.... Archived news...

(from 2006 - 2007)

No duck season for Victoria
19 December 2007

The Age has reported the imminent announcement by the Victorian state government that there will not be a duck shooting season for 2008. That will be the second year running that Victorian shooters had no duck shooting season.

Country Alliance believes the decision is wrong as it is based on incorrect data and does not take account of breeding numbers in Gippsland.

See our media release on our media page. Hardman proves they can't cross the floor
14 December 2007

One of the main reasons Country Alliance was formed, was to enable our candidates to put the interests of their constituents first.

The major parties don't allow their candidates to do that.

Want proof? Just read this short extract on an article from the Shepparton News (12/12) relating to the construction of the north-south pipeline. In particular, note the part highlighted in bold.

"The north-south pipeline was rejected at a public meeting in Seymour last night, with a vote calling for the Victorian Government to abandon its construction.

However, State Member for Seymour Ben Hardman said he would not cross the floor in parliament, despite opposition to the pipeline in his constituency."

Ben is a nice bloke and a hard working member. However the statement in the article says it all: if you vote for a major party, then you are voting for someone to represent that party. You are not voting for someone to represent you!

The easy way to avoid that is to Vote 1 - Country Alliance! Greens confirm opposition to rodeos, animal displays
5 December 2007

She's done it again. The Greens Sue Pennicuik confirmed in parliament on Tuesday that the Greens remain the threat they are for country Victoria. Don't forget, there are three of them in Parliament and if we don't watch our backs, it is only a matter of time before they can implement what they believe in.

.. and this is what she believes in:

"...for example, the state of Victoria still allows duck shooting which is not allowed in other states. The state of Victoria still allows rodeos. I will be returning to that later in my contribution.

...

The Greens animals policy commits us to abolishing all cruel and inhumane treatment of animals used in sport, recreation and entertainment, including rodeos, animal circuses, steeplechasing and displays of live animals.

...

What should be happening in the state of Victoria and around Australia is that rodeos should be banned and consigned to the dustbin of history where they belong."

They denied this previously but that clearly counts for nothing. Sue has just confirmed her party's intentions. CA still has strongest fluoridation policy
4 December 2007

More than a year after other parties including Country Alliance released policies on the fluoridation of town water supplies, the Greens have finally released their position. They announced their position is for a 'poll' on the issue.

It is remarkably similar to the referendum espoused by the National Party.

Greens spokesperson, Colleen Hartland, said people "should have the right to determine whether fluoride goes into their supply, and that is a very important point."

Country Alliance's position is stronger than that, in that we believe there should be no fluoridaton of water supplies unless the communtiy wants it. In other words, the starting assumption is that people don't want it - because most of them don't. The Greens position forces regional communities to defend against mandatory fluoridation. Greens support graffiti pollution
22 November 2007

Greens MP Sue Pennicuik gave us another string to add to our bow - the Greens support for graffiti. Here are extracts from what she said in state parliament on Tuesday:

"Whilst I say that I acknowledge graffiti removal costs money and that marking graffiti on property is not welcome by some members of the community and in some places, that is not always the case."

"It [a program on the ABC] also looked at tagging and the context in which it occurs. The viewpoint was that graffiti or street art makes the city more interesting, uses the streets for communication and for direct public interaction. It gives a voice to people who do not necessarily have a voice."

"When we look out during the day we can be confronted with a whole lot of logos and slogans put up by banks, by all sorts of commercial organisations, by retailers and by political parties. They are put up and paid for by corporations. In my view most of them are a blight on the landscape and no more beautiful than graffiti. Many of them are graffitied, and some deservedly so, I say."

Let's see if she changes her mind the day she finds someone has 'tagged' the fence outside her house! Our numbers up!
16 November 2007

Please note our landline number has changed - it is now (03) 9017 6119.

The change is because of our move towards the use of VoIP - Voice Over Internet, which will enable us to spread our message broader than before for the same cost! General update
9 November 2007

We thought a brief update on what where doing would be in order -so here it is!

As you will be aware, we are not registered for the federal election. This has released a number of people who would be involved, to be involved in other ways for the election - so we are just as busy, but not for Country Alliance. Not yet anyway.

We didn't want to bite off more than we can chew, and I have to say it was the right decision given the limited resources available to what is still a new political party.

Even though we are not contesting the election, our advice is the same as before - vote for who you want - but put the Greens last!

The Executive is likely to meet after the election and possibly before the end of the year. We're keen to get going on building on what we did at last year's election, for the 2010 election once the federal election is out of the way.

This will involve several significant organisational changes to the way we work, mainly to improve the flow of information to and from our branches and members. (If anybody can find a book in the library called "How to start and run a political party", please let me know where!!)

If you would like to help us - either with one of our branches or perhaps even thinking about putting your hand up as a candidate, let us know today!

Otherwise, wait for our next newsletter, which is likely to be around March. Mildura media shows its true colours
16 October 2007

Mildura is a pretty place. Exceptionally impressive as a matter of fact when you drive into town. However the chilly winds of the local media make you wonder why it is not prepared to give candidates who are not with the Nationals, an even break.

The following article is from the one exception to the rule - the Mildura Independent. It relates to the decision by former Country Alliance member, Danny Lee's decision to pull out of the federal race for Mallee.

Although now highly unlikely, we hope Danny hears the real local voices and resumes his race - othewise, who is there for people to vote for?:

Danny Lee withdraws from Mallee electoral race

Tuesday, 16 October 2007

On Line Editor Max Thorburn gives Sunraysia an insight into Mr Lee's announcement

An embattled political candidate Danny Lee has shocked family and friends with a sudden announcement that he would not be putting in a nomination to contest the Federal seat of Mallee held by John Forrest.

After eating breakfast at home and saying nothing, his wife Helen heard the news as he dialled his campaign manager who was on her way to work and in a two minute conversation ended his political career.

Mr Lee had contested the Victorian Upper House seat last year for new independent party Country Alliance and out polled local celebrity chef Stefano di Pieri, who about to become the tourist face of Sunraysia. During that election he survived the first day of counting and remained with a faint hope of election until the first run of preferences on the Monday.

A month ago Mr Lee announced that he would contest the Federal seat of Mallee and had begun the campaign trail. On Sunday Mr Lee had gone with Country Alliance supporter Geoff Izard to attend the annual Hopetoun Show. His supporters had arranged for a trailer stand to be set up at the show not far from the main stage. Mr Lee was there in the midst of National Party supporters and watched sitting members John Forrest (Federal) and Peter Crisp, the State Member for Mildura get a warm reception from show attendees. But a number of people did talk to Mr Lee at his stand and during Sunday morning he was happy to get a couple of minutes on the Ian McNamara radio National ABC Radio Show to talk about the topic dear to his heart - water.

But there were troubled waters below - the Mayor of Horsham had blasted him on WIN Television and there was the undercurrent of a split with the Victorian Farmers Federation Sunraysia Branch. While Mr Lee had originally supported the Victorian Government plan to pipeline water from the Goulburn to Melbourne but a month ago changed his mind and issued a statement that he had been wrong and he would join the fight to prevent it. But it's believed the Sunraysia VFF Branch had told Mr Lee that they could not give him their election support because of his previous stand.

Mr Lee was upset with the media and believed that without their support he could not mount a competitive campaign. He also wanted to contest the election to win, not finish second or third. The Mayor of Horsham had gone on WIN Television saying Mr Lee was not welcome in the city and no one from down there would vote for him because of alleged comments about the residents.

Viewers were told that Mr Lee had at some stage branded them "redbnecks" but this denied totally by Mr Lee, who believes the statement in question may have been used by Labor candidate John Zigouras a couple of years back.

Mr Lee sought an apology and became embroiled in a heated argument with WIN TV's News director Steve Marshall of Ballarat.

He wanted an apology and correction and Mr Marshall would not agree to it. Mr Lee's supporters then tried to smooth out the media blue and after waving the peace pipe and after reaching some agreement for the remainder of the election were suddenly hit with another bombshell.

It appears Mr Zigouras had been talking to Mr Lee and somehow a suggestion was made that a writ be issued seeking an apolgy. The Lee camp was happy for the writ to be issued against the Mayor who had made the comments but not WIN Television. But in the wash WIN TV was served with a writ first and the Mayor second.

The last straw appeared in Saturday's Sunraysia Daily, either wittingly or unwittingly. On page five of the Saturday publication there was a story written by their new reporter Graeme O'Neil (who had been stolen from his weekly column in the Mildura Friday Weekly a few days beforehand).

