Bracks' ad spending worse than Kennett

A FORMER Government insider has attacked the State Government's latest advertising blitz, saying Steve Bracks is more irresponsible on advertising spending than former premier Jeff Kennett and is wasting taxpayers' money.

Michael Laker, a former manager of the communications unit for the Department of Premier and Cabinet from 1997 until 2002, has spoken out on what he believes is an "irresponsible use of the public purse" by the Bracks Government.

Mr Laker said the latest spate of government advertising, which promotes major projects, government schools, hospitals and policing, were reckless. He has joined calls for the state's Auditor-General Wayne Cameron to investigate.

"These latest ads are wasteful and a bad use of public money," he said. "The Auditor-General should conduct a full investigation into the Bracks Government's spending on advertising.

"Mr Bracks is far more irresponsible with the public purse than Mr Kennett was," he said.

Mr Laker, a member of the Liberal Party who considered running for preselection, was sidelined by the Government in 2002 after accusing it of establishing a multimillion-dollar "slush fund" for political advertising. He was also the subject of an official investigation for misuse of a mobile phone and office car while a public servant.

"Yes, I am a Liberal Party member, but having worked under Cain, Kirner, Kennett and Bracks, my allegiance was always to make sure the public dollar was well spent. I think Bracks is the worst at that in my experience," he said.

Before he was elected to office in 1999, Mr Bracks promised to "put an end to the use of the public purse for inappropriate political advertising and promotion".

"Promoting Victoria does not require a government to spend millions of taxpayers' dollars on glossy brochures chock full of ministerial photographs," Mr Bracks said at the time.

Mr Laker said that when Mr Bracks succeeded Mr Kennett, he took government advertising out of the public service and insisted all campaigns be signed off by a subcommittee of cabinet.

"Bracks dragged advertising spending back into the political sphere . so he could control it, which means that political advantage is driving political advertising and not policy," he said. "Kennett never drove the communication because it was under the public service. Now Bracks is firmly driving it."

Mr Laker said the $6 million "Building a World-Class Victoria" campaign, which lists the Southern Cross Station, MCG redevelopments and EastLink as "world-class performances", had prompted him to speak out.

"The average person doesn't need to know about performance. It doesn't help bring more investment into Victoria," he said.

But Mr Laker said campaigns like the $6 million a year water saving campaign, if done in conjunction with other initiatives, was the type of government advertising that should be encouraged.

"Government advertising can be good . but you have to be careful of where the message stops and where the waste starts."

Mr Laker said having a fixed state election date on November 25 meant the Bracks Government could easily spend millions of dollars more on advertising than any other incumbent government.

"The ads have started already. If we see a 10-month advertising campaign we are going to see an enormous amount of money spent before polling day," he said.

Government spokeswoman Alison Crosweller said a cabinet committee was established after the 1999 election to look at where advertising dollars were being spent and to bring the spending in line with other jurisdictions, including the Federal Government.

"This cabinet committee deals with major campaign issues and whole of government communication matters. It does not see every campaign. The Premier does not sign off on every campaign," she said.

Ms Crosweller said the Government had established guidelines on government advertising under a recommendation by the Auditor-General in 2002, which it had complied with.

Opposition Leader Robert Doyle, who is awaiting a response from Mr Cameron on whether he will conduct an investigation into government advertising, said Mr Laker's comments strengthen the case for the matter to be examined.

"This is confirmation from a knowledgeable insider that the Bracks Government is abusing public money," he said. "I would hope the Auditor-General will speak to people like Michael Laker as part of his investigation."

State Nationals Leader Peter Ryan said people in the community were going without things like extra police and ambulances while the Government wasted its money.

"I think people initially thought this spending was all part of the game but it has gone well past that now," he said.

"This is powerful commentary from someone who knows the total truth. He is a member of the Liberal Party, and people will make up their own minds about that, but the community is absolutely incensed about this spending and the Premier can't stand aside from it any longer."

