By Donna Kelly  

Like many people around Australia, I was glued to the television on Saturday  night, watching the election play out.  

It was hard to know which way it was going until a few hours into counting but then the country turned red.  It was an incredible result for the ALP and a pretty sad one for the Liberal Party, with Mr Dutton even losing his own seat of Dickson.  

Personally I think it came down to two things. The first is that the world is pretty topsy-turvy at the moment so people may think it’s better to have stability – and vote for the party already governing.  I also think Mr Dutton headed into strange territory when he thought Australia was ready for a more Trump-style leadership.

Not as crazy as the Trumpets but still, a far bit more right-wing than most of us are comfortable with.

Ballarat MP Catherine King kept her seat again, no surprises there, and posted on Facebook: “Thank you Ballarat! It’s an incredible privilege to be returned as your MP,  and I’m looking forward to serving you in a majority Labor Government!”  

It also means I can finally report on a media release I received in early April. I didn’t run it then because I don’t really think election promises are news.  It said: “Member for Ballarat Catherine King will announce that a re-elected  Albanese Labor Government will provide $1.2 million to Hepburn Shire Council for community soccer upgrades.”  

There were two announcements for this, one at Victoria Park in Daylesford and one at the Doug Lindsay Reserve in Creswick. So that’s some good news for soccer fans – including the Hepburn and Daylesford Soccer Club who we have a story about  in this edition.  

And that’s enough election news for now – it’s Sunday morning and the printer is waiting for this final page to come through.  But I did think I would write something brief in the lead-up to Mother’s Day.

I still feel a strong urge, mostly when something weird and/or wonderful has happened, to pick up the phone and call Mum.  Of course, that wouldn’t work. She’s gone. Five years this month. Unbelievable.  

So no more long calls during chardy hour or making the trek to Frankston to be met at the door with a big smile.  No more chats about who’s doing what in the family, or what the latest recruit to her retirement village is like, or even just the fun of hearing her, as she looks out the  window at some poor soul with a walker, saying “God, they’re old here”.  

With Mother’s Day around the corner it’s hard to avoid the Mother’s Day display stands and the television adverts all telling us to “spoil Mum”.  But if we had our time together again I don’t think I would do much different.  

Maybe I would have avoided the fight with my brother when we were 14 and 12 and we knocked over a card table full of her drying pottery.  

We had a great relationship, a bit rocky when Kyle arrived on the scene, but that all smoothed out down the track. Only took about 10 years.  

When I lived in Japan she kept turning up for long stays and then when I backpacked to London she turned up again – although she did pay for a European  trip so that was OK.  

After Kyle joined Team Kelly we still travelled a lot together and whenever we moved home Mum always turned up for a little holiday – Cairns, Alice Springs, Karratha, Brisbane, Hervey Bay…  

If you still have a mum around give her an extra hug from me or spend a little extra time on the phone this Sunday.  And to all the mums out there, Happy Mother’s Day. We don’t always show it but we love you to the moon and back and appreciate all you have done. Just sayin’…   

The CFA celebrated its incredible mums this Mother’s Day on Sunday, and Michelle Turnham said her kids inspired her to become a CFA volunteer. 

Michelle Turnham volunteers with Ararat Fire Brigade along with her husband Ash and son Bailey.   

Michelle said volunteering with CFA has given her fulfilment in so many ways she hadn’t expected and it’s given her an outlet.  

“I actually joined because of my kids who were CFA Juniors at the time,” Michelle said.  

“When I started, I spent four years as a non-operational volunteer and then decided I would give firefighting a go and haven’t looked back since.  

“I have done so much more than I expected, I said I wouldn’t ever be more than a wildfire firefighter and now I have completed the low structure course and external breathing apparatus training.”  

Michelle said volunteering and being a busy working mother of three kids doesn’t come without its challenges.  

“We have a bit of a roster as a family that allows me to turn out,” she said.   

“My older boys can look after the youngest if we need and I have friends and family I can call on to support me.   

“It has instilled a sense of community in my kids. My eldest son Jaxon is in the process of joining now and Bailey continues to shine, he has really come out of his shell thanks to CFA.  

“I sometimes turn out alongside Bailey and I love that the dynamic is we are both firefighters working together at an incident, not mother and son.  

“Even my six-year-old is fire truck obsessed and loves ‘checking the tyres’ when he comes down to the station.”  

Kelly-Ann Ryan is the daughter of a former CFA volunteer and now a firefighter with St. Andrews Fire Brigade. Kelly’s mother Jenni was a huge inspiration to her growing up and why she is a volunteer today.  

“My mother was a volunteer at Upper Ferntree Gully and held the position of Secretary,” Kelly-Ann said.   

“Mum is incredibly strong, and I was in awe seeing her turn out when I was a kid, I wanted to be her.  

“Her community values have made a huge impact on me, she was so dedicated to the brigade she did everything from fundraising to supporting other communities on strike teams.  

“She is honestly my best friend; she would do anything for her daughters and grandchildren.”  

Words & Image: CFA