The story was headed "Blast for Massive MIS orchards" and told how Mr Crisp and Mr Forrest were critical of rulings by the Federal Taxation Commissioner which had escalated the plantings of almonds and olive in drought time upstream of Mildura. Mr Lee felt that for 12 months he had been belting all media with the same story but was not given enough coverage or credit for his efforts to de-rail the MIS projects along the Murray Valley. Sources said Mr Lee was of the opinion that because he would not get a fair coverage by WIN Television and that the National Party dominated Mildura Press would give him little, if any coverage, he could not win the election.

He had also been discouraged because of what he felt was a lack of support from the Growers Action Group but its President Vince Cirillo has been tied up for several weeks in holding public meetings and next Monday's proposed Canberra rally when both the Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition leader Kevin Rudd will be in the City. Although the election date had only been announced on Saturday, Mr Lee could only count a handful of available supporters.

Despite the fact that some 1700 fliers had been produced for him to hand out on his trip to Hopetoun last week and other advertising material had been arranged and had arrived ready for use from Monday, Mr Lee decided the race had been run before it had begun.

Sources said Mr Lee was of the view that if he could not win the election, then it was wrong that he take the money from people prepared to financially back the campaign.

Despite doing it tough on his family block and taking water saving measures to the maximum on his property Mr Lee is determined that he will pay all the bills so far incurred in the month leading up to his withdrawal from the race on Monday. Friends who saw Mr Lee and spoke with him briefly on Monday said he was not sick and had just come to the conclusion that he could not justify to himself continuation of the election battle.

At 8.31am on Monday Mr Lee's telephone call to his campaign manager found her travelling along 16th Street Mildura South. Although she asked him to delay his decision 24 hours so that other supporters could be consulted, Mr Lee said his mind had been made up and he was withdrawing from the electoral race.

By the time she arrived at the office the following media statement was on her fax machine and it read: "Danny Lee will not be nominating for the Seat of Mallee in the upcoming Federal Election. Mr Lee will also be resigning his position as chairman of the Merbein District Irrigators Council and chairman of the Sunraysia Irrigators Council. Mr Lee will be ending his membership of Lower Murray Water's Merbein Customer Service Advisory Committee. All of these resignations are effective immediately." Mrs Lee confirmed late Monday that these resignations had been activated according to the Media Statement.

A number of local farming and water organisations were waiting for more information from Mr Lee before making comment.

Statements are likely to come from various groups during Tuesday.

Country Alliance welcomes the appointment of Philip Dalidakis as the new Executive Director of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries.

We believe Philip will pursue the interests of the timber industry with a solid and strategic 'no nonsense' approach which will serve the industry well.

The Victorian Association of Forest Industries has welcomed the arrival of Mr Philip Dalidakis as our new Executive Director.

Mr Dalidakis comes to VAFI with a strong background in both the commercial and government sectors, most recently working as a senior advisor in the Victorian Government.

"The Victorian forest industry is a world leader in terms of sustainability and regulatory oversight, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders for its continued betterment," Philip says

Although not from a CA member, this excellent item appeared in today's edition of The Age. It sets out quite well the problem with the VEAC decision - an issue which the metro majors had previously overlooked.

Red gum lock-up is not the solution

THERE is no doubt that more water allocated to the environment would improve the health of Victoria's mid-Murray red gum forests and benefit all those with an interest in them ("Red gums are not just a green issue," Matt Ruchel, Business Day, 5/10).

However, there is far less certainty about whether the community and the environment will benefit from the simplistic conservation edict that all red gum forests must be encompassed in a national park, which underpins the philosophy of Matt Ruchel's environmental lobby group, the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA).

The VNPA has campaigned for decades to expand the park estate by opposing traditional land uses and activities. In the case of Victoria's red gum forests, they have targeted a variety of recreational pursuits, and in particular, timber production and grazing, which have occurred for more than 150 years and continue to a limited extent in designated zones outside the substantial areas of red gum forest and wetland that are already contained in parks and reserves.

The region's current balance of public land use has hardly been unpopular with the wider community as is illustrated by the success of tourism and recreation which has grown and co-existed with timber harvesting, grazing, apiary and other activities for decades.

Despite this, the VNPA instigated a concerted campaign for red gum national parks in 2001 after securing a substantial funding grant for this purpose from the Myer Foundation. In 2005, the Government directed the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) to formally investigate public land use in the red gum forests.

Ruchel's endorsement of the VEAC red gum investigation appears to be predicated on the fact that its recently released draft proposals almost fully delivered on the VNPA wish list.

This follows a path blazed by earlier VEAC investigations that have invariably been commissioned specifically in response to environmental activism and, without exception, have resulted in a substantial expansion of national parks.

This has largely occurred without sufficient justification, given the pre-existing balance between forest conservation and use. In particular, VEAC has always either eliminated or grossly reduced local timber harvesting, which seems to be the raison d'etre for environmental activism in Victoria's public lands.

That Premier Brumby recently publicly rejected VEAC's environmental water proposals for the red gum forests suggests that its apparent predilection to favour simplistic conservation outcomes may now come under greater scrutiny.

Ruchel's concern over the influence of Brumby's intervention on the integrity of the VEAC process is rather hollow given the VNPA's silence on past government interventions, including the sudden shelving of VEAC's partially completed Goolengook forest investigation in late-2006 to facilitate a preelection promise of more national parks in East Gippsland.

The future of Victoria's red gums will only be assured by measures that allow more water to be diverted for environmental flooding. These are likely to be complex instruments, integrated with the socio-economic fabric of the affected local and regional communities. Their development will not be helped by sacrificing regional economies to satisfy the unrealistic urgings of city-centric lobby groups such as the VNPA, which mistakenly view tourism as a compensatory economic cureall for an ideology that sees no place for productive resource use and active environmental management.

Mark Poynter, media spokesman, Institute of Foresters of Australia

The Greens issued a press release today where Greens MP, Greg Barber, made a statement about Country Alliance that is factually wrong.

In the context of the 2006 Victorian State Election, Mr Barber said: "

...the Country Alliance announced its preferences were going to Labor in key seats"

It issued one ticket for the Eastern Victoria Region, where its preferences went to the National Party. Lee to run in federal election
21 September 2007

Country Alliance executive member, Danny Lee, today announced he will run as a candidate at the forthcoming federal election in the seat of Mallee.

Mr Lee will run as an independent because Country Alliance is not registered with the AEC.

Country Alliance did not register with the AEC due to other commitments during the 2006 state election, however Mr Lee recently decided to run over frustration with the lack of representation in Mallee. Mr Lee has decided to resign from Country Alliance in order to run his campaign as a true independent - we wish him the best of luck with his campaign. Age story on Liberal / Green link
12 September 2007

The Age today reports that Liberal leader, Ted Baillieu is implying that Liberal voters should vote for the Greens at this weekend's byelections in Albert Park and Williamstown.

This comes on the back of an intense campaign by the Secretary of the ALP to point out the preference deals and voting patterns between the Liberals and the Greens.

Here is an extract from the story:

OPPOSITION Leader Ted Baillieu has given his implicit endorsement for Liberal supporters to vote for the Greens in Saturday's state byelections.

With the Liberals deciding not to run candidates in the race for Albert Park and Williamstown, the Greens are Labor's main opposition.

Asked who Liberal voters should vote for in the byelections, Mr Baillieu said: "I am not somebody who is going to advocate a vote for the Labor Party, that's for sure, in either seat. I think the Labor Party needs a good kick up the bum.".

CA's candidate for Eastern Victoria, Andrew Jones, and the party's Secretary, Neil Jenkins, went to Dargo again to meet with locals who have been supporting the party even in the remotest parts of Victoria.

During the week, CA officials also went to Seymour and toured Western Victoria. Greens complain over opinion policy
12 August 2007

The Greens have published a complaint on their website that an opinion piece from the Greens' Brian Walters, regarding the timber industry was not published.

Yes, it was well written, but you would expect it would from Mr Walters, who is a silk.

The Greens complaint does not appear to take account of the policy of the opinion editor, Roslyn Guy, not to publish opinion pieces from political entities and parties. Also, the piece they submitted was nearly 1100 words - twice the length of normal opinion pieces although it's not unusual for these to be edited down.

Country Alliance accepts The Age's policy and encourages the Greens to do the same VEAC's cruel joke
25 July 2007

Last week, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council released its draft report on the Murray River red gum forests.

In what may well be CA's next battle ground, it recommends a 300% increase in the area of national parks, banning a range of activities including logging, four wheel driving, hunting, grazing and so on.

It also concluded that the forests needed around 4,000 GL of water to flood the redgum areas, however the recent scuttling of the Federal Government's water plan would seem to have also scuttled a key VEAC plank.

