Mal Washer’s sad cyber stalker

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

A quick lesson for MP in how not to deal with those odd-ball emails which come by the office courtesy of Dr Mal Washer, Federal Liberal Member for Moore in Western Australia. Here’s a general rule of thumb electorate officers will share with you. 33.3 per cent of the people who contact their local MPs are mad, 33.3 per cent think the world owes them a living and 33.3 per cent think the world owes them a living and are mad as well. The remaining 0.1 per cent, however, can be problematical.

Half of them have bona fide complaints — and the other half are just plain sad.

The Federal Liberal Member for Moore in Western Australia, Dr Mal Washer, is dealing with someone named Glynis who falls into the last category — but not in a manner that reflects well on him or his staff.

Glynis claims to be the wife of a national serviceman left totally and permanently incapacitated by Vietnam. She lives in New South Wales, yet has approached Washer over veterans’ issues. Why? We’ll let the e-mails speak for themselves.

This is what Glynis has asked Washer:

From: glynis8
Sent: Saturday, 17 April 2004 7:45 PM
To: Washer, Mal (MP)
Subject: Fw: Please Mr Washer Can you explain this

Dear Mr Washer,

I have just been informed by a trusted source. I would like your honest reply. Did the marbles land on your birthday??? In the Vietnam days? Why didn’t you go into the Forces.

I have been denied a life, as has our children. My TPI Veteran husband who you and your governments have made a pauper through your cutting his most hard worked for pension. Disability payment $771 or is it $778 per fortnight for taking your place. How have you denied so many Veterans. Which should automatically be giving.

I am personally contacting all the people who qualified for national service. Why you did not serve? Are you medically unfit??? Or were you medically unfit at the time? When my husband returned home to cop your complete negligence and total ignorance that I existed.

He received his call up papers. I do remember that meant serve or sudden illnesses/sudden marriages and of coarse working in the Government already (pencil pusher). Or gaol. Which are you? I am in contact with a few TPI Veterans, who suffer just like Allan. Rejected from the time they returned. You are a total disgrace to allow this guilt of conscience, to be so tragically and inhumanely played out every day…

Not to the Veterans betterment. But to your vanity. How can I trust again??? How can you ever make up for what you have deliberately, knowingly have done?

I am glad I am the person I am. I will rest in peace.

Here’s to your wasted and vindicate life. You need your soul cleansed. As you have my husbands.

Kind regards,

Glynis

This was his staff’s tactful and sensitive reply:

From: Washer, Mal (MP)
To: glynis8
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 2:49 PM
Subject: RE: Please Mr Washer Can you explain this

Glynis:

Your very rude email does you no credit at all.

For the record, DOCTOR Washer was called up for National Service. He was a third year medical student at the time and was permitted to defer his NS because of his studies. Shortly after this, the war ended.

S M Stiles
Electorate Officer to
DR MAL WASHER MP
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MOORE

This is the response it provoked from Glynis:

From: glynis8
Sent: Monday, 19 April 2004 2:08 PM
To: Washer, Mal (MP)
Subject: Re: Please Mr Washer Can you explain this
Importance: High

Hello Mr Mal Washer,

Well weren’t you a lucky boy then? Don’t treat me with your comtemptious attitude.

You have done NOTHING for myself or my husband and children. I shall send this on to my friends as you cannot even answer my emails

The Good Doctor what have you done for Veterans???

Have a day like I always have.

Glynis

And this is why Washer probably wouldn’t be considered for the vacancy of Foreign Minister if Alexander Downer suddenly resigned tomorrow:

From: Washer, Mal (MP)
To: glynis8
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 4:18 PM
Subject: RE: Please Mr Washer Can you explain this

Treated many of them for years and well respected. Try 26 years.

As you do not belong to my electorate please remove my address from your contacts list.

Refer your complaints to the Member that represents you in Canberra.

Kind regards,

Dr Mal Washer.

Politicians and their staff have to deal with the bad, the mad and the sad all the time. They don’t get credit for it and it gets depressing — let alone bl**dy irritating. Washer and his staff, however, seem to have done sod all to help Glynis.

She hasn’t exactly given them any reason to — but the least they could have done is given her the name of her actual Federal MP and their contact details.

A quick call to a minor minion in the office of Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dana Vale would have given them some names and numbers that may — may — have eased Glynis’ anguish, too.

There’s every chance that she may have treated the obvious frontline people that are supposed to be there to support her the way she treated Washer — but the woman clearly needs help and deserves some courtesy.

Washer’s seat of Moore lies next to the electorate of Cowan. Its Member, Graham Edwards, went to Nam — and came back minus his legs.

It would be interesting to see how he would have responded.