By now, you’ve probably heard about Meryl Swanson, the federal Labor MP for Paterson. And if you haven’t, well, you’re not missing much. Because, let’s be honest—what exactly has she done? Besides, of course, showing up at photo ops, cutting ribbons, and making grand announcements about projects she had little to do with.
Swanson, like so many career politicians, wants you to believe she’s working tirelessly for the people. She’ll stand in front of a camera, scissors in hand, and pretend she’s the reason something got built. But let’s get real—ribbon cutting isn’t hard work. It’s the easiest part of the job. The real work? That’s done by the taxpayers who funded the project, the workers who actually built it, and the small business owners struggling under Labor’s economic mismanagement while Swanson enjoys her photo ops.
And it turns out, she really doesn’t like being challenged. Just watch her recent NBN interview, where she was visibly flustered at the idea of former Newcastle councillor Penfold running against her. “If you want my job, you better be prepared to work hard,” she snapped. Hard work? Is she serious? If she thinks the job is so grueling, why the panic? Maybe because, deep down, she knows her so-called “work” is more about photo ops than real results.
And speaking of panic, Swanson hit the alarm button just days later, suddenly announcing a brand-new urgent care clinic for Maitland—right after launching a petition for one. Think about that. One day she’s asking for signatures to maybe get something done, and the next, she’s miraculously “delivering” the very thing she was just campaigning for. Sounds more like a desperate attempt to hold onto power than actual leadership.
Meanwhile, the Hunter is still dealing with Labor’s war on coal, the rising cost of living, and housing that’s becoming unaffordable for the very people Swanson claims to represent. But she doesn’t want to talk about that. No, she wants you to focus on the staged events—the moments where she gets to smile for the camera and pretend she’s actually delivering results.
So, here’s a thought: instead of cutting another ribbon, maybe Swanson could cut something else—like red tape, or Labor’s disastrous policies that are driving up the cost of living. But of course, that would require actual work, and for Labor politicians, work means smiling, nodding, and hoping no one notices how little they’ve really done.
Because in the end, the only thing Swanson is really good at cutting… is ribbons.