We are still examining the report, but it is clear that the economic and other claims of benefits are not supported by land users and that the politics are 'shining through'.

Watch this space. Country Alliance holds its first AGM
21 July 2007

Our first AGM was held in Geelong earlier today. We now have a full Executive (9 in total) and will shortly be allocating new tasks and portfolio responsibilities following decisions made in May. More information on today's meeting will posted here shortly.

Suffice to say, the meeting went well and we now have the green light to implement changes to improve both our administrative structure, and management of responsibilities. We've also about to give birth to a new branch.

These changes were developed as a result of learnings from our first election. Now that we will shortly have these in place, the party can only grow from here.

Thanks also to those who renewed their memberships in recent weeks. The renewal rate has been better than anticipated. Exec nominations now closed
7 July 2007

Nominations for CA's Executive have now closed. See you at our AGM! Anti-Greens campaign launched
28 June 2007

This is the new and somewhat hilarious campaign from www.greens-liberal-deal.com.

As you can see, it is part of a long running campaign to show how (in the words of the website) the "Greens Party have been consistently entering into deals with the Victorian Liberal Party and this needs to be exposed". Notification of CA's first AGM in the mail
20 June 2007
Notification for our first AGM (preceded by a short Special General Meeting) is now in the mail to all members. The meetings will be held in Geelong on Saturday 21 July.

Any members who don't receive this by the end of June should contact us either by email at admin@countryalliance.org or leave a message at our office on 9876 9902. Greens help CA into Parliament
23 May 2007
The Greens Greg Barber was chatting with someone at the front doors to Parliament House, when he held the door open for yours truly.

In fact he didn't just hold the door open, he opened and closed it in the same style as the doorman at the Windsor Hotel across the road from Parliament House.

We wonder if this might be prophetic of our respective future occupations? I should have given him a tip. Labor makes Greens pay for nuke decision
9 May 2007
The spat between the Greens and Labor has reached a new level.

This time, Labor has retaliated to the Greens persistent protest vote against the Government (as a result of a fall out over preferences at the state election) by distributing brochures and posters in inner Melbourne.

Here is an article by The Age's Paul Austin:

Greens see red in ALP poster row

Paul Austin
May 8, 2007

THE battle between the Greens and the Government has escalated, with the ALP distributing thousands of posters and pamphlets in the Greens' heartland of inner Melbourne.

The material accuses the minor party's MPs of "selling out", and urges supporters to express their "outrage" to party headquarters about the decision by Greens MPs to vote against a Government plan to give Victorians a say on nuclear reactors.

The three Greens MPs joined the Liberals, Nationals and DLP in the upper house last month to defeat a Labor Party bill that would have enabled the Government to call a plebiscite of Victorian voters if the Federal Government tried to override state laws and build a nuclear reactor in Victoria.

The Labor posters will be displayed at Melbourne and Monash University campuses, which an ALP source described as the Greens' main recruiting ground.

The pamphlets will be sent to households in the four lower house seats in which the Greens went closest to defeating Labor MPs at last November's election: Melbourne, Richmond, Northcote and Brunswick. The poster shows a woman standing in front of a power plant chimney, her mouth covered by a piece of tape carrying Liberal and Greens logos.

"Greens sell out and vote down Labor's anti-nuclear law," the poster says.

"At the last state election the Greens did a grubby preference deal with the Liberals and now they have voted with them on 30 occasions, this time taking away your voice to protest against nuclear reactors."

The Greens MPs used their balance-of-power status to defeat the anti-nuclear bill after Labor rejected Greens amendments, including one designed to give the power to call a plebiscite to the full Parliament rather than a single minister.

Greens MP Greg Barber said his party would go further by introducing legislation to enshrine Victoria's nuclear-free status in the state's constitution.

ALP state secretary Stephen Newnham said Greens supporters were "stunned" by the MPs' decision. "How can a political party that claims to be genuinely committed to the environment oppose a plebiscite on nuclear facilities in Victoria?"

Relations between the Greens and Labor have been strained since the ALP accused the Greens of making a secret preferences deal with the Liberals before the state election. The Greens and the Liberals have denied any such pact.

Last month the ALP accused the Greens of comparing Labor activists to Nazi stormtroopers, after a poem in a party newsletter made a satirical reference to ALP officials and volunteers who scrutinised vote after the election as "the Labor Panzers and their hardened SS troops".

Key items are that CA is building on what it has learnt from its first election and will improve its internal structures and processes, and is beginning its hunt for candidates for the 2010 election immediately.

We will also be aiming to hold our first AGM in a few weeks time. Greens shoot down nuke ban legislation
20 April 2007
Amazingly, the Greens have joined forces with the Liberals, Nationals and DLP to kill a Bracks Government plan to give Victorians a say on whether nuclear reactors can be built here.

As reported in The Age, Labor has branded the action of the Greens MPs a betrayal of the environmental movement.

"The Greens are now regarded as the Judas of the anti-nuclear movement," Energy Minister Peter Batchelor said.

He said the three new Greens MPs had used their balance-of-power status in the upper house to undermine Victoria's strong anti-nuclear stance, which had had bipartisan support for a quarter of a century.

"They will not be forgiven for this," Mr Batchelor said - so the war is still on.

The Greens hit back, saying the Bracks Government's anti-nuclear plan was half-baked and they would now move to go further by introducing legislation to enshrine Victoria's nuclear-free status in the state's constitution.

Under the Bracks bill, the State Government could call a plebiscite of Victorian voters if the Federal Government tried to override state laws and establish a nuclear reactor in this state.

Mr Batchelor said the Greens' "sell out" stemmed from a "grubby preference deal" they struck with the Liberals before last November's state election. Labor strategists said the Greens had voted with the Liberals 30 times since the election, compared with six times with Labor. CA flies through VEC 'review'
16 April 2007
As a consequence of not achieving 4% at the 2006 Victorian state election, the Victorian Electoral Commission has conducted a 'review' of our membership. The process is the same as when a party registers; that is, the VEC writes to all members to verify that the party has at least 500 eligible members.

Suffice to say that within days of the VEC's mailout, they received the prerequisite 500 prior to Friday 13 April. In otherwords, we will remain registered and are raring to go for the 2010 election.

The speed at which this has happened has stunned us, particularly given that our members are country based in areas where 2nd day postal deliveries are the norm plus of course we had Easter in the middle when postal deliveries don't take place. The VEC was going to give us till 26 April to get to 500, but we've beaten that - by a very big country mile. Greens 'back drugs' - again
15 April 2007
The Herald Sun has revealed yet again the Greens push to allow the use of heroin and cannabis. The paper's page 4 article from Friday shows that they support the "regulated supply of social drugs such as ecstay and the controlled availability of cannabis." They also want to allow "a trial of prescribed heroin for registered users." Greens use Nazi 'joke'
6 April 2007
The Age has reported that Greens member, Mike Puleston, wrote a poem describing the final count of the 2006 Victorian state election, where he described ALP officials and volunteers who scrutinised vote counting as "the Labor Panzers and their hardened SS troops".

Federal Labor MP, Michael Danby reportedly wrote to the Greens demanding an apology. He is quoted as saying that the poem not only compared the Greens political adversaries with elements of the Nazi regime, but dimished the Greens party and trivialised the sufering inflicted on the victims of Nazism. He expressed concern that the insinuation that ALP members and supporters were 'part of a criminal organisation is an outrageous slur' on the party's membership.

A Greens co-convenor accused Mr Danby of seeking to try and squash freedom of speech. Labor raids Telstra proceeds
22 March 2007
Federal Labor has announced that it will sell down the proceeds of the Future Fund created from the Telstra sale by using $2.7B (out of a total of $140B) to finance a broadband infrastructure roll out.

Our view is that it is like buying a car - great to have for the first few years, but it will get outdated and need replacement. In our case, there won't be any funds sell if this trend continues.

We remain against the sale of our assets and can now add the federal Labor party to a not so exclusive club. Labor takes on the Greens
22 March 2007
The Age's Paul Austin has revealed that Labor has a fight on its hands with the Greens, who have formed a de facto relationship with the Liberals.

The following extract from Paul's article is reproduced from The Age below. It vindicates Labor's decision to preference other parties such as Country Alliance ahead of the Greens:

But away from the cameras, Bracks was most upbeat about something that had nothing to do with the PM or the Liberals: Health Minister Bronwyn Pike's triumph over the Greens in the hotly contested seat of Melbourne. The Greens' challenge to Pike, and to cabinet-minister-in-waiting Dick Wynne in the neighbouring seat of Richmond (also unsuccessful), had galvanised Labor's campaign professionals. You got the impression that for Bracks, knocking off the Liberals had become a bit of a pleasurable habit. But taking on the Greens in the caffe latte seats, well that really got the juices flowing.

