CHOGM –Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – is causing great excitement in Perth, at least among the political parties. The average everyday person I think sees it as a non-event or just an inconvenience. There will be those, of course, who will enjoy their glimpse of the Queen and good luck to them.
It just bothers me that we can turn our whole state upside down in honour of an occasion that means very little to the people of Western Australia (WA) and will benefit them probably even less. Sure the big hotels will no doubt get some patronage but I doubt the Heads of Government will be strolling the tourist precincts of Perth or buying souvenirs to take home to their family. Far more likely, I would imagine, that our tax payer dollars will be going to purchase souvenirs to present to them on behalf of the WA and Commonwealth governments.
People are having to obtain passes to get into their own streets and houses, homeless people are being moved into hostels that have suddenly got beds available and half a dozen private rooms in one of our major hospitals are being refurbished in case any dignitaries fall ill. Our hospital rooms probably need an upgrade, but more importantly our hospitals need more funds and more beds for those of us who live here all the time.
One of our all time favourite parks, Kings Park, will be closed to the general public during the period of CHOGM, our police force will be tied up on security details, and the risk of riots occurring are much higher than Perth would normally face.
Out of the three days of CHOGM the government of WA has declared Friday 28 October a public holiday. No doubt this will please many –we do love our public holidays. However to grant this public holiday, in honour of the Queen’s visit, the government has seen fit to remove the public holiday WA normally has at the beginning of the September/October school holidays.
In changing the date of the long weekend the government has completely thrown a spanner in the works for our small remote town in the mid west WA. Our town holds its annual race meeting/festival that weekend with races Saturday and Monday and a rodeo on Sunday with various other events slotted in.
A committee works hard all year to bring this weekend to fruition. It is our one chance to show off our town in a positive light, bring people together for three days of fun and sport, and raise much needed funds towards the following year’s festival.
Our Monday races are traditionally the quieter of the two days racing but this year it remains to be seen if it will even be viable. Funding requirements mean we must run races both days and many trainers and jockeys would be reluctant to travel to our town for just one day of racing. However the Monday is going to be depleted of spectators who will have to work in many cases, volunteers who will also be working and possibly race participants as well with there being no holiday on the Monday. The Sunday night ball may not attract as many people with some having to front up to work on Monday morning.
I guess in the scheme of the importance of CHOGM and what it means politically to our state and country, our little town’s event is not a blip on the radar screen of the organisers. But the non-existent blip for them is a major blob for us and it would be nice if occasionally governments looked outside their city-centric offices and considered those of us who live without so many of the conveniences of our city cousins, and yet still contribute to the government’s tax coffers, before they make sweeping decisions without any consultation.