Adolf Bracks hints at softer terror law

PREMIER Steve Bracks has indicated he is likely to water down his tough new anti-terrorism legislation amid a community outcry that the laws go too far - especially on strip-searching children.

His comments came as law bodies told a committee yesterday that the legislation unduly trespassed on fundamental rights and freedoms.

Mr Bracks said he was prepared to change part of the legislation that related to strip-searching children as young as 10 by police officers of the opposite sex and without their parent's knowledge. Mr Bracks said it would be clear in the legislation that it would only be conducted under extreme circumstances.

"(The powers) would be used when there was an imminent terrorist attack happening on our soil, so it can't be anything more dramatic than that," he said. "Some debate is coming now, that's good, and we will account for that debate and if there needs to be some fine-tuning we will do it."

The Bracks Government has copied NSW legislation that says strip-searches of children aged 10 to 18 would not be conducted by a police officer of the opposite sex or without parental knowledge "unless it is not reasonably practicable in the circumstances".

Acting Attorney-General John Lenders said the Government would be flexible in responding to concerns.

"Clearly there are discretionary issues between (strip-searching) someone who's 10 and someone who is 17 years and 364 days, but again we will take this on board," he said.

He said the Government would look at whether the laws were in line with what was agreed between state and federal governments, "is it the most appropriate response and what are the protections and mechanisms in there".

Opposition attorney-general spokesman Andrew McIntosh said Mr Bracks had introduced "shonky legislation" into the Parliament that was not consistent with the Commonwealth legislation or what was agreed to by the premiers at the Council Of Australian Governments meeting that thrashed out terrorism issues.

The Law Institute of Victoria told the parliamentary Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee that the powers "go beyond what is required to prevent or protect the community from a terrorist attack".

Victoria Legal Aid said the bill was a "disproportionate response to the threat of terrorism in Victoria". The Victorian Bar Council argued it was not right to detain a person who had not been charged with a crime.

The legislation will be debated when Parliament resumes next week.

Tampering with grassroots democracy

January 30, 2006

The relationship between developers, campaign donations and local councillors is again under scrutiny with the admission by Geelong multimillionaire Frank Costa that he and other powerful business leaders gave thousands of dollars in undisclosed campaign donations to several council candidates. At least three of these were subsequently elected to represent citizens in the City of Greater Geelong.

Mr Costa said that this was necessary "to get some good, proactive people" on the council. However he is disingenuous in denying the impropriety of this approach, as is Lou Brazier, the only local politician so far to acknowledge receiving money. Cr Brazier refused to reveal who provided "some in-kind, some financial" support for her campaign because she did not have the donors' permission. She further claimed that receiving the support would not affect her impartiality.

Mr Costa, Cr Brazier and the other unnamed players in this drama appear to be unaware of their obligations under Victoria's Local Government Act, amended by the Bracks Government in 2002 to increase transparency in the political process. The law is unequivocal in requiring candidates to declare donations of $200 or more. This allows the community to assess whether particular interest groups are having an unfair influence on decision-making.

However, the law as it stands will not circumvent corruption. The declaration is only required "within 60 days after election day", depriving voters of insights into prospective councillors - and knowledge of their financial backers - at the time of voting. Furthermore, gifts that are for "the candidate's personal use" are exempt. Clearly the Local Government Act must be strengthened to allow voters the information needed to select cohesive, effective councils that truly represent local interests.

BRACKS Say NO to Federal Funding of Bushfire Victims

PM offers fire victims $1000

28jan06

VICTORIANS who have lost their homes in the bushfires which have devastated parts of the state in the last 10 days are being offered $1000 each by the Federal Government.

Prime Minister John Howard today said individuals and families could apply through Centrelink to receive $1000 per adult and $400 per child immediately. The fires have claimed three lives, destroyed almost 30 homes, burnt more than 150,000 hectares of bushland, killed more than 60,000 head of stock and wiped out huge areas of crops.

The offer comes just one day after Victorian Premier Steve Bracks rejected an offer by Mr Howard for assistance.