Indeed, one of the highlights of the campaign for Bracks had been his chaotic (and rare) street walk through Carlton with Pike four days earlier, at which federal Labor recruit Peter Garrett was the star attraction, warning of the dangers of a vote for the Greens. "That's what campaigning is all about," Bracks remarked to his inner circle after battling the pro-Greens hecklers in Lygon Street.

The emergence of the Greens as serious players on the Victorian political stage at the election (where they won three seats, a share of the balance of power in the upper house) has exploded the myth that Labor and the leftist minor party are somehow de facto partners against the conservative forces. In fact, the Greens are an electoral threat to Labor in its heartland.

Bracks relished the face-to-face combat with the Greens during the campaign, rejoiced in his success in putting down the Greens challenge in the lower house, and is on a mission to ensure the Greens never do as well again at a Victorian election. The tactic now is the same as it was during the campaign: to link the Greens hierarchy — the strategists and now the MPs — with the Liberals, when the average Greens rank-and-file member regards the Liberals as beyond the pale.

During most of the campaign, Labor's daily polling had the Greens tracking at about 12 or 13 per cent. On the day, their vote was 10 per cent. During the campaign, one Labor poll in Pike's seat of Melbourne had the Greens' primary vote at 40 per cent. Another, in the Wynne's seat of Richmond, put the Greens at about 39 per cent. In the event, the Greens got 27.5 per cent in Melbourne and 24.7 per cent in Richmond.

Labor's campaign manager, state secretary Stephen Newnham, reckons he knows why the Greens' support fell away in the last days of the campaign. He has told cabinet and caucus members it was because of Labor's loud assertions that the Greens had done a secret preferences deal with the Liberals.

The claims were shouted down as "lies" by the Greens, and the Liberals' campaign director, Julian Sheezel, found a neat way of denying any special arrangement. "Labor is putting the Greens ahead of the Liberal Party in 96 of the 96 seats," Sheezel said. By contrast, "the Liberal Party is putting the Greens behind the Labor Party in 92 of the 96 upper and lower house seats".

But that's the point: in the four lower house seats where the Greens had a chance of defeating Labor — Melbourne, Richmond, Northcote and Brunswick — the Liberals did not put the Greens behind Labor. In return, the Greens put the Liberals on equal footing with Labor in about a quarter of the 88 lower house seats.

Labor strategists believe it is electoral poison for the Greens to be seen to be in bed with the Liberals. That's why the Government is now talking up the Greens' voting record in the upper house. In the 30 or so split votes since November 25, the Greens have never sided with Labor. Not once. They have, almost without exception, voted with the Liberals.

The Greens have what they consider to be a good story to tell about these votes. Many of them were on important reforms in keeping with the Greens' pre-election promise to try to make the upper house a more effective chamber of review. So, for example, the Greens voted against Labor on the upper house inquiry into Labor's handling of gaming licences, and they voted for the Liberals' proposal to enhance the Legislative Council's ability to obtain documents from the Government. But the Labor line of attack is simple and potent: it says the Liberals did a secret deal with the Greens on preferences before the election and now the Greens are returning the favour by voting with the Liberals in Parliament.

Labor is out to hurt the Greens. The battle will keep the adrenaline pumping through ALP veins all the way to the 2010 state election.

Other information shows that the Greens are yet to vote with Labor in Parliament on a split vote. Green's Barber "flippant"
18 March 2007
The Greens MPs in state parliament are starting to show their true colours. During the week, MP Greg Barber spoke about the recent bushfires, accusing logging companies of a 'smash and grab raid on forests' during salvage operations.

He demanded that "the government should come clean on what it is planning" and then made this extraordinary statement:

"My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Water, Salinity, Soil Erosion and Plastic Bags — and whatever else he thinks he can promote for a few days by adding to the end of his title before dropping it when the news goes off the boil."

While this may seem to be small change to some, it shows what life for the other 37 MPs in the upper house will be like for the next three and a half years. Greens challenged by drug tests
18 March 2007
The NSW election has produced another quirky angle which will be of interest in our next state election.

Christian Democrat MP, Fred Nile, underwent a drug test and has challenged other candidates to do the same.

A report from AAP says Mr Nile's call for random drug tests was sparked by the Green's controversial long-held policy of abolishing criminal sanctions for personal drug use.

He reportedly said he was not accusing Greens' leader Lee Rhiannon, who is standing by her party's policy, of being a drug user, but could understand why people wondered why people might campaign to legalise marijuana.

"I think the deduction could be, if that's their view, that they are using it themselves" he is quoted as saying.

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon dismissed Mr Nile's calls for drug testing and avoided saying whether Greens candidates should submit to testing.

Mr Nile passed his test with flying colours. Greens 'absurd, disgusting' on drugs
14 March 2007
With a state election just days away in NSW, the Greens have continued with their Victorian approach to drugs by coming up with a plan to decriminalise the use of drugs, including ice.

A report by AAP quotes NSW Greens leader Lee Rhiannon as saying that the Greens policy is aimed to treat users and punish dealers.

"What is needed are prevention initiatives that educate the target populations to the dangers of using the drug and effective and accessible treatment programs for dependent and addicted users," she is quoted by AAP as saying.

However NSW Premier, Morris Iemma said such a policy would never go ahead because fair-minded people would not support it. He accused the Greens of trying to score "a cheap bit of publicity".

"It is just an absurd, ridiculous and disgusting policy," he said. Qantas sale proves unpopular
13 March 2007
AAP has reported that like the sale of Telstra, the sale of Qantas is unpopular with voters.

The poll, which was conducted for Fairfax media, found 56 per cent of voters opposed the sale, while 31 per cent disapproved.

AAP reports that the result comes a day after an ACNielsen poll revealed the Coalition was performing poorly against the Opposition. Sentiment against the Qantas decision was strongest in Western Australia and South Australia, Fairfax reported. Greens side with the Liberals
5 March 2007
One blogger has noted that the Greens members of the Victorian upper house have voted with the Liberal Party 91.7% of the time, more than the National Party.

According to the report, the Libs coalition partner has voted with them 83.3% of the time.

Andrew Landeryou's website reports that the Greens MPs have not voted with the Government at all since being elected to Parliament. This remarkable outcome has been described as "the new Coalition".

The report comes at the same time as an Age article on new five star regulations for renovated homes quoted Greens numbersman, Greg Barber as saying:

"This Government has got a bad habit of promising things and then not doing them and then recycling the promise."

Looks like the Bracks Government has a tough three and a half years ahead of it - however another report suggests that the ALP already new that.

This story on the Herald Sun site recounts ALP State Secretary Steve Newnham's comments at the ALP State Conference about the strategy it adopted at last year's state election.

Mr Newnham explained that the ALP's main problem was not the Liberals, but the Greens. Green groups under tax investigation
17 February 2007
Yahoo!News reprots that fifteen environmental groups have been warned they could lose their status as charities and be forced to pay taxes for engaging in political activity.

The report says warnings follow an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) investigation into complaints that groups masquerading as charities are devoting their activities to campaigning against the government, The Weekend Australian newspaper reports.

In 2003 an ATO review established that groups wanting tax-deductible status were not banned from political activity provided their main purpose was charity.

The report by Yahoo! says documents obtained by the newspaper under Freedom of Information laws show that last year, after complaints to a Senate estimates committee and in newspapers, the ATO cross-checked Australian Electoral Commission records on political donations with its register of tax-deductible organisations.

It found 59 organisations were worthy of further investigation over possible breaches of their status as charities.

ATO deputy tax commissioner Mark Konza said one group had lost its status as a charity because it was "only engaged in political activity".

"It (the review) has resulted in another 15 organisations modifying their activity," Mr Konza said.

The Wilderness Society said it had been the subject of a campaign by sections of the government to remove its tax-deductible status.

"It would be such an assault to civil society and democracy," national strategic campaign director Virginia Young told the newspaper.

Country Alliance encourages any person with information that may assist the ATO in investigating the tax status of green groups to contact the ATO. Merryjig raises its head in pride - to the Greens disgust
14 February 2007
Battered by fires and drought and other things brought on by simplistic policies of the extreme greens, the proud community of Merryjig is expected to hold its 30th rodeo on Saturday 10 March.

This would not have been possible if the Greens had the balance of power - but they are waiting for the day they do, so they can ban rodeos as that is their policy position.

