Birthday greasings: Andrew Podolak with his offending birthday cards.
ERIN PEARSON
MOST people relish the delivery of a birthday card straight to their letterbox.
But Lara’s Andrew Podolak slammed his Geelong MPs, Richard Marles and John Eren, for sending him two “expensive” birthday cards this week.
Mr Podolak called the cards a blatant waste of public money, demanding the MPs immediately cease taxpayer-funded birthday greetings.
“The money should be spent on improving the city, helping the homeless or on education but instead it’s being wasted on expensive cards.
“A homeless shelter could be built for the price of all these cards and house hundreds of people in need.”
“Shame, shame, shame. They should use common sense and spend the money where it’s needed and not waste our public money.”
Mr Podolak said the cards were the first he had received from the MPs since moving to Lara seven years ago.
Mr Marles defended his gesture of goodwill and its “very small” cost.
The cards only went to constituents on significant birthdays, such as 50-year milestones.
“The vast majority of the feedback we get is a sense of gratitude about having being acknowledged. I think it’s a good thing to acknowledge a special day in people’s lives,” Mr Marles said.
“To have that acknowledgement from a local member of parliament is a nice thing.
“The Queen has been acknowledging people’s birthdays in the Commonwealth for a long, long time.”
Mr Marles said he was unaware of the cost of producing the cards with his printing allowance.
Mr Eren vowed to also continue sending the cards.
“The amount of thank-yous in letter form and phone calls to my office responding to the cards is overwhelming,” he said.
“Sometimes whether we like it or not some elderly in our community are very lonely and don’t often get birthday cards, so I think it’s absolutely appropriate to wish someone a happy birthday.
“It’s the Australian thing to do.”
