You Must Listen To This Before You Vote

The time has come the walrus said, to speak of many things, but never did Alan Jones 2GB Radio Personality more eloquently put the truth than he did this morning, which Victorians would not have heard. If Victorians ever were under the misconception that the Bracks Fourth Reich was what their state needed more of, (this file is 550k in size to store or listen to) click here and listen to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The hyper link to pass around to voters - http://www.sosnews.org/audio/alanjones-vic.mp3 This file is virus free to download Editor (Mal Davies)

LABOR'S LAST-MINUTE RURAL ZONE 'SWEETENER'

Nationals' spokesperson for Planning Jeanette Powell described the announcement yesterday by Planning Minister Rob Hulls that Labor would provide $500,000 to help councils implement new rural zones as a clear case of too little too late.

"The Government announced the new Rural Zones in June 2004 and then walked away from the issue," Mrs Powell said.

"Two and half years later - and just three days before the election - the Government announces that it will help councils implement the new rural zones.

"I guess this is about as close as Planning Minister Rob Hulls has ever come to admitting that he made a mistake.

Mrs Powell alerted the government of the need to assist councils to implement the proposed new zones in February 2004 in a submission to the Rural Zones Review on behalf of The Nationals.

"The problem is most councils have already implemented the new zones and $500,000 is nowhere near enough to do the job," Mrs Powell said.

"To properly implement the new farming zones, councils need to undertake a land capability study which should be paid for by the Government. Land owners should be consulted on the proposed changes to the zoning of their land and have the opportunity to comment.

"This episode is another example of how the Labor Party and the Planning Minister are out of touch with the problems faced by Local Government in country Victoria."

Genevieve Dunn Media and research adviser Jeanette Powell: Member for Shepparton 222 Wyndham St, Shepparton, 3630 Phone (03) 5831 6944 Fax (03) 5831 6836 E-mail: Genevieve.Dunn@parliament.vic.gov.au

Best Government Money Can Buy

Melbourne Herald Sun - Michael Warner - November 15, 2006

A SECRET document reveals how pokies bosses were told by a Labor Party powerbroker that the Bracks Government would favour a sweetheart deal to extend their control of Victoria's gaming industry.

The explosive document seen by the Herald Sun reveals how former Kirner government minister David White told Tatts it would be given preferential treatment by the Government when tendering for new lucrative gaming licences.

"David said that the Government is happy to have Tattersall's and Tabcorp continue in the duopoly," the document says.

"And he feels that the process would be that both companies submit a tender when the time presents, and if the tenders are acceptable to the Government, as to new terms post-2012, the others would not be asked to tender against the two of us.

"The Government has only one interest, and that is to protect the state's revenue base, and that the surplus in the Budget regularly comes from the gaming industry.

"This is not going to change and that is why the Government will always be keen for the likes of Tabcorp and Tattersall's to continue."

The leaked Tatts notes appear to suggest a reason behind the gaming giant's shock decision to float on the sharemarket last year. The Victorian gaming industry is worth $2.5 billion a year.

"David thinks going public may be a condition of the extension of the licence, perhaps as the time draws near and Tattersall's should initiate such a move," it states.

The document is a record of a meeting between Tatts chiefs and Mr White at the company's St Kilda Rd headquarters in November 2003.

It casts serious doubts over the Government's review of pokies licences just 10 days out from the state election.

The Herald Sun has independently confirmed its accuracy.

Mr White is the head of the ALP's policy agenda committee.

He is also working as a consultant to Tatts through his job at lobby group Hawker Britton to assist in the company's bid to renew its pokies licence after current contracts expire in 2012.

When asked by the Herald Sun how he become aware of the government's thinking on poker machines, Mr White said: "You just know from talking to public servants, what the intention of the Government, you know what the Government's policy might be."

But Mr White denied ever saying what was reported in the document.

"No . . . none of it is true," Mr White said.

Mr White did not deny attending the meeting, but said he had been unaware of the document's existence until contacted by the Herald Sun.

"It's not consistent with what is likely to be the tender process or what anyone would expect to be the tender process," he said.

When the Herald Sun approached the Bracks Government for comment, a spokesman for Gaming Minister John Pandazopoulos said he believed Mr White had already made a denial.

"I understand he's already denied saying those things," the spokesman said, in a comment suggesting Mr White had tipped off the government that he had been approached by the Herald Sun.

"(But) any comment by a consultant to a client is a matter for them and cannot be taken as the view of Government," the spokesman said.

A Tattersall's spokesman said the company's newly appointed chief executive officer Dick McIllwain had not seen the document.