Mr Bracks said his state did not need federal help.

"The Prime Minister did call me yesterday," he said.

"He indicated that any support required from the Federal Government would be available. I was grateful for that assistance.

"At this stage we do not require any logistical or other support," Mr Bracks said.

In a statement today, Mr Howard said the $1000 one-off payments were in addition to support provided by the federal government through the Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements.

"Given the devastation caused by the current bushfires in Victoria, I have authorised additional Commonwealth support in the form of ex-gratia payments to those who have lost their homes, or whose principal place of residence has been rendered uninhabitable," he said.

Under the disaster relief agreement, the Federal Government reimburses Victoria half of all spending on relief assistance to bushfire victims once expenditure exceeds $240,000, he said.

A massive fire in the Grampians, in Victoria's west, has so far burnt through more than 128,000ha, including almost half of the Grampians National Park.

Two other large blazes, one at Anakie near Geelong and one at Kinglake, north of Melbourne have been contained.

The Grampians fire has destroyed 26 houses and threatened several townships since it was first detected on January 22.

By this afternoon, 302km of the 411-kilometre fire perimeter had been contained, helped by rain across the state

BRACKS CHALLENGED TO PUBLISH SCHOOL LIST

The Bracks Government has been challenged to publish the list of schools it will modernize as part of the sell-off of Snowy Hydro.

Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan said the decision to allocate $600 million to modernize schools with the proceeds from the sale of the government's share in Snowy Hydro looked suspiciously like a pre-election slush fund.

The Nationals believe the money should be set aside to help form a $1 billion 'Future Fund' to build infrastructure in rural and regional Victoria, including improved water management systems.

"The proceeds from the sale should be earmarked for improvements to infrastructure in rural and regional areas, particularly water management systems; better roads and bridges; and other basic services like health and education," Mr Ryan said.

"The Nationals do not object to the proposed investment in education but we would argue that it should be happening anyway within the existing State Budget of $36 billion.

"I challenge the Premier to publish a list of the schools that are in line for some of this $600 million as part of this year's budget papers.

"Otherwise this will become a pre-election slush fund with Labor MPs and Labor candidates in marginal areas announcing multi-million promises in their electorates in the lead up to the November 2006 election.

"The Education Department must now have a list now of the most needy schools in the state. I could provide a list of 20 important projects in the Gippsland South electorate tomorrow.

"If the promise of $600 million to modernize schools has any credibility whatsoever, the Premier should now tell us where the money is going to be spent and confirm the details in the May budget."

Mr Ryan said The Nationals wanted the government to commit to broader infrastructure improvements in rural and regional areas.

"This is an opportunity for the government to start addressing the massive backlog in infrastructure improvements which has built up throughout country Victoria," he said.

"The Bracks Government could add up to $300 million from its current budget surplus to develop a $1 billion Future Fund for country Victoria.

"The government is awash with cash as it collects $100 million a day in revenue from sources like police fines, stamp duty, land tax and GST returns. It's about time we saw more of that money invested in long-term improvements in rural and regional areas rather than wasted on feelgood advertising and propaganda campaigns."

Mr Ryan said The Nationals did not support the principle of the Snowy Hydro sale but were resigned to the fact that it would proceed now that the NSW, Victorian and Federal Governments had signaled their intentions.

"The Victorian Nationals don't believe the sale of Snowy Hydro is necessary and it breaks another Bracks Government promise to keep water in public hands," Mr Ryan said.

"But given that all governments involved have made their decisions, we need to ensure that we get the best deal possible for rural and regional Victoria. The best deal must include ironclad guarantees for irrigators; continued commitment to environmental flow agreements; and an allocation of funds for infrastructure improvements."

GIVE BRACKS THE BOOT

By Philip Maguire

Some suggested it might be the last Victorian Mountain Cattlemen's Get Together but the record attendance and the mood of defiance at Rose River Station last weekend illustrated the fight the Bracks Government has on its hands to get rid of the iconic bushmen.