Click here to see their flyer. Executive to meet soon
21 January 2007
CA will have a clearer idea of its agenda when the executive meets probably in March to set our direction for at least the next four years. Fires and other absences have caused a delay in us reconvening post-election, however there is already strong support for us moving forward. We hope to issue a newsletter for all members after the executive meeting when key decisions have been made.

However in the meantime, we have two vacancies on the executive that need to be filled (one has never been filled, plus we have one retirement), and we would be happy to hear from anyone interested in this particularly with a campaigning background.

Please let us know by email at admin@countryalliance.org. Greens fail in first week
20 December 2006
The Greens have bolted out of the gate - but in the wrong direction.

First, they suggested that the president of the upper house should be independent of the major parties - without acknowledging that the formal structure is that members represent their regions.

Secondly, they wanted to quiz ministers during every question time - while forgetting they not only wanted to abolish question time but that there are 37 other members in the chamber who must surely be entitled to equal time._{Herald Sun, 18/12/06}

The Greens performance in the upper house today, observed by yours truly, included Greg Barber insisting on a question without notice (which the Hon Theophanous noted should have been a question ON notice) be answered by the end of the day, when parliamentary rules allow 30 days.

We're more than happy to make allowance for the admission of people new to the upper house, but with Barber's 'enthusiasm' means we're in for a very long four years. Rudd shows support for timber industry
19 December 2006
In a move fully supported by Country Alliance, Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has pledged support for the Tasmanian forestry industry.

A media report says that on a visit to the state's north-west coast, Mr Rudd said an improved forest policy will be crucial at the next election.

The report says says he supports the Community Forest Agreement, and wants to see a sustainable long-term industry without job losses.

"I think it's fair to say that last time around we got it wrong," he said.

Rudd's position is in stark contrast to the position taken by the Latham Opposition at the 2004 Federal election. We believe the position taken by Rudd is a practical and sensible outcome which intelligently rejects the extreme views of the Greens. We may have denied the Greens absolute balance of power
16 December 2006
The preference distributions have now been provided by the VEC and on closer examination, it would seem that our preferences may have denied the Greens the opportunity to win the fifth seats in the Northern and Western Victoria Regions, and with that, the balance of power in their own right.

Click here to read about what happened. DLP confirms importance of CA's preferences
13 December 2006
DLP's new MP, John Mulholland, has confirmed with us the importance that Country Alliance preferences played in determining the make up of the new Upper House.

Country Alliance sent its preferences directly to the DLP in the Western Victoria Region, where it would seem the DLP got a candidate elected - at the expense of Greens candidate, Marcus Ward.

Mr Mulholland has described our preferences as 'essential' to the result.

However counting continues, and we will know more about our impact when the final outcomes are known but it is becoming very clear that we might have achieved scuttling the Greens hopes for holding the balance of power. No Greens candidates got elected in the seats we contested. Nats to decide who they will work with
12 December 2006
While counting in the election continues, the National Party is reportedly pondering whether it will work with Labor in the newly formed Government, rather than stay with its more traditional coalition.

This is a particularly interesting matter for Country Alliance given the need we see for more effective representation for country Victoria. CA might have determined the balance of power!
27 November 2006
Antony Greens analysis of the election suggests that as CA has allowed the fifth seat in the Northern Victoria Region to go to Labor ahead of the Greens (as we were the last party excluded in the count), this might have the effect of denying the Greens the balance of power in the upper house - one of the very things we have wanted to do!

Much will now depend on the final make up as counting continues. Anti-Greens message has sunk in
27 November 2006
The Green's overall vote from Saturday's election has dropped from 9.73 per cent in 2002 to 9.53. As we have already noted, they polled just 7% in the Northern Victoria Region where we were our strongest.

Given that the minor parties opposed to the extreme Greens policies (Family First, The Nationals and ourselves) increased their vote at the expense of the Greens, it would seem our collective efforts (including our TV campaign in regional Victoria) worked.

However we have a lot more work to do in this area in the lead up to the 2010 election. Fifth seat in Northern Victoria still up for grabs
26 November 2006
Yesterday's state election has delivered the most important outcome for Country Alliance. We ran anti-Greens ads, have long taken an anti-Greens stance and were the first party to "put the Greens last". Their average result across the three upper house country seats we contested is just over 8% based on the progressive counting reported in todays Sunday Age and significantly less than forecast before the election (and were their weakest in our strongest electorate).

The minor party vote is not as great as we anticipated, but the relativities turned out as expected. We fared better than the well resourced grouped independents and People Power (whose booth workers at two booths I attended didn't seem to be aware of the exclusion zone around the entrances - let's not mention their handing out of the wrong HTVs at one of the bigger Gembrook booths) and behind Family First.

The ABC's Antony Green has conducted an analysis which reports that the Northern Victoria Region will result in 2 Labor, 2 Liberal and 1 National Party candidate being elected, with Country Alliance having helped Labor win their second spot over the Greens.

If that's correct, then that is a terrific result for us - second only to actually getting someone up.

Counting is continuing. CA gets linked to shooters
22 November 2006
The Herald Sun and Age both report the Greens as 'accusing' Country Alliance of being right wing and linked with the Shooters Party.

Both statements are factually incorrect (we've run split tickets in 2 of the 3 country upper house seats and the Shooters Party doesn't exist in Victoria), although we make no bones about supporting shooting (as we do for other similar activities such as fishing and four wheel driving) - and nor for that matter, does the ALP, LP or NP.

The Greens material (as has been reported) is, in our view, potentially misleading or deceptive, but the reason we are not upset about it is because (apart from the right wing stuff), it suits our image. Being linked with "shootin', huntin', fishin, 4WD'ing'" is not a problem in country Victoria.

In fact many towns depend on these activities. We noted that much in our opinion article in the Herald Sun earlier this year (regarding rodeos).

We are especially proud to declare our support for the timber industry, which has come under unreasonable pressure from extreme green policies. Their portrayal of us in the electorates we are contesting therefore happens to suit us!

Mind you, we formally wrote to the Secretary of the Greens twice this year challenging them to declare they will not ban recreational fishing. While we have received informal acknowledgement of our correspondence through one of their candidates, no formal response or position has been ascertained.

Total number of letters received from the Greens to date on our policies ? Zero.

Who would you rather vote for? Someone who supports "shootin', huntin', fishing, four wheel driving", or someone who won't have a dialogue with us but is happy to favour heroin trials?

CA's chairperson, Russell Bate finds this even more amusing given that he was a member of the ALP and later when appointed to the board of the ABC, was accused of being a 'Labor stooge'. Our second TV ad goes to air
20 November 2006
Our second TV ad went to air tonight. We will post a condensed version of it on this site hopefully tomorrow (Tuesday) Drum's disappointing tirade on CA
20 November 2006
The National's Damien Drum has launched a stinging and unnecessary attack on Country Alliance in the Sunraysia Daily. Presumably because he didn't get our preferences.

Mr Drum accused CA of 'selling its soul' by 'throwing' its preferences to Labor and also to Liberal. Our response is "Mr Drum. This is called a split ticket. It does not advantage nor does it disadvantage either side".

The reality is that the only National worth supporting - and by a country mile - is Gippsland MP Peter Hall. Mr Drum missed out on CA's preferences and is presumably angry at that. The way for us to be proven wrong would be if Mr Hall repeated Mr Drum's comments - but we doubt that will happen.

No, Mr Drum. WE aren't the ones selling Telstra. WE aren't the ones who sold our utilities.

WE aren't the ones selling out on the country. Lee's idea of a water bank becomes reality
20 November 2006
The Age has reported that Australia's first 'water bank' will be open for business within months. The banks will allow rural communities to take control of their own water supplies and stop water being permanently sold off to downstream and interstate interests.

The bank will buy the water and enable it to be leasted back to others.

The Age had earlier - and correctly - reported that this initiative was developed by our lead candidate for the Northern Victoria Region, Danny Lee.

Well done, Danny! Your lifeline for country areas looks like becoming reality! Greens candidate illegal perversions: this is what you are voting for!
19 November 2006
The following media item appeared on the Herald Sun website today. Need we say any more?

Green's website sex profile
Chris Tinkler
November 19, 2006 12:00am
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun

A KEY Melbourne Greens candidate has admitted to declaring on a website a fondness for illegal sexual perversions.

Justin Walker, a chance to win the seat of Prahran, has advertised picking up men in public toilets among his sexual activities on a homosexual dating site.

The 29-year-old, photographed at functions with Greens patriarch Senator Bob Brown, also declared a taste for exhibitionism, group sex, voyeurism and self-gratification.

