I did not explain properly, the 5 new members, was for this week only.

This question has been raised before Innes, with no answer. Do you publicise this Party on any other site or any other form of media apart from About Seniors.? If not I really think you are pushing the proverbial up-hill if you expect to get the required 400 to 500 members you require.

Innes, I think we may have some communication problems. Many of the comments you take as criticism are, I think, just people wanting more information before taking the decision to join. No one has DEMANDED to know how many members there are, but several (including myself) have expressed a wish to know. You have responded with "5 new members...... for this week" but have still not answered the original question. After asking several times, your reply starts to seem like avoidance of what should be a simple query. I am sure you dont mean it that way but some of your responses are sounding quite defensive. You need a spokesperson or someone who is familiar with the current status of most areas of the party to field queries and offer comment etc. Is there a publicity officer?

I joined the ASP and I think at least several others would like to but have concerns.If you want people to come on board, you need to address those concerns. Is there a meeting scheduled at some time?, perhaps you could throw it open to members and interested parties - at this early formative stage there should not be much that is confidential and anything to spark interest and growth should be explored. I am not proficient with IT, but perhaps the meeting could be made available over the internet via skype or some such program (obviously not interactive) for those who could not attend. If it is within "striking distance" of where I live, I will attend.

If the party is to get off the ground, it needs to generate interest, comment, controversy, enthusiam and involvement from people.

Is there any hope for representation of the Seniors of Australia?

I can understand that there is hesitation from the Seniors to join.

You know who the Executive is. It is not a secret. I have offered to a number of critics, on a number of occasions, to stand aside, in favour of any one of a number of you, & Gino has expressed a desire for you to find a replacement, Treasurer.

Oh, Gino has asked us here at About Seniors to find a replacement treasurer ?

I thought this was your party.

Fwed, you make some good points, but I think you overlook the fact that we are talking "politics" here. Its easy to sit back and criticise (and I have done my share), but at least Innes and Co seem to be actually DOING something. We can question every statement, be cynical about every promise and continue to snipe and criticise, but first, I suggest that we need to ask the basic question - "DO WE WANT POLITICAL REPRESENTATION FOR AUSTRALIAN SENIORS?"

If the concensus is "YES", then I suggest we all start being a bit more understanding and supportive or this initiative will never get off the ground.

The ASP is not Innes, or any one (or group) of individuals. It is the membership and that will grow as the organisation spreads the word and attracts people to join, support and hopefully, eventually lead. The Party is just in the formative stage and if we want it to work, we need to nurture and support it. Sure, we need to question significant decisions etc but first, we need to establish a political entity to represent US. I can only encourage people to give Innes and the other founders a break and help them to get on with the job. At the end of the day, what does it matter how many members the Party has right NOW - even if it is only 5, 10 or 50? The point is, the party exists and we can BUILD on that.

Please ask yourself why would Innes or anyone else persist in the face of constant criticism, complaint and interrogation - I certainly would not. I would never support "blind obedience", but now is not the time for "nit-picking" and pedantic questions - we need to slap the baby's bum and get it crying and breathing first.

I agree with you kfchugo but wonder why we have to have 5 topics relating to this matter.

Also there are 6 or more topics relating to climate change.



I hope innes does succeed with the party, but think he would do better if he didn't try and upset so many here.

Also trying to get a political party going on About Seniors is a bit restricted in it's advertising.

When he says that 82 of us have visited the web page, well I think he means that the web page has had 82 hits, which means if he has visited it 5 times and others have visited it multiple times, then the number of actual visitors is far less than 82.



The executive of the seniors party is made up of 3 people, one of whom wants out according to innes.

I think the executive needs to advertise the party to a broader audience that the 20 or so who regularly visit About Seniors.

I agree with you 100% Fwed and I understand your concerns. As I hope you can see, my first priority is to keep the Party going and I would hate to see Innes or anyone else discouraged by constant negative comment. ANY organisation, political party etc is not "born as an adult".....there will be teething problems etc and my personal view at this point is to try to help with the launch. There are things that I am unsure of, questions I would like to ask etc., etc but I dont want to swamp the workers (who are getting nothing out of this) with minor queries and distract them from the REAL job.

Innes (like all of us) is not perfect and he may have "over promised" or exaggerated a few points and I would have done the same to drum up membership. Fwed, I am not asking you to suddenly become "bosom buddies" with Innes (or vice versa), but as we all seem to have the same basic goal (political representation), it would be much more constructive if we all pulled together.

What Innes (and the others on the executive) are doing is a really thankless job and if they get it wrong, there will be no shortage of sharks to tear them to shreds. I am just suggesting that we all try to be more supportive, cut them some slack and concentrate on the end goal and the greater good that it will entail.

I keep going back to the "baby" analogy - you have to crawl before you can walk......there is a huge amount of work to be done and (so far) only a handful of hen-pecked volunteers to do it.

I don't get the time that I would like to be more involved with the discussion on the ASP because of my commitment to home owners in residential parks in Qld, but I do speak with Ken Innes on Skype and do understand what he is trying to achieve, and further, I also agree in principle with what kfchugo and fwed have been saying.

In short the ASP is not going to happen overnight and those who put in the effort to get it all started know that its all damned hard work, especially when those who sit back and not assist, offer only criticism.



I have told the members in our home owners association that if you prefer to play bingo all day then that is your prerogative, but at least give us your support when we are working in your interest, and that's how I see what the executive of the ASP-are saying, this party is in all our interests, there is nothing else. As far as the State and Federal Governments are concerned, we pensioners have served our purpose and we are now disposable, we are a liability.



We are only deemed an asset when we vote, a seniors party in one huge block of voters could only be to our advantage.

I have not joined yet because I only got the details From Ken Innes this morning, but rest assured it will be done.

Young Dave

Just a crazy thought. One of Australia's greatest citizens would have to be Shane Gould. If she could be persuaded to join, how would you feel about her being a nominee? Does anybody, on here have any contact possability?

I think that Shane would be an excellent nominee but, sadly, there is nobody in my circle of friends/acquaintances who give out autographs.