Malcolm Turnbull has thrown down, grown a spine and cast aside the aspersions of those who would dare criticise him both within his own party and across the aisle. He has addressed a pressing national concern with the kind of courage and conviction we expect of a leader. He has finally, finally become the leader we dreamed of.
I am not talking about the plebiscite. I am speaking of something of much greater national importance: the proposed skate park at Rushcutters Bay Park, in Turnbull’s electorate of Wentworth.
According to the Wentworth Courier, Turnbull has defended the concerns of local residents in the area surrounding this planned park, in trying to get it nixed. “Adding hard surfaces and concrete structures is not sympathetic to how the park is currently used by its visitors,” Mr Turnbull wrote in a submission.
“These facilities also raise noise concerns for local residents that neighbour the park. Furthermore, there is an exceptional skate park in Bondi Beach that is available to everyone in the eastern suburbs.”
It is a golden rule that every single letters page in a local newspaper must, by the laws of the universe, feature at least one letter about hooligans at local skate parks. That’s just how it works, and it’s a top-tier concern for local olds in any given area. And now Turnbull has buckled to them.
Paddington’s Alex Higgins-Titsha, 16, reckons Turnbull hasn’t properly investigated the proposal for the facility. He says that the proposed area is not actually widely used, and that the Bondi skate park Turnbull refers to is actually 30 minutes away. “I feel like (Mr Turnbull) is mocking our ideas without understanding us,” he said.
The consultation period for the skatepark has been extended to September 30 as the council considers it. But know this: Turnbull has intervened in a local issue in the most ungnarly and unchill way possible.
Source: Wentworth Courier.
Photo: Getty Images.
