With the State election due at the end of next year, the battlelines are being drawn in the political war over Victoria’s controversial North-South pipeline.

The new Pipeline represents all that is divisive in the political argument over water.

The Pipeline will divert 75 billion litres of water to Melbourne when it opens next year. But experts say our water reserves are dwindling, with Lake Eildon down to 18 per cent of capacity.

With the surrounding water reserves in northern Victoria extremely low and little prospect of big rainfalls over the next few months, serious questions are being asked about whether the savings are really there.

The Opposition claims that it is not clear that the Government will ever achieve the water savings that it claims that will provide the water for the Pipeline, without stripping water out of the Murray Darling system.

Other commentators say that the North South Pipeline has been presented as the solution to all our problems.

The Greens in Victoria say it will take 75 gigalitres every year out of the Goulburn and pump it into Eildon Weir. Good in theory if the water is there, they say.

The man in the middle – Water Minister Tim Holding – is spearheading the Pipeline project for the Government. He is one of the Brumby Government’s top ministers and his profile was lifted considerably recently when he was lost – and then found by rescuers -- in Victoria’s alpine wilderness.

He was missing for two nights after going on a solo hike at Mount Feathertop, the second highest peak in Victoria.

Mr Holding might have stepped of a dangerous alpine peak only to find himself in the midst of bad political weather.

The powers that the State Government needs to pump water through the Pipe have been blocked in the Upper House by the Opposition, Greens and the DLP – all aligning themselves against the Government.

It has developed into a Mexican stand-off over the water to Melbourne. The Government refuses to budge and says they will guarantee water through the Pipeline for at least the first year.

The Opposition parties say the Pipeline is a white elephant and say the Government has squandered billions of dollars in big infrastructure projects at the peril of other more sensible water saving options such as rain water harvesting and recycled water.

What will happen next?

One thing is sure. Water politics is shaping up as a key issue at next year’s State election – and the divisive fight over our water will continue beyond our waterways all the way to the ballot box.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnmwkamchhQ

Do you think the State has acted well enough to deal with our low water levels?

Will their plans solve our water issues?

Should we use recycled water?

Victoria’a Water Minister Tim Holdng was found and rescued by emergency crews  last night after two days of freezing conditions on Mt Feathertop.

The 37 year-old was declared missing on Sunday night after failing to return from a solo hiking expedition.

When no contact had been made with his family and close friends, an 80-person search party was sent to the Victorian Alps in the rescue the Australian Labor Party member.

But weather did not help the search party with heavy cloud cover and poor visibility making it very difficult to locate Mr. Holding.

Visibility in region improved yesterday and the minister was spotted by a news helicopter before being winched to safety from the slopes of Mt Feathertop by police.

Since being rescued, Mr. Holding has been admitted to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital and has been cleared from any signs of hyperthermia and frostbite.

Despite his remarkable survival story, Mr. Holding has not escaped without the public labeling him ‘foolish’ and ‘naïve’, and criticizing him for his failure to carry an EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon).

But others have been quick to defend the Minister, including Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe, who said his actions were quite responsible.

“I think Mr. Holding did what other people do,” Mr. Walshe said.

“He signed the book at the start of the walk saying where he was heading to, he was very, very well equipped both with clothing, with a tent, with torches, he had food, he had water, unfortunately he slipped, had a fall which took him off the track and he couldn’t get back to the track.

“He became disorientated in the environment. I am not saying he was foolish at all. He was well prepared, he knows the area, he has been there before and I think in those circumstances what he did was reasonable.”

The issue has also raised debate over weather preferential treatment had been given to Mr. Holding due to his political background, and how police would have reacted to other hikers lost in the Victorian Alps.

Yet again, Mr. Walshe defended the state’s actions.

“If we had any individual who was lost anywhere in the state and required assistance and required to be located and recovered, we would do exactly the same again.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv48YcYairw

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Did police give preferential treatment to Mr Holding because he was a minister?

Do you think the Minister’s actions were foolish?

The growing list of quitting Australian politicians continues today with New South Wales Health Minister John Della Bosca ending his decade long service with the Australian Labor Party.

It is believed the 53 year-olds decision was influenced by the continual media and parliamentary speculation about an alleged affair he had with a 26-year-old woman.

