City of Greater Bendigo councillor Alec Sandner’s comment in relation to Golden Square residents’ objection to poker machines - that they should have thought about that before they moved there - is disturbingly ignorant.

Had he bothered to consider the community in Golden Square before he voted in favour of poker machines, it would have been obvious to him that most of the people who live in the area, and unanimously opposed poker machines in their community, lived there before the Kennett Liberal Government introduced poker machines to Victoria.

He would have seen, directly across the road from the hotel in question, children playing in the park, CFA volunteers training at the Golden Square Fire Station, people engaging in activities at the Golden Square senior citizens’ centre and local residents going about their life.

None of the four councillors who voted in favour of the poker machines reside in, or operate a business anywhere near the area.

Interestingly, three of these four councillors have failed as Liberal Party candidates in Bendigo, while the fourth, Windermere Hotel owner Barry Lyons, has a clear conflict of interest.

Bendigo people are familiar with the myriad evidence regarding the detrimental effect the introduction of poker machines has had in Victoria; they are informed, astute and intelligent and they vote accordingly.

If the Liberal Party wants to win a seat in Bendigo it needs to respect the people, listen to the people and actively demonstrate that it is working to make our city a better place.

ELIZABETH MORLEY,

Golden Square