The campaign for the 2010 Australian Federal Elections has been characterized by a particularly high level of name-calling between the candidates, in particular by the Australian Liberal Party, whose candidate for candidate for the electorate of Corangamite is Sarah Henderson. On 30 July 2010 I wrote her a letter outlining my distaste for this behaviour, which I consider unworthy of anybody representing me in parliament, and outlining my four greatest concerns: bushfire danger, lack of network connectivity, poor power reliability and poor TV reception. She answered, but with a prohibition of publishing the answer. Still, I can say what she didn't mention: all four of the problems above.

In the time leading up to the election, I have been bombarded with propaganda. On 17 August 2010 I received two different documents from Sarah Henderson, an “Action Contract” and an “Action Plan”, with contents that only marginally matched. She slammed the wasteful policies of the Labor, but didn't explain why both of these documents had to be sent separately.

The “Action Contract” promises to tackle climate change and reduce CO₂ emissions; the “Action Plan” outlines what she would do if she were elected, including $200 million for better roads (making it easier to emit CO₂) and only $500,000 for the environment, all invested in third-party projects. She even promises bushfire protection measures—for some parts of the Surf Coast, presumably because it's closest to her office, or because that's where the tourists go, and a total of $200,000. As Edwin Groothuis put it, it's a Climate Real Action Plan, with an appropriate acronym.

On 20 August 2010 I received another document, designed specifically to denigrate her opponent:

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Open Letter to Sarah Henderson

Dear Mrs Henderson

I am writing to express my profound disgust with your public behaviour. With your denigatory propaganda post against Darren Cheeseman, you have ensured that I will put you at the bottom of the list in tomorrow's election.

I have already written to you expressing my four greatest concerns. I received an answer, but you forbade me to disclose the contents. That doesn't make much difference, because you didn't address any of them. Your own policies also clearly show that you are not in a position to represent the electorate of Corangamite. Nearly all of the spending you promise applies to areas close to Geelong. Although bushfires are a serious threat in Victoria, and Dereel in particular is one of the most endangered areas in the state and one of the few with inadequate infrastructure, your bushfire measures relate only to the Surf Coast. With a total of $200,000, it's clear that this isn't a high priority for you either. You talk about tackling climate change, and promise to spend $500,000—not in direct work, but in donations to other organizations. By contrast, you plan to encourage additional carbon dioxide emissions with the $195 million you plan to spend on duplicating the Princes Highway alone. You rant about Labor's unnecessary expenditure, but you waste your party's money by sending out multiple mailings, some on the same day.

As to your accusations of Darren Cheeseman—no friend of mine—I find it not only unworthy, but also incorrect and deliberately misleading. You claim that Darren Cheeseman is wasting $100,000,000 every day. That's stupid, and you know it. If the figure has any base in reality—something you haven't substantiated—it's nation-wide, something that a back-bencher can't influence directly.

You talk about Darren Cheeseman doing nothing about illegal boat arrivals. Why should he? When did an illegal boat last land in Corangamite? Using your dubious treatment of the truth, he could reply and say “See? I have a perfect record. Not a single illegal arrival during my tenure”.

You mention financial issues. You don't mention the Global Financial Crisis, from which Australia emerged better than any other western economy. It's not clear that this is due to Labor, but in my view it shows a certain lack of understanding to attack people where they appear strong.

You talk about a “strong local voice”. Why do you not mention a single local issue, or anything that Darren Cheeseman could have influenced directly? Your “strong local voice” sounds more like a weak echo of the Federal Liberal Party.

You talk about “cogs in the Labor machine”. Yes, if we elected you, you wouldn't be that. But all these polemics I have received from you have been distributed around the country with other candidates' names on them. It's clearly a Liberal policy which you are following. Doesn't that make you, too, a cog in the Liberal machine?

Finally: you talk about Cheeseman's record in general. Do you have any record?

Maybe one day you will grow up and become a good politician, and I might even vote for you. But at the moment I just see a lot of childish name-calling. You should be ashamed of yourself.