the positive difference they are making in residents’ lives.
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Letter: Make them earn your vote
I understand why people are frustrated at the moment.
The cost of living is hurting. Housing is unaffordable for too many people, rents keep going up, our health system is under pressure and regional communities are still fighting to get their fair share.
People have concerns about immigration, infrastructure, services and whether governments are actually listening. Those concerns are real, and I don’t think we should dismiss people for having them.
But we also need to look beyond what politicians are saying and consider what they would actually do.
If you’re thinking about voting for someone, have a look at their policies. Do their solutions address the things you’re concerned about? Can they deliver what they’re promising? How will they pay for it?
If they’re already in Parliament, check their record. Look at how they’ve voted on the issues that matter to you and your family. What politicians have actually done can tell us a lot more than what they’re saying now.
I’m not just talking about Pauline Hanson and One Nation. The same scrutiny should apply to Labor, the Coalition, the Greens and independents. We should all be prepared to question the people we support.
We also need to think about where we’re getting our news and information.
Just because someone is on TV, radio or Facebook doesn’t necessarily mean what they’re saying is impartial reporting. It may be their opinion or interpretation of events. There’s nothing wrong with listening to opinions, but we should know the difference between opinion and straight reporting.
None of us is immune from hearing something that confirms what we already think. I know I’m certainly not.
We’re not all going to agree, and that’s okay.
Whatever matters to you and your family, look at the policies, check the record, question what you’re being told and decide for yourself.
Make them earn your vote.
Robyn Lang is the Secretary of the Tamworth Regional Residents and Ratepayers Association Inc.
(TRRRA). She is actively involved in community advocacy and local issues across the Tamworth region, with a focus on community participation, clearer access to information, and helping local voices be heard on issues affecting the region.
Letter: Media circus continues for Joyce
The media circus continues for Mr Joyce, bemoaning how badly he has been treated in one breath and acknowledging he has had many chances in the next.
It’s easy to lose sight amidst all the performative cowboy nonsense (it can be found under the comedy gold section) on the abc app, and it’s easy to lose sight of the facts.
Joyce admitted he knew the side effects of the medication but still chose to drink , and we all saw the end results.
If these are the decisions he is making about his own person, why on earth would we see fit to make important decisions on our behalf?
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Letter: Tossing the good and keeping the crap
Re: Begin Rant: Stopping misinformation at the source
The editor might not have been game to hark back “to when my dad was VC of NSW Farmers but I will back to when I was President.
I established a “conference agenda committee” whose role was to weed out any repetitive motions and any factually incorrect motions. I put a motion in on my concern for the impact of EPBC legislation on farmers that was tossed out.
So may be they don’t know how to cull efficiently, tossing out the good and keeping the crap.
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Letter: So frustrating to be silenced
I’m a farmer in the area. I’ve sold my land to an energy company and leased it back so I can keep farming. I’m not the only one.
My kids have got the cash now, they don’t need to wait for me to die, and I can happily farm the rest of my days without stress, without having to worry about succession planning, all without family fights or drama. This was the right choice for me and my family.
Like everyone else, I can’t talk about it, there’s a non-disclosure clause in the contract.
But I just wanted to say it would be nice if I could just farm out the rest of my days without being bullied and abused, or watching our town being torn to shreds by new arrivals – or in the case of John Anderson and friends, people who don’t even live here, but have the arrogance to take the name ‘Walcha’ and use it for their campaigning.
And it would be nice if delegates at NSW Farmers this week remember that a lot of us in the room are not silent because we agree with the anti-renewables nonsense being put forward in motions from our region.
It’s very frustrating to be silenced sometimes. Not because of the NDA in the contract, I understand that, but because so many who we have known for a long time are listening to blow-ins instead of trusting us.
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Letter: Credit Where It’s Due
Re: TAFE NSW Tamworth to get $950,000 clean energy training upgrade
It’s easy to criticise governments. Social media and the letters pages are full of it. But when a government makes a genuine investment in regional Australia, it deserves to be acknowledged.
That’s why the announcement of a $24.8 million investment by the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments to expand clean energy training across NSW is such welcome news, particularly for Tamworth.
Our city has long been an important regional education and training hub, and being selected as one of only six TAFE campuses to receive upgraded training facilities is a vote of confidence in both our community and our future.
The investment isn’t simply about new buildings. It’s about giving local people the opportunity to gain the skills needed for secure, well-paid jobs in industries that will power Australia’s future. It also includes funding to train TAFE teachers in emerging technologies such as solar energy, battery storage, hydrogen safety and electric vehicle servicing, ensuring students learn from educators with the latest industry expertise.
For regional communities, opportunities like these matter. They mean more young people can study closer to home, local businesses have access to skilled workers, and regional economies are better placed to grow.
Too often we hear that regional Australia is overlooked. This time, Tamworth is firmly on the map.
Whether you’re passionate about clean energy or simply believe in investing in education and skills, this is the sort of practical initiative that deserves support. It’s good policy, good for regional NSW, and a reminder that governments should receive credit when they make investments that genuinely benefit local communities.
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