According to reports, Mr Della Bosca had a sexual relationship with the women for the past three months after the two met at a function at the New South Wales Art Gallery.

In his letter of resignation to Premier Nathan Rees, Mr Della Bosca said his decision was based on personal life issues rather than his political performances.

“At no time did I breach my duties as a Minister or Member of Parliament. I took the decision to resign following a series of questions put to me about my personal life,” Della Bosca said.

“I do not want this matter to be a distraction to a Government which is working hard to improve services. I regret some personal decisions I made and I am deeply sorry for the hurt I have caused my family.

“It has been a privilege to serve the people of New South Wales and to work with dedicated people who are committed to public service.”

Mr Della Bosca’s decision has all but ended his ambition to one day lead New South Wales and just last week he was touted as a front-runner to take over as NSW premier.

While Mr Della Bosca remained tight lipped on issues of his affair, the woman involved said she ended their relationship because the minister had failed to leave his wife.

This newest Parliamentary issue is just another episode in the tacky government soap opera that is Australian politics.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI8hfqJdreI

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Do you think Mr Della Bosca should have resigned?

Should a politicians personal life be revealed to the public?

THE FACTS:

Former Victorian Minister Theo Theophanous has retired from politics this week, after a year he would rather forget.

The 61 year-old, who served in the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Northern Metropolitan Region, will no longer run in the pre-selection race for an Upper House seat in Parliament.

Theophanous has cited the events of the past nine months as the driving force behind his decision.

In September 1998, Mr. Theophanous was accused of raping a woman on a couch at parliament house.

It was alleged that the upper house MP at the time met a female acquaintance at a cafe in Bourke Street near Parliament for a drink.

According to the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, the two shared a few glasses of red wine, before Theophanous convinced the woman to take a private tour of Parliament with him where the incident occurred.

Charges for the case were dropped over the weekend due to unreliable evidence by the so-called victim.

However the lasting effects from the former MP’s ‘trial by media’ has tarnished his reputation and has dealt a huge blow to his ego, hindering his ability to continue his career as a politician.

It has opened up much discussion about how easily the media can ruin careers of innocent individuals and how documented a politicians personal life is nowadays.

THE VIEWS:

Andrew Bolt for the Herald Sun:

“All it took to kill the career of Theo Theophanous was for a mentally unstable liar to accuse him of rape. It didn’t matter that the accuser, let’s call her Helen, was an ‘entirely unreliable witness’, as magistrate Peter Reardon last week found. It was enough that Theophanous was accused of rape, which in this age of victim hood means guilt is assumed and the accuser not questioned. And so this week, betrayed and vilified, Theophanous was obliged to announce his retirement from politics, despite having had the case against him thrown out even before it got to a jury. Thus ended the career of a man who’d been a successful and senior minister under three Labor premiers.”

Magistrate Peter Reardon:

“She was an entirely unreliable witness, I can place little, if any credence on her allegation of rape in this matter. I have concluded in this particular case that the prosecution case is not sustainable. It is inherently weak, lacks credibility, reliability and truthfulness.”

Theo Theophanous:

“It is impossible for one’s reputation not to be damaged in these circumstances, I will try to talk to the premier, if I can, and I will consider what I and my family want to do in the future. I think we have already made a very significant contribution in this state.”

BREAKING IT DOWN:

A) Nowadays, the personal life of a politician is well and truly open to the public eye. Politicians must now understand the serious impact a negative public reputation can have on your career.

In the past, what happened in politicians personal life was generally overlooked? The public would usually turn a blind eye to the wrongdoings or alleged wrongdoings in their personal life. Bill Clinton, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating have all had a history of controversy in their lives but did not affect them or their career. Nowadays, and especially in the case of Theophanous, we have seen that this is not the case.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmpfzNkpvJc

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

THE FACTS:

Melbourne city lord Mayor Robert Doyle has found himself in hot water after spending $240 000 on a new logo for the city, which was revealed today.

It stark contrast to the previous 1992 city emblem, which incorporated a leaf around a fragmented ‘M’, the new logo consists of blue shards of glass coming together to give a 3D feel.

