The Border Watch: March 3, 2009

KEEPING THE SOUTH EAST INFORMED SINCE 1861

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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McEwen departs BY SANDRA MORELLO Email: [email protected]

INDEPENDENT Member for Mount Gambier Rory McEwen yesterday officially resigned from his State Cabinet position, revealing he first considered retiring when he suffered his heart attack. “After nearly six and a half years in the ministry and five as Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, I believe the time is right for me to retire from the ministry,” Mr McEwen said in a statement late yesterday afternoon. “After suffering a heart attack in August 2007 I considered retiring then, but I received medical advice indicating I was still fit and well enough to keep working, so I decided to continue as minister.” Mr McEwen advised Premier Mike Rann in October last year that he wished to retire from the ministry in early 2009 and return to his local duties as Member for Mount Gambier until the calling of the 2010 election. “I look forward to returning to full-time duty as the Member for Mount Gambier,” he said. In the lead up to the 2006 state election, he said he made up his mind to retire as a cabinet minister about “a year out” from the 2010 poll. Meanwhile, Mr Rann - who received the resignation from Mr McEwen at the end of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting - paid tribute to his commitment. “Rory McEwen was an Independent Liberal Member when we decided to bring his rural expertise into the Cabinet in late 2002,” Mr Rann said. “I said at the time he entered Cabinet that Mr McEwen had talent, ability, enthusiasm and energy - all the qualities necessary to be

WEATHER

an effective member of Cabinet. “He has not disappointed us.” The Premier said Mr McEwen had been a champion of regional and country Australia. “While the decision to join our Cabinet ensured the government had the stability necessary in the Lower House to support the government’s important legislative reform program planned for this term, we invited him to stay on in our second term because his contribution had been so outstanding,” he said. Mr Rann also paid homage to Corrections, Road Safety and Gambling Minister Carmel Zollo, who also offered her resignation yesterday. He said two new ministers would be named after a caucus ballot this morning and sworn in before Question Time in parliament. Mr McEwen was elected to State Parliament in 1997 as a conservative Independent, after losing Liberal preselection to a self-employed sawmiller Scott Dixon. When Liberal member for Mount Gambier Harold Allison retired, Mr McEwen - who was chair of Grant District Council at the time - was widely expected to win preselection. His narrow election win resulted in him along with two other conservative independents - holding the balance of power in the Liberal Party’s minority government. But in an unorthodox move by the Labor Party which made history in South Australia, Mr McEwen was offered a Cabinet position in November 2002. This move helped shore up a majority government for Labor. Under his portfolio in cabinet, Mr McEwen tackled a number of difficult issues such as the ongoing drought and changes to fishing legislation and was embroiled in controversy surrounding political donations.

Mount Gambier Today - Rain periods. Windy change. 24o – page 23

Art event hailed a success PEOPLE from across the region converged on Mount Gambier’s Old Gaol precinct on Saturday for the conclusion of the week-long 2009 National Limestone Sculpture Symposium to see what the 29 participating artists had created from blocks of the region’s stone. Artists travelled from across Australia and overseas to take part in the visual arts event. Many works were offered for sale at the weekend before the sculptors began preparing to return home. Guest artist Craig Medson of Queensland said he had enjoyed a memorable week of sculpting and meeting other artists and the public with friendly people and fine weather contributing to the success. “Everyone learns people from beginners to advanced sculptors are here, but everyone is equal and there is a good sharing of knowledge and learning,” he said. Dozens of South East residents, including school children, also learnt about the art of limestone sculpting at the event, from concept design through to completion of works, picking up basic skills along the way in workshops and gaining inspiration from the diverse array of creations.

pCompton eight-year-old Ryan Walter enjoys getting up close to a dolomite turtle at the 2009 National Limestone Sculpture Symposium. Picture: JASON WALLACE.

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COMICS

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•More stories and pictures in Thursday’s arts section.

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