While the cattlemen's campaign is gathering strength the state government and its allies at the Victorian National Parks Association are floundering.

Mountain Cattlemen took the fight back to their own country after their big protest rally on Parliament last June and returned cattle to the Alpine National Park as they had promised they would do. And what has the government done about it? Nothing!

Environment Minister John (Twitter) Thwaites didn't want to know. He handballed the problem to his bureaucrats.

It was the bogging of a ranger vehicle in Wonnangatta during the protest cattle drive that symbolised for me the impotence the government experienced in dealing with the cattlemen's action, and indeed, its impotent management of the Alpine National Park.

It also symbolised ignorance. How could parks rangers, supposedly experienced in the mountains and valleys of Gippsland, be so ignorant of the environment that they drove their vehicle into a bog? It wasn't as if the reeds surrounding the bog weren't a visible warning.

As I write this bushfires are burning out of control at Erica near Mt Baw Baw, homes are being evacuated and the danger of the fire being joined by new outbreaks is extreme as the heat wave extends into February. Could it be that another bushfire tragedy is looming in the Victorian high country only three years after the last one destroyed vast areas of the mountains?

God forbid that wildfire destroy any more country, any more homes and properties or take any lives.

But what if it does? What direction will the state government take? Will it persist in following its radical green agenda? Of course it will. Power is the name of the political game and the ALP will sacrifice anything in order to retain it.

The mountains may burn, properties be destroyed and lives might be lost but all will be well in state cabinet as long as the Labor Party retains its green preferences and gets over the line at the election on November 26 this year.

Rural groups such as the Mountain Cattlemen's Association Of Victoria (MCAV )and Country Voice want to make that prospect as remote as possible. As MCAV president, Doug Treasure, told 4000 supporters at the Get Together last week the association is becoming political in its own defence. He wants to see other groups do the same. A committed network of country organisations is needed that will work together with the single objective of removing the worst government Victorian country people have ever had to deal with.

If you are a Victorian farmer you can't cut down a tree on your own land without being forced to plant many more to replace the one you removed, your children's grandparents (if they happen to be farmers) need a permit to care for their grandchildren, you need a permit to rip up a rabbit warren, the state government owns the water that falls on your land and in a couple of years you'll be lucky if you're not paying a clean air tax for the privilege of living in the country.

Back in June country people took their case to Melbourne with the Country Voice Rally. They called the protest Enough Is Enough. It was a good name. Enough is enough and country Victoria has taken enough kicks from this mob to boot them out on the full permanently.

The Victorian election will be held on November 26 this year.

Victorian Four Wheel Drive Clubs enter State Government politics

At the President's meeting of Four Wheel Drive Victoria held Sunday 5th February the issue of the upcoming state election was discussed in detail. In particular the fact that this year is the first election for the upper house under the amended constitution.

Members were advised on the issue of the decline in real terms in funding for land management and the growth in National Parks. It was also noted that the Australian Senate is investigating this issue and seeking input for a national review.

It is recognised that we are not dealing with the issue of our right to use four wheel drive vehicles in the forests and parks, but being responsible advocates for proper land management through sustainable funding for our land managers together with public land access for recreation for all Victorian's.

The meeting discussed various issues about influence, common approach (involving other organisations) and getting our views out into the public arena.

The Association has resolved to investigate further the position of the major parties with respect to recreation in forests and parks and to develop a how to vote card for members. The purpose of the card is to give guidance to the broader community and the recreational community on how best to influence the outcome of the state election to protect our collective rights.

The Association resolved to invite other like minded recreational and community based organisation to meet and discuss the issues in relation to public land management, its funding and the political parties position on those issues.

Does any of this ring a bell back in 1939 - 42?

VICTORIA'S religious hatred law is causing more enmity than harmony and should be changed, say leaders of the state's churches.