Having sex in public toilets and indecent exposure are both criminal offences.

Mr Walker admitted yesterday to putting the content on the gaydar.com.au website page, which also includes a link to his election campaign blog.

"I put that profile up four to five years ago, I haven't looked at it since," Mr Walker said.

He claimed some of the information was wrong.

"The information was incorrect and I corrected it," he said.

However Mr Walker deleted the section on sexual activities from the page only after he was approached by the Sunday Herald Sun over the issue.

The rest of the profile is still on the page.

Describing himself as Juzzy on the page, viewed more than 17,000 times, he says: "I'm queer, vegan, green, activist."

Greens spokesman Dave Lane refused to comment.

CA has long maintained it would run a split ticket in at least those two seats to be 'even handed' between Labor and the coalition and decided on Saturday to split ALP / LP in both. The Nationals put us only slightly higher on their tickets in both regions.

We also point out that our first preference in Eastern Victoria Region goes to the National's Peter Hall at 3, with Labor's first candidate at 7. The Nationals placed our first candidate at 16. Family First raises pokies policy same to CA's
12 November 2006
Family First's Cameron Eastman today articulated his party's policy on poker machines to confine them to Crown Casino and racing tracks.

This is a very similar policy to the one we announced on 10 May where we called for them to be limited to casinos and racing venues. CA's first TV commercials go to air
6 November 2006
Television ads promoting Country Alliance have started appearing on WIN TV. The ads oppose the sale of Telstra.

While this is primarily a Federal issue, it also is of local significance partly because of the support the sale has had by local political parties who are Federally represented and have themselves sold state assets, but also because of the timing of the T3 sale.

We've opposed the sale of Telstra from day one, and will continue to do so. Why sell the dog-and-bone? CA slams timber protesters
3 November 2006
Country Alliance has today said that laws protecting the timber industry need to be tightened following a physical attack on a logging truck in Melbourne by timber protesters, this morning.

A media release on this sort of appalling economic vandalism will be put out shortly. VEC accepts CA's nominations
2 November 2006
The VEC has today accepted CA's 6 nominations without a hitch. We're on our way! CA has announced its candidates for the Eastern Victoria Region
30 October 2006
Andrew Jones of Launching Place and Peter Kelly of Morwell have been confirmed as CA's #1 and #2 candidates respectively for the upper house seat of Eastern Victoria Region. See our candidates page for more information. Hunt blasts extreme animal welfare groups
29 October 2006
Fishing identity, Rex Hunt, spoke to a gathered crowd at the 4 x 4 and Fishing Show at Jeff's shed today about the risk of extreme animal welfare policies on fishing and other outdoor recreations. He spoke about what the world could be like in 20 years if recreations like fishing are banned.

Meanwhile outside, the Recreational Environment Group, which is a coalition of fishing, shooting groups, prospectors and other groups who value access to land and marine areas, held a media launch for its campaign in the Upper House seat of Southern Metropolitan Region. See www.reg.org.au for more information. Katter talks up CA in Bendigo
23 October 2006
Someone who needs little introduction - Bob Katter - spoke at a function hosted by our Bendigo branch in Bendigo on Saturday.

Mr Katter spoke about the problem with seeking local representation among the current political party system. Libs start push against Greens
14 October 2006
The Liberals have commenced "The Watermelon Watch - The Greens: Green on the outside… pink in the middle" and are clearly sharpening their focus on the Greens.

We wonder if this might mean they will preference the Greens last, as have Country Alliance and the Nationals!

The following are headings from the latest Liberal electronic newsletter all of which are self-explanatory:

• Greens policy to devatate Victorian economy;
• Greens neglect transport in country Victoria;
• Greens don't want coal, nuclear or wind energy;
• Greens to supply addicts with heroin;
• Greens to strip jobs and $130 million from economy; and
• Greens to encourage drug use in prisons.

You've now heard from us about Greens policies, then from the Nationals and now from the Libs. We wait with interest to see what the ALP's views of the Greens policies are and where their preferences will flow. Crisp says rally was 'slanted' towards CA
2 October 2006
Nationals for the Lower House seat of Mildura, Peter Crisp, has said the "Fight for Survival" rally in Mildura was slanted towards independents and Country Alliance.

If he believes that, then that is best taken up with the rally organisers, the VFF whose building the Nationals share in Melbourne!

As noted by CA's Danny Lee, he was there as a local irrigator. He has also noted that CA was shut out from the Speed and Elmore Field Days when the Nationals were not.

We hope Mr Crisp does not think we had anything to do with the recent rally, because that would be an incorrect belief to hold. Mildura branch event a sell out
30 September 2006
CA's candidates for the Northern Victoria Region hosted the first of a number of events in that electorate on Friday night in Mildura - it was a policy launch and it was a sell out.

Danny Lee

Fred Goodwin

Proceeds from the event will go to a local retirement home. Hodge writes to Greens over fishing policy - again
22 September 2006
Country Alliance candidate, Miles Hodge, has written to the Greens for a second time seeking clarification over that party's policy intentions towards recreational fishing.

The second letter follows a letter he sent them in May asking them to distance themselves from PETA's position to ban recreational fishing. No reply was received. Why won't they show their hand? Greens candidate chops down trees
12 September 2006
A Greens candidate has cut down wattle trees - reportedly contrary to tree clearing rules.

The Herald Sun reports that Geoff de Jonge, the Greens candidate for Gippsland East, cut down three wattle trees that he says were dead. Residents in the area are reportedly angry and accused Mr de Jonge of being a hypocrite. He denies any wrong-doing.

Click here to read the story. Ron Heath: Our #2 candidate for Western Victoria Region
7 September 2006
Ron Heath has just been appointed as our #2 candidate for the Western Victoria Region. His profile will be included shortly Denis Allen joins People Power
29 August 2006
Former Labor MP, Denise Allen, has joined People Power and will be contesting the Upper House seat of Northern Victoria Region.

The Herald Sun reports Ms Allen as saying that Labor has abandoned its grassroots and moved away from its traditional values.

She told the paper she was"forced to toe the party line as a Labor MP instead of properly representing her constituents."

"I can remember speaking out . . . and getting a phone call from an adviser in the Premier's office," the report quotes Ms Allen as saying.

According to Ms Allen, the adviser told her: "I thought I told you not to say that."

"I thought, excuse me, I'm the member of Parliament here. I'm the one who is representing the people. I should be able to come out and express my opinion on something without being told by a 25-year-old adviser what to do." McGuaran says Nats are dying
25 August 2006
The following is a story which appeared on ABC's website tonight and is telling of the reason we are contesting this year's state election:

McGuaran outlines reasons leaving Nationals

National Party defector and now Liberal Senator, Julian McGauran, believes his former party is dying.

Speaking for the first time since his controversial defection seven months ago, Senator McGauran outlined his reasons for leaving the National Party.

He has told the ABC's Stateline program the National Party is in terminal decline and he felt he could better serve rural Victoria in the Liberal Party.

Senator McGauran predicts the Liberal and National Parties will either merge in Victoria or the Liberal Party will gradually win all the National Party seats.

"They are the preferred rural and regional party and that they really are the only conservative party with the ability to grow," he said.

"It's quite possible... they'll hold eight out of the 10 and only two National Party seats will be in country Victoria."

He says the two conservative parties have already effectively merged in Victoria.

"There's no or little distinction between the National and Liberal Party, so for all intents and purposes they've already merged and a merger would have no effect on the political scale or for that matter the Liberals... quite frankly can wait for the retiring members and win the seats."

It remains to be seen if his party (Liberals) will follow Country Alliance and the Nationals in putting the Greens last, but Mr Stoney's statement is certainly a welcome one to hear nonetheless:

At long last the Greens have come out. This is the first time they have really flexed their muscles in Victoria, and Victorians need to be very concerned. The Greens want to close down public land, and you only have to look at their biodiversity policy of 2006 to see that.

The Greens want to stop all commercial and most recreational use of public land for grazing, logging, bee-keeping and firewood collection. Four-wheel drives, fishing and horseriding will be next. All this could occur if the Greens hold the balance of power in the upper house.

As demonstrated already during the past seven years, the Bracks government will do anything for Greens preferences. On 25 November there will be a new voting system for the upper house. Voters will be faced with the choice of placing only one tick above the line or wading through the maze below the line.

In my opinion most voters will opt to place one vote for a party ticket above the line. They will do this to avoid the confusion and to get going home.

I know some people believe voters can be encouraged to make the effort and vote below the line for individuals, but the history of this Senate-style of voting shows that only a small fraction of people will bother to go below the line and vote for individual candidates.

