Changchun trade praise
I wish to congratulate Warrnambool City Council on their visionary approach to developing trade and trust between rural and regional Australia and regional China. I was fortunate enough to be part of the recent agricultural and education delegation to Changchun. The Asian century is well and truly with us, however, trust in relationships has to be earnt and it starts with education and networking from a very early age. The Warrnambool council’s vision in bringing both education and agriculture together is a model other rural centres should follow. This is about developing long-term relations and trust and eventually trade for the next 50 years or more. The council’s vision is to increase milk production from 2 million to 3 million litres over the next 10 years in south-west Victoria, the marketing of this will need the long-term trust that the Changchun relationship will deliver. Regional Victoria in fact is the export powerhouse of the state and the Warrnambool council’s approach is visionary, sound and long-term in its thinking. It’s what this country badly needs, good long-term leadership and thinking that’s not coming from our cities.
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Donald Lawson, Mansfield
Set the record straight
Swampy Marsh is getting some deserved credit for his idea to use maremma guardian dogs to protect our Middle Island little penguin colony. However, the record needs setting straight about how he had to “take on Landcare, Coastcare” and various government departments. Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group is a volunteer community organisation. One of our members, Dave Williams, was working for Swampy when Swampy had the great idea to use the maremmas on Middle Island. Dave and our community group were instrumental in getting the maremma trial started and doing the scientific monitoring and data collection that demonstrates the success of the maremma project. Our volunteers have done this year in, year out and continue doing it today. Our group has also been supporting the development of the Oddball movie for many years and it is great that it is finally on the big screen. However, the movie is a fairytale with only a kernel of truth at its centre. Swampy should get the credit due to him. But so too should the hundreds of dedicated Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare volunteers who, in partnership with Warrnambool City Council, have made the Middle Island project a success from its beginning to the present. That is the true story our city should celebrate.
Bruce Campbell, Leader Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group
Make MPs accountable
Politicians should never be above the law or held to lower standards than other members of the community like teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, child care workers, the public sector, profit and not-for-profit corporations.
In 2012 and 2014, the Victorian Greens put forward a bill that would create a criminal offence for the serious misconduct of a member of parliament, with allegations to be investigated by the police. There would be criminal penalties including imprisonment for a major breach of the trust and responsibility held by elected representatives.
The bill will give the courts a wide discretion to determine if the misconduct is serious and provides a solid foundation for law enforcement authorities to pursue their prosecutions based upon the common law.
The offence would carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, 600 penalty units (this fine was calculated at $88,566 in 2014) or both. This is a similar penalty that local councillors face if they misuse their position.
The Geoff Shaw scandal from the previous government has shown that parliament can't deal with serious allegations and the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission has proved to be toothless.
When the Greens first tried to introduce the laws in 2012, Liberal and Labor MPs said we don't need 'serious misconduct' laws.
Are the Greens MPs still the only ones willing to make Members of Parliament face the same laws as the public who elect them?
Thomas Campbell, Greens Candidate for South-West Coast
Make it marginal
One of my aims is to make South West Coast marginal. This by-election represents a once in a century opportunity for our region to take control of its own destiny, by changing how it votes, just once; for one election. My ad today is my one shot to get you on board with this campaign towards marginality. I do not have much money. I do not have a party machine behind me. I am doing this, not alone, but with you – directly. I need your support. I need donations and volunteers. I need your trust and your vote, and those of your friends, neighbours and families.Politicians promise the world at election time. Our letterboxes are stuffed full of glossy pamphlets. What a waste of breath and paper, when they know they can’t deliver. I’ll make one promise: I will send you, by direct mail, one letter explaining how the south-west will benefit from electing me at this byelection as an independent. I will speak directly with you and I’ll listen. I’ve been doing that intensively for the last month already. Actually, I’ve been doing it for the best part of 17 years since I started this process towards marginality. I’m just one person. I can’t knock on every door, no matter how much I try. Elect me and I will knock on the doors of governments and the doors of opposition members alike, until my knuckles bleed, to get what our region needs and deserves. Give me that chance and I will bring us benefits for years to come.
