It’s a new world for the Member for Barker

Plenty on the 2023 to-do list for Tony Pasin

It has been unchartered waters for Member for Barker Tony Pasin over the past eight months. After his first eight and a half years in Federal politics was spent in government, he is now in opposition. Gone is the easy access to ministers and the sense of satisfaction of taking part in the decision making process and implementing policy and it has been a learning curve.

“I remember ringing Tony Abbott, considered one of the great Opposition Leaders, for advice – the reality is we are not in government and we now focus on highlighting issues and advocating on behalf of our communities,” Mr Pasin said. “It is a change from eight and a half years in government solving problems – it is hard to get used to the idea that your role is to raise the problem and not necessarily design the solution.”

One solution to help build regional Australia was the previous Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund and Mr Pasin is devastated the current Albanese Government announced, on October 24 last year, the discontinuation of the program.

“That was something designed by us to solve problems,” Mr Pasin said. “It was linked to social capital in communities.”

Major projects including the Mount Gambier Regional Airport and Glenburnie Racecourse and smaller projects including upgrades to Mil Lel and Coonawarra Halls were beneficiaries of the fund and Mr Pasin is concerned how this kind of regional development will now be financed.

“I was hoping that fund would help with the required upgrades at the Mount Gambier Saleyards,” he said. The Member for Barker, who is also the Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, also has grave fears for the upgrading of the communication network with the latest round of mobile tower funding ignoring any potential Barker projects.

Mr Pasin is also playing a waiting game for a meeting with Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt with the view to discussing the challenges facing the wine industry, more pressingly as it relates to the Riverland.

It is not all doom and gloom with a healthy dose of frustration as Mr Pasin’s push for a cancer treatment centre in Mount Gambier slowly but surely gaining momentum following a community forum and meetings with key stakeholders at the end of last year.

The newly formed working party, which has around a dozen members, is meeting on the 25th of this month and the business case has now been handed to the Limestone Coast Local health Network for their assessment when it comes to setting up a radiation treatment facility to cater for Limestone Coast patients.

The Federal funding of $4.5million, allocated by the previous Federal Government, is still sitting there waiting to be accessed and it will, along other things, require a $3million per annum contribution from the State Government for running costs.

“If this community is worth anything in terms of health services that money should be there – I will be making a big deal about this,” Mr Pasin said. “I would much rather see the $4.3million spent on a radiation treatment facility than a lick of paint on consulting rooms at the hospital.”

Current projected numbers for such a centre sees around 170 patients rising to 200. And in terms of other priorities for the coming year, it is good news for the Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association with Mr Pasin determined to see the Margaret Street facilities given a complete overhaul.

“Redeveloping those courts at Olympic Park would complete the Wulanda precinct,” he said. “The tennis association has been very supportive of Wulanda and to put up with being a construction site and its rundown facilities need to be upgraded for local players as well as to start attracting those satellite events again.”

As part of Mr Pasin’s portfolio he will certainly be advocating for road funding for this region, with a focus on the Southern Ports, Riddoch and Dukes Highways. “I will be looking at the duplication of the Dukes Highway and more overtaking lanes, some of which are under construction right now, for the Riddoch Highway and Southern Ports,” he said.