The majority will vote for a party above the line and not even be aware that their preferences could flow on to the Greens, certainly Labor preferences will flow on. Therefore, before they vote voters wanting to put the Greens last in the upper house will have to carefully study the preference deals of the parties above the line or they will have one or two Green members of Parliament in here that may hold the balance of power in the upper house and access to public land will be seriously curtailed.

This was the position we suggested via opinion piece articles in the Weekly Times and in particular the Herald Sun last month click here to see the challenge we issued to the major parties.

It's a case of "one down, two to go".

We have reproduced part of the Nat's press release below:

The Nationals have ruled out any preference deals with the Greens and will place their candidates in last position on how-to-vote cards.

Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan said the Greens social policies and anti-country Victoria agenda made them more of a threat to rural and regional Victoria than any other candidates.

“While The Nationals MPs pride ourselves on being able to work with anyone who has the best interests of regional Victoria at heart, I can’t see anything positive from the Greens agenda,” Mr Ryan said.

“They want to distribute heroin to drug addicts; reduce criminal sanctions for other illicit drug use; their animals policy is an attack on agricultural jobs; and their obsession with banning hunting and cutting back on recreational fishing is alarming for people who enjoy an outdoors lifestyle.

“The Greens policies amount to a ban on country jobs ....”

Consistent with CA's previous statements, we support the Nationals views that that's fine - provided those who manage public lands are held to similar account.

Weeds don't discriminate .... Hodge wheels out his campaign
20 June 2006

CA's candidate for Western Vic Region, Miles Hodge has had the artwork he ordered done - and will be wheeling his truck out of the garage while working.

This follows Danny Lee doing a similar thing with his ute - see below.

Greens rekindle whacky tobaccy policy
17 June 2006
The Greens are yet to post it on their website but today media outlets suggested they announced their drugs policy.

According to the Herald Sun's website, the Greens are calling for clinically produced heroin to be imported into Australia for long-term addicts.

Supervised heroin injection rooms, such as one running in Sydney's Kings Cross, would also be trialled in Victoria while the policy also proposes to scrap all criminal penalties for drug use.

The production, sale or trafficking of illicit drugs would remain an offence, but users would only face a court order requiring them to participate in a health scheme.

Greens Victorian upper house candidate Colleen Hartland, who unveiled the policy today at a needle exchange facility in Footscray, said the proposals would "minimise the harm (and) save lives".

The Greens policy also proposes to regulate medicinal marijuana use, while needle exchange facilities would be rolled out statewide to cut rates of hepatitis and HIV infection amongst users.

The Greens drugs policies for this year's state election do not (at least to us) seem all that different from those that it promoted ahead of the 2002 Victorian state election. Greens reject animal welfare lobby groups policy
28 June 2006
In an interview on The Outdoor Life (3WBC 94.1FM Wednesdays 7am - 10am), Greens candidate Marcus Ward was asked if the Greens supported PETA's position to ban recreational fishing.

Ward, who has taken a public position to ban duck shooting, said that the Greens do not have a policy to ban recreational fishing, placing his party at direct odds with the animal welfare lobby.

This followed a challenge by Country Alliance's candidate for Western Victoria Region, Miles Hodge, to the Greens to state what their real position was in light of their position on duck shooting - and was the basis of the question asked by the program's presenter, Bill Davey. Lee on the front page of The Age
25 June 2006
The front page of today's Sunday Age carries a story featuring Country Alliance's Danny Lee and Fred Goodwin who are contesting the Northern Victoria Region upper house seat and have re-set our own expectations.

The article concerns the plight of farmers and regional communities being caught up in water trading introduced by the Federal Liberal / National Party Government, which is seeing water being 'transferred away' from local communities for the benefit of "the vultures of farming, large corporate investment funds".

Danny, and his running mate for the Northern Victoria Region, Fred Goodwin, are both noted in the article as wanting irrigators throughout Victoria to take control of the water before it is traded downstream and out of their districts.

"People are just giving up. It is happening right along the river to dried fruit, citrus and wine growers. Dairy and cropping farmers are also feeling it. This has devasting results for towns and regional economies", Danny told The Age.

As the story says, farmers are being urged to rebel against water trading with the establishment of "water banks" to buy, allocate and distribute water to shareholders and lease it at subsidised fees to farmers in need - similar to the community banking system administered by the Bendigo Bank.

CA at the Alexandra Ute & Truck show
11 June 2006

CA had a stall today at the popular Alexandra Ute & Truck show.

CA's candidate for the Northern Victoria Region, Danny Lee, with everything but the bathtub making his presence known. Greens claim to be set to win balance of power
10 June 2006
The Greens have announced their candidates for each of the Upper House regions ahead of this year's Victorian State election.

Green Senator, Bob Brown, says his part is confident of holding the balance of power in Victoria, saying it was "in voters' hands". Click here to read the story. Snowy Hydro deal collapses
1 June 2006
The Snowy Hydro deal collapsed today after public pressure including from independent MPs Craig Ingram and Russell Savage. The Federal Government pulled the plug on the deal this morning with Victoria and New South Wales following within hours.

CA had earlier opposed the deal while the other major parties had previously supported it. CA at Mildura Field Days
1 June 2006

Danny Lee and others from our branch in Mildura flew our flag at the Mildura Field Days. Merger plan for Qld Liberals and Nationals
29 May 2006
The Queensland Nationals have raised the prospect of merging with the Liberal Party. The Nationals' Queensland President, Bruce Scott, desribed an 'in principle agreement', which could take effect in a year, as historic.

The Liberals State Director, Geoff Greene, said that the time for a merger has come.

Prime Minister Howard says he is against the idea. Victorian National Party Leader Peter Ryan, said he would not propose a similar move in Victoria. Nationals facilitate consultation in support of fluoridation
27 May 2006
CA has supported the Nationals call for a referendum, but went further by promoting the position that water supplies should not be fluoridated unless the affected communities genuinely want it.

Perhaps we misread their position. The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Ken Jasper, has called for further consultation on the issue in Wangaratta, and organised a meeting to allow DHS's chief health officer to argue the case for fluoridation. This was despite the fact those present were largely anti-fluoridation.

CA remains unmoved - we believe it is up to the proponents of fluoridation to prove their case. It is not up to the local communities to argue the case for them.

Country Alliance appears to be the only political party committed to supporting local communities on this issue. CA approved to run raffles
26 May 2006
CA is now approved to run raffles after being approved by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation to do so. Our first raffle is now underway. CA writes to Greens about PETA
14 May 2006
CA has just written to the State Secretary of the Australian Greens (Victoria) to ask if the Greens support the position taken by PETA over recreational fishing - which is to ban it. It will be interesting to see what they say in reply. CA announces policies
10 May 2006
Today, we announced our policies which you can now see on our 'policies page' (click here). CA to announce fluoridation position
5 May 2006
CA is set to announce a raft of policies, including its position on the fluoridation of water supplies. CA supports the position taken by the National Party in calling for the issue to be subject to referendums, but wants to go further.

CA believes the starting position for our water supplies should be 'no fluoridation' and that proponents of fluoridation should obtain genuine community support to deviate from that starting point.

CA also believes that fluoridation should not continue in existing water supplies if the local communities do not support it. Vote 1- Miles Hodge for Western Victoria Region
3 May 2006
Geelong farrier, Miles Hodge, has been endorsed by Country Alliance to run as its number 1 candidate for the Western Victoria Region which runs from Melton to Horsham (taking in Ballarat), then down to Portland and to the Bellarine Peninsula.

See our 'media page' (click here) for the media release.

Announcement of our candidate for Eastern Victoria Region will be made in due course. Danny Lee, our candidate for Northern Victoria Region
26 April 2006
Merbein farmer, Danny Lee, has been nominated as Country Alliance's candidate for Northern Victoria Region.

Fred Goodwin from Bendigo has been nominated to run as #2 on our Northern ticket. See our 'media page' (click here) for the media release.

Announcements on our other regions will follow over the next few weeks. CA at Lang Lang Rodeo
17 April 2006
Country Alliance continued its road show this Easter, with a stall at the Lang Lang Rodeo. Again, recognition was high.

While people were there to enjoy a rodeo rather than worry about this year's election, people needed no reminding of the issues affecting rodeos.

Representatives from 4WD groups (anyone who has been to a rodeo will know that the ute comp attracts a lot of interest...) were well aware of CA's support for their activities. Goverment to push bill on aboriginal heritage through lower house
10 April 2006
The State Government is about to push legislation through parliament in a narrower timeframe than is being asked by the states two independent lower house MP's, that has the potential to affect the relationship between all land in Victoria and the aboriginal community.