Roy Reekie, independent candidate for South West Coast, Warrnambool
Voice council views
I want to stress to all The Standard readers and electors the importance of the current Electoral Representation Review that is in progress for the Warrnambool City Council. Whilst it is democratic for the members of the Warrnambool City Council to be making submissions to the current review, all present councillors have a personal vested interest in retaining the existing electoral structure with the proportional representation voting system because they have been elected under this system. Why would they want to change a system when they have been successfully voted in as councillors? The people of Warrnambool now have one chance in 8 or more years to make their views known to the Victorian Electoral Commission. If sufficient people respond to the VEC invitation to express their opinions on what is needed to achieve sound future representation on Warrnambool City Council, possibly by having an additional two councillors and creating an electoral structure for nine councillors to be elected, with three councillors in each of three wards, the VEC will be prepared to listen and hopefully act on the submissions received. However, if very few submissions are made to the VEC, it is obvious from the Preliminary Report that the status quo of seven councillors to be elected in an unsubdivided municipality (which is the VEC's preferred option), wiil prevail.
Similarly, those people who are willingt o make submissions should also indicate to the VEC that they wish to speak to their submissions at the public hearing which is scheduled at the Council Offices for 6 pm on October 27. If only a few people attend this public hearing, the VEC will gain the impression that there are no problems with the current electoral structure and will then prepare their final report recommendation accordingly.
If change is to occur within Warrnambool City Council our community must act now. Look up the VEC website at vec.vic.gov.au and let the VEC know your thoughts on the need for changes to be made to their VEC Preliminary Report recommendation. Unless you make your input, please do not complain if necessary desirable changes cannot be encouraged at the next City Council elections to take place in October 2016.
Frank L.J. McCarthy Senior, Warrnambool
Free trade support
I would like to add my support behind the recently announced China Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), conditional on the current parliamentary inquiries finding that there will be no adverse affect on Australian workers accessing job opportunities in our own country.
After attending the Australian Dairy Farmers forum on the ChAFTA in Warrnambool it confirmed in my mind the size of the Chinese market for dairy products represents an enormous opportunity for Australia's dairy industry, including South West Coast to expand the volume of dairy products we export overseas. The average economic worth and spending power of China's population continues to rise as the Chinese political system shifts further towards greater economic freedom for its citizens. This wealth effect will likely lead to an increase in the Chinese consumption per capita of dairy products. If the ChAFTA is ratified our Australian dairy farmers will be in a great position to capitalise on the expected growth in China's demand for these dairy products. First and foremost though we must not sacrifice the sanctity of Australian workers being able to access job opportunities associated with any overseas capital investment in projects in our country. The economic and social problems, including crime, drug addiction and mental health issues associated with unemployment are not to be underestimated and our parliamentarians need to ensure ratifying the ChAFTA will not infringe on Australian workers being given first access to any job opportunities that arise in our own country as a result of the agreement. Freeing up of fair trade between countries also has other benefits. The more exposure Australia has in China, the greater the likelihood of other trade opportunities such as tourism. An increase in the inbound tourist trade from China could translate into millions of dollars of net economic worth to Australia given the size of China's population and the ever increasing personal wealth of its citizens. Enhanced trade relations can also foster greater cooperative approaches between countries leading to social benefits through joint ventures such as advances in scientific and health research. Having worked in the dairy industry both as a dairy farm hand and then as a veterinarian I can understand the desire for the dairy industry to want the ChAFTA to come to fruition as it will help create more stability within the industry by both spreading the customer base for our dairy products and also increasing our export volumes. I urge all sides of politics to clarify the safeguarding of Australian workers’ employment prospects in relation to the ChAFTA as quickly as possible so we can move forward with ratifying the agreement before the year’s end.
Michael McCluskey, Independent candidate, South West Coast