Many felt he emblem may have missed the mark, with a leading Melbourne brand expert saying it a design his four-year-old daughter could have created. Others, however, feel it was time for a change, believing the new logo symbolises Melbourne’s modern and vibrant image.

Like it or not, criticisms have also been aimed at the council for overspending and using money that could have gone to city safety or helping the homeless.

The $240,000 spent on the logo, $148,000 for the design and $92,000 on research, has been seen as a misuse of taxpayers money, however when you compare it to what other organizations have paid for logos, Melbourne city got a bargain!

London has spent over $1million on their new Olympic emblem, and the Commonwealth Bank spent a whopping $11 million dollars for the famous diamond logo.

In tough economic times like these however, governments and councils will always be criticized for aesthetic city spending.

THE VIEWS:

Anson Cameron for The Age:

“Some dude in Sydney just got $240,000 for writing an M. We hope you don’t laugh. But we’re going to keep straight faces. Any Melbourne ratepayer who doesn’t feel they have been swooped upon and laid waste by a band of brigands who are now dancing around a harbour-side brassiere naked, dousing each other in white rum, is impervious to injustice and could be burgled thrice weekly for a decade without realising their chattels are thinning.”

Melbourne University brands expert Prof Bryan Lukas, as reported in the Herald Sun:

“If we are supposed to be the city like a San Francisco or Boston, more cultural and four seasons, this ‘M’ doesn’t represent that. If we are supposed to be the city like a San Francisco or Boston, more cultural and four seasons, this ‘M’ doesn’t represent that.”

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle in a media release:

“The new design will become an icon for Melbourne, synonymous with the modern, vibrant, cool city Melbourne is today and will continue to be in the future. Both the world and the city have changed and the leaf logo no longer reflects modern Melbourne and its true international standing.”

BREAKING IT DOWN:

A) The city council’s spending of taxpayers’ money on unnecessary things, such as new logos and designs.

How will a new logo help the image of our city when poverty on the streets still exists? Would it not be better to improve the standard of life in our city rather than to improve our city logo?

B) What the symbol represents and what it means to our city.

Is the fragmented shades of glass used in the logo supposed to indicate the modern, new, ‘cool’ city we live in and is it a sign of moving with the modern times? And is this a true representation of Melbourne?

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Do you think the new Melbourne City Logo is worth almost a quarter of a million dollars?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=svNpa1NFsB4

THE FACTS:

In 1997 it became clear that Melbourne’s train network was going to be sold to the private sector.

Since 1999 Connex has been involved in running the Melbourne train network, firstly running half the network (the half known as Hillside Trains) and from 2004 running the entire metropolitan network.

In 2006 the State Government announced a 10-year, $10.5 billion transport plan. Later, Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the plan significantly underestimated public usage of the transport network.

In December 2008, Premier John Brumby announced a $14.1 billion plan to grow Melbourne’s train network, including a metro rail tunnel and rail extensions.

The contract for running the Melbourne train network is soon to expire and negotiations for the next 10-year contract has been estimated to be worth $8 billion.

Newspaper reports have suggested Connex’s French competitor, Keolis, might be the government favourite to win the contract.

THE VIEWS:

Herald Sun editorial, March 31, 2009:

“Connex needs to run its trains on time, not offer to compensate angry passengers by offering them a free ride on another potentially late or cancelled service.

In January, Connex blamed the heat. In February, it blamed the unions. In March, it was speed restrictions on some trains because they overshot the stations.

This month is the deadline for bids to run the Melbourne metropolitan system for the next 15 years, with options.

Connex, as one of the bidders, could find itself judged on its poor performance.”

BREAKING IT DOWN:

A) Melbourne needs a better train operator than Connex, but that is only part of the problem.

The State Government’s commitment to public transport has only been piecemeal and half-hearted. Melbournians want a top-class, environmentally friendly public transport network.

B) Privatisation has not been a great move for the train network.

The key premises behind privatizing public assets are that doing so improves efficiency, performance and value to users. It is unlikely that any of those objectives have been met.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Has the privatization of the Melbourne train network been a success?

Does Connex deserve another contract, or will another bidder win?

What would you like to see happen with public transport in Melbourne?

Has the State Government done enough to bolster public transport?