Here is what the member for Mildura, Russell Savage, said in Minister Thwaites' introduction of the bill:

"I rise to support my colleague from Gippsland East and also the member for Sandringham. It may surprise members to know that I have the largest indigenous population in Victoria.

"Some concerns have been expressed to me about the nature of this legislation by my local indigenous population. They want further time to absorb and assess the impact of this legislation. It is true there was an exposure draft, but this bill will have some significant changes in its content.

"I note there was a dispute on the steps of the Parliament this week between the chief of staff, as I understand it, and the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in another place with some indigenous leaders who were complaining about this very thing -- about the bill not listening to the concerns of indigenous members of this state.

"My local Mildura Aboriginal corporation has contacted me and indicated that it is unhappy with the time element of this bill and wish it to be a matter for further discussion. That is why I support the five-week period moved by the member for Gippsland East."

The paper quotes Environment Minister John Thwaites as saying that 200 more fire specialists will be employed over four years. He said the number of wild doggers has doubled and that there are extra parks staff and week and pest controllers.

CA supports this and will soon announce where DSE, and other Departments who provide regional services should be relocated to. Mildura branch inaugural meeting 'better than hoped for'
26 March 2006
CA's inaugural meeting in Mildura went far better than anticipated. Mildura is CA's fifth branch. CA set to open Mildura branch
19 March 2006
CA looks set to open up a branch in Mildura.

The first meeting of members in Mildura will be meeting in Irymple Thursday evening, 23rd March. For more information, contact Fiona on 0400 834 662. Regional Victoria's resuscitation rate triples that of metro Melbourne
15 March 2006
The Weekly Times today ran a story that Victoria's resuscitation rate in country Victoria is 12% compare to the city's 37%.

The article suggests that in the city, there are five or six paramedics looking after the typical cardiac arrest situation, whereas in the country area, you might get one paramedic and a volunteer.

The paper said the Government refused to give it quarterly reports on the Cardiac Arrest Register which lists resusctation rates in regional and metro areas.

The responsible Minister, Bronwyn Pike, is reported to have said a number of iniatives have been launched to reduce the cardiac arrest problem in rural Victoria. Liberals set for a landslide victory: The Age
12 March 2006
The Age has reported that if an election were held today, the Liberal Party would sweep back into power by a landslide, with the Country Alliance being the only opposition.

This story reports that as at 5pm on Friday, the Liberal Party was the only party to re-register under new electoral laws in Victoria, and Country Alliance is the only other party to have applied for re-registration.

All parties have until 30 June 2006 to apply for registration. Greens still a threat to the Upper House
9 March 2006
The Herald Sun has published a story which shows that the story with the Greens possibly holding the balance of power in the Upper House after this year's state election, hasn't changed.

Click here to see the story.

You'll see that polls still show that Labor is not likely to get enough seats to win a majority in the Legislative Council, and will need to rely either on other parties or independents. The story notes that Labor's policies are more closely aligned to those of the Greens, suggesting that they are the natural dancing partner. Vic Government set to restrict new stock and domestic dams
6 March 2006
The most recent edition of Weekly Times carried a story quoting DSE chief, Robyn McLeod, as saying that the Government is looking at regulating small dams across the state.

The article says that that at a recent water summit, Ms McLeod said unregulated damans were "popping up all over our country".

It would seem that most rural people will not agree with her sentiments. Federal Labor MP quits over preselection
28 February 2006
ALP's preselection battle in Victoria has claimed its first scalp with Bob Sercombe withdrawing his nomination in Maribyrnong.

Media outlets report that he was one of seven sitting federal Labor politicians facing preselection challenges in Victoria.

One report says he is stepping aside to try to provide a circuit breaker for what he describes as the "sleaze and nonsense" consuming the Victorian branch of the Labor Party. Mr Sercombe's withdrawal leaves the way open for union leader Bill Shorten to contest the safe seat of Maribyrnong at the next Federal election.

The retiring frontbencher is reported to have thrown his support behind Simon Crean, who is also in danger of losing preselection, saying the former Labor leader must be returned as a key element of the party's team. Mr Sercombe has reportedly urged challengers to other sitting members to put the Labor Party's interests first and withdraw. PETA comes out against fishing
27 February 2006
In what could become a platform issue for Country Alliance, PETA wants to see an end to recreational fishing. Click here to see the story from the Herald Sun.

Peta spokesperson, Mark Pearson, said his organisation would take "other action in its bid to wipe out angling would follow if authorities did not act".

We're curious as to whether the Greens support PETA's views. Our challenge to them is to either support or disown PETA's agenda. Liberal leadership challenge in the winds
24 February 2006
Media reports suggest that a leadership challenge to Robert Doyle could happen soon.

One report says Mr Doyle's rating has slipped two points on the previous Newspoll, and is the lowest in almost two and a half years.

58 per cent of voters are happy to have Mr Bracks continue as premier - up three points and his highest level since mid-2004.

The report says that on the crucial two-party-preferred measure, Labor jumped back up to 56 per cent of the vote compared with 44 per cent for the Liberals and Nationals combined.

On this result, Labor would hold almost all the seats it won in the 2002 landslide election, and the Liberal Party would continue to languish at or near historic lows. Could CA lose mantle as 'newest' political party?
24 February 2006
'People Power' says it is about to apply to the Australian Electoral Commission to register as a political party and, according to one media report, contest this year's Victorian State Election. This doesn't quite gel with us but we welcome the possible registration of the party, as until now, we have been the 'newest' one to do so.

We understand the party intends to topple Deputy Premier John Thwaites from his seat of Albert Park in a campaign to divert money from major projects to disability support and mental health services.

The report says People Power's members and candidates were drawn largely from disability and mental health campaigners, carers and sufferers Telstra to dump payphones
20 February 2006
Media outlets have published a report that Telstra will remove about 5,000 payphones. Federal Communications Minister Helen Coonan, who's Coalition Government voted to sell the telco, said the Government may move to strengthen Telstra's service obligations.

CA's position is simpler - don't sell the telco! CA at the Wandin 4WD show
20 February 2006
CA had a stall at this year's 4WD show at Wandin for the second year running.

Interest in CA as an alternative party was again impressive as was the recognition of our name. Olexander: Other Liberals may run against party
13 February 2006
The Herald Sun has reported expelled Liberal, Andrew Olexander, as saying that he and other Liberals could hand preferences to Labor.

The article reports Olexander as claiming that he is contact with between six and twelve Liberals who are planning independent campaigns.

He reportedly said that only the ousting of current leader, Robert Doyle, would address the "style of leadership, lack of democracy (and) growth of extreme politics".

A party spokesperson and the state director have suggested that the claims are wrong. Crisp to contest Mildura
1 February 2006
The Sunraysia Daily has identified a Mildura councillor as the likely candidate for the National Party in the seat of Mildura at this year's state election.

The article states that Peter Crisp, who has supported the same anti-toxic dump campaign as local MP, Russell Savage, is set to be the party's candidate.

We will watch this with immense interest as we also support Mr Savage's position on the toxic waste issue. McGauran defects to the Libs
23 January 2006
National Party Senator, Julian McGauran, has defected to the Liberals. He reportedly said that he saw no real policy difference between the Liberals and the Nationals in Victoria.

He also said that there was no other party in rural Victoria with a chance for growth, which is a shame given our recent registration and opening up of branches.

Click here to read the story.

McGauran's defection is likely to improve our prospects of representing regional Victoria. Alliance at the Lang Lang Show
21 January 2006

Country Alliance had a stall today at the Lang Lang Show. It was a hot one - 41 degrees, but it didn't keep the people away.

Half of those we spoke to had previously read or heard about Country Alliance and there was a surprisingly encouraging number of people who knew what we stood for. Government vows not to 'end angling'
19 January 2006

The ABC website has reported federal Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald suggesting that a bill moved by the Australian Democrats will end outdoor sports like angling.

However Senator Andrew Bartlett says the bill, which will reportedly outlaw the 'capture and killing of wild animals for the purpose of entertainment and sport', has nothing to do with fishing.

Click here to read the story. Police remove blockaders
17 January 2006

Police have arrested blockaders at forests near Bendoc after they chained themselves to logging machinery.

Click here to read the story about some obviously unrepentent people. Otway's faces heightened fire risk after expansion
7 January 2006

Just months after the Government announced the expansion of the Otway's National Park, Environment Minister, John Thwaites, now says that the area faces a high risk of fire.

He reportedly said this follows three years of below average rainfall.

Click here to read the story from Yahoo!'s website.