"He's not here to re-engineer the past but to influence the future," spokesman Michael Mangos said.

Hundreds of politically sensitive documents have been obtained from Tatts in recent months as part of a bitter $100 million court battle between a group of beneficiaries of Tatts founder George Adams and four former company trustees.

Lawyers have inspected thousands of financial reports, minutes and briefing papers dating back to the late 1980s hoping to find evidence that the trustees breached their duty of trust.

Many of the documents detail dealings and meetings between the Bracks Government and Tattersall's bosses.

A decision on whether they will be released publicly will not be made until after the November 25 poll.

Mr White was the gaming minister in the former Kirner government and is regarded as the father of the Victoria's pokies industry because of his role in that government's decision to introduce gaming machines in 1992.

A Bracks Government panel is now reviewing whether the Tatts and Tabcorp poker machine duopoly - in place since the early 1990s - should survive beyond its expiry date or be replaced with an owner-operator model.

Its recommendations are due early next year.

Under questioning in Parliament last month, Mr Bracks was asked if he had ever personally met officials from Tattersall's to discuss poker machine licences.

"The answer is no," Mr Bracks said.

Tatts and Tabcorp are licensed to operate a half share of the state's 27,500 suburban poker machines until 2012.

They each reap about one third of the massive $2.5 billion lost by Victorians on poker machines each year.

The Government's own annual pokies tax take has surged beyond $1 billion.

Gaming industry analysts predict the Government could demand new 20-year upfront pokies licence fees from Tatts and Tabcorp of up to $5.8 billion.

NATS PROMISE A FAIR GO FOR OLDER VICTORIANS

Monday, November 13, 2006

Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan has today supported the reinstatement of the $84 vehicle registration concession for pensioners as part of a push 'to give older Victorians a fair go'.

Launching The Nationals Plan for Seniors today with Candidate for Mildura Peter Crisp, Mr Ryan said the Bracks Government had been mean-spirited in removing the registration concession and older Victorians deserve better.

"Older people have paid their taxes, they have done their work for the community, and it's only fair that they receive this concession as a small reward for their efforts," Mr Ryan said.

The Nationals propose to extend the benefit to pensioners and concession card holders, along with Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders.

"In fact, our plan includes extending a range of benefits provided to pensioners to self-funded retirees holding a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card," Mr Ryan said.

"These are people who have saved for their retirement and we can afford to offer them some concessions at a time when they don't necessarily have the cash-flow to meet living expenses. Reducing the cost of living for older Victorians is an important initiative and The Nationals will be urging other parties to support our approach."

Mr Ryan said the Bracks Government had failed to address the specific needs of older people and The Nationals supported the creation of a Ministerial position to coordinate the delivery of services throughout the state.

"In an ageing society, we need to make sure that our government is doing everything it can to coordinate the delivery of services and new facilities to meet our changing needs," Mr Ryan said.

"A classic example is catering for the increased use of mobility scooters. The Nationals support the development of a new program to help rural councils provide better infrastructure for mobility scooters.

"There are a number of safety issues related to the use of the scooters and there have been several fatalities in recent years involving collisions with cars. We need to find a better way to look after our older people who rely on these devices for mobility - particularly in country towns where there are limited public transport alternatives."

Other features of The Nationals plan are: 1- Providing additional resources for dementia programs; 2- Supporting home and community services to assist people in their homes; 3- Increasing the cap on the multi-purpose taxi program to $2000 per year; 4 - Implementing a range of initiatives to encourage participation in community activities by older Victorians.

Just About Now

Mal Davies Editor SOS-NEWS Email: editor@sosnews.org website: www.sosnews.org (Please note the new email and website address for your address book) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

DAVIS - Libs farmers man say's NO - siding with Bracks

Editor,

Went to the PMAV- Prospectors and Miners" - annual meeting recently and Phillip Davis, leader of the Libs in the house, was the "political rep" attending. Rita Bentley was quite pleased to have him there and he gave a speech telling all that the Greens would create havoc if Bracks got back in etc, etc.

One of the mates asked him if his party would return the crown land taken, for parks etc, to the people, to which he answered a resounding NO. Asked why not he said it would be too much trouble. Doesn't bode well for any promises to the high country cattlemen does it. Lost me right there, and some of us felt justified in thinking nothing will change anyway, for the agenda must go on.

People forget that Davis was one of Kennet's hacks and the rural areas were not one on the priority list then, and wont be if Libs get in this time either. Doesn't leave any real options other than voting independents

As opposition Agricultural Minister, Davis crossed the floor when the decision to create the Otways National Park was being voted on. A fine representative of the rural people in Victoria I must say.