A letter sent by church leaders to Premier Steve Bracks yesterday asks him to drop the civil provisions and keep only criminal offences of the religious vilification laws. "People use it to pursue religious quarrels," said Presbyterian Church of Victoria ethics committee convener David Palmer. "It's the Muslims and occultists who are trying to put barriers around themselves and close down people who dare to offer criticism."

Mr Palmer, who is organising the push for a change in the law, will ring Mr Bracks today, seeking an appointment for heads of churches to discuss their concerns.

In the letter, the leaders affirm their "strong abhorrence" of any form of vilification and say they understand the Government's intention. But "it is clear from the operation of the act that it has caused much more division and enmity between religions than harmony, and our concern is that this might intensify".

It continues: "Our state's experience has become part of the justification for not introducing similar legislation in SA, NSW and WA and has been used as a negative example . in the UK."

The letter is signed by Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Assembly of God leaders, several Orthodox churches, and Melbourne's biggest Pentecostal churches, including CityLife, Crossway and Careforce, but not the Uniting or Baptist churches. It says they hope leading Jewish groups will also endorse the move.

Mr Palmer said the church was "asleep" when the law was introduced, but the Islamic Council of Victoria's complaint against Catch the Fire Ministries and two pastors dismayed "most branches of the church".

"It was seen as an attack on freedom, and particularly an attempt by Muslims to prevent criticism we might have of Islamic belief and practices."

The pastors were found to have vilified Muslims, and have appealed.

After another case dismissed as "preposterous", Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal president Stuart Morris called for changes to the act. Mr Bracks indicated only minor changes were needed.

But Mr Palmer said the church leaders wanted the Victorian law to follow the proposed British law, under which police investigate complaints and the director of public prosecutions decides whether to bring charges. He said people of any faith or none should be able to express and defend their views and point out what they regard as the failings of other faiths.

Islamic Council of Victoria spokesman Waleed Aly said the letter showed that religious communities continued to support the principle behind the legislation. "The law is about preventing unreasonable vilification that is not in good faith, and we see that as no more controversial than any defamation law."

He said it was ridiculous to say the council avoided debate, because it had been "in the thick of it" for years.

BRACKS TURNS HIS BACK ON GROWERS

Tuesday, 7 February 2006 Premier Steve Bracks has been accused of ignoring the plight of Sunraysia district families after refusing to even consider the reinstatement of a $20,000 business support scheme for horticulturalists.

In Parliament today, Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan asked the Premier: "Will the government reinstate the Farm Business Support Program to enable payments of up to $20,000 to assist Sunraysia district horticulturalists facing extreme financial problems?"

"The Premier's response was an embarrassment, even by the low standards of Melbourne Labor," Mr Ryan said.

"He demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of the issues confronting Sunraysia district farmers and had no interest in reintroducing the Farm Business Support Program.

"Hundreds of local families are having trouble making the most basic financial commitments and judging by today's answer in Parliament, they can expect no assistance from Melbourne Labor.

"This government receives $100 million a day in revenue from Victorian taxpayers and it is too busy wasting money on expensive advertising campaigns to even consider offering assistance to Sunraysia farmers."

Mr Ryan and The Nationals candidate for Mildura Peter Crisp, have previously called on the Bracks Government to provide cash grants of up to $20,000 to assist Sunraysia district farmers facing financial ruin.

The calls came after recent meetings with wine grape growers and representatives of the dried fruit and citrus industries.

The Nationals were supportive of previous programs to assist drought-hit farmers in 2002 with cash grants of up to $20,000. The program eventually cost about $50 million and helped 3000 farmers throughout Victoria.

"Sunraysia horticulturalists are facing very difficult issues including including a lack of access to international markets; excess production and poor prices; and subsidised foreign products limiting opportunities," Mr Ryan said.

"The affected families need financial assistance to sustain them while opportunities for industry restructure are fully investigated.

"A scheme of cash grants, similar to that which previously operated, would help Sunraysia farmers adjust to the difficult circumstances they are facing. The State Government should also be assisting producers as they prepare an exceptional circumstances application for submission to the Federal Government."