THE FACTS

The Brimbank City Council, representing an area in Melbourne’s northwest, has been engrossed in a scandal relating to improper conduct amongst Brimbank City councilors.

A report from the Victorian Ombudsman in May 2009 noted improper influence by unelected persons on council business, misuse of taxpayer-funded equipment and a culture of bullying and intimidation.

The Victorian Government has responded to the report by assigning a senior police officer to investigate allegations of criminal activity in the council.

Victorian Government MPs George Seitz, Theo Theophanous and Hakki Suleyman were all implicated as having inappropriately interfered with council business in the Ombudsman’s report.

THE VIEWS

Andrew Crook for Crikey.com.au:

“Extensive and apparently systemic rorting of ALP membership rules have rolled on, despite the Brimbank scandal and the spotlight on George Seitz’s activities within the Victorian ALP… Party insiders say there is now immense pressure on Premier John Brumby to conduct fully-fledged purge of all party stacks, after previous probes went nowhere.”

Michael Bachelard for The Age:

“Behind the Brimbank probe lies the persistent scandal of Labor and branch-stacking. The Ombudsman’s investigation into Brimbank Council may have laid bare the corrupted operations of one west suburban Melbourne council, but it falls far short of the emetic this state needs. This report is a demolition of the activities of a number of councillors most people have never heard of, and a couple of politicians they know quite well…

This is a problem for Victoria. It delivers dud candidates in safe seats, subverts democracy and wastes ratepayer money on vote-buying. It’s unclear whether the Ombudsman neglected to reveal all this from lack of will, lack of proof or lack of powers.”

BREAKING IT DOWN

A) Branch stacking is a serious problem that undermines democracy and needs to be stamped out.

It’s not acceptable for people in positions of power to use their influence for personal reasons or for factional reasons.

B) A full-scale purge of branch stacking practice in local governments needs to be carried out.

Voters have the right to have confidence that they are being truly represented. Branch stacking needs to stop.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Has the Victorian Government done enough to ensure that the truth about Brimbank City Council will come out?

Is enough being done to stamp out branch stacking?

What are ways in which local councils can be better monitored?

What would you like to see happen in order to promote democracy at local and State government levels?

THE FACTS

The Victorian Government has recently approved a wind farm project in the Moorabool area.

WestWind Energy will build a 160-megawatt wind farm in the vicinity of Lal Lal, which is about 25 kilometres southeast of Ballarat.

The wind farm will comprise 64 wind turbines and will cost $350 million to build. 40 turbines will be stationed at Yendon and 24 will be stationed at Elaine.

Each turbine will be up to 85 metres high and will have a rotor diameter of up to 95 metres.

THE VIEWS

WestWind Energy overview of the Lal Lal Wind Farm:

“A wind farm of this size in this location will produce electricity at least equivalent to the annual consumption of 75,000 average Victorian households (there are about 35,000 homes in the City of Ballarat). This would displace more than 534,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year it operates or about 13 million tonnes over its 25 year life.”

Lal Lal Wind Farm Overview

Chief Executive Officer of Moorabool Council, Robert Dobrzynski, speaking to Moorabool Leader:

“While there is a net value benefit to all Victorians, I feel there is a disproportionate burden carried by people living in their vicinity. I urge residents to put their thoughts in writing, which is vital to discerning the degree of concern in the community. My personal view is I don’t believe there is enough weight given to residents’ quality of life. Clearly areas heavily populated may not be suitable for (the wind farm’s) development.”

Moorabool CEO’s wind-farm doubt

BREAKING IT DOWN

A) There will often be disagreement about the construction of a wind farm in close proximity to residences.

It is always a tough judgement call to weigh up the costs to locals against the wider net gain.

B) An offset deal – such as cheaper energy – should be offered to local residents to reduce the impact of the farm’s construction.

It wouldn’t fix everything but it might go some way to balancing the deal.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Sometimes the best locations for wind farms happen to be near residential areas. Should these be overlooked in favour of less effective areas?

Do the locals near the Lal Lal Wind Farm have reason to complain?

Has the consultation process been sufficient in the lead up to the project’s approval?

Is there another way of pleasing both local residents and businesses and WestWind Energy?