WEB STATS

A lot of action in October as the election heats up and other sites link to our WEBCAM. Local papers directing members of the public to our site after the health forum had an impact as well.

Entire time online (since Jan 2006)
Total Hits 354,234
Total Files 235,315
Total Pages views 86,097
Total Visits 16,300
Total KBytes delivered 4,476,545

Community Health Forum an Outstanding Success

We are glad to report that our October 21st forum was attended by around 70 people who seemed to appreciate the high standard of presentations offered during the two-hour event. Dr Tom Beer (CSIRO) offered a sobering analysis of the situation regarding diesel pollution in inner west that might be summarised as follows: diesel fumes are highly carcinogenic; there is no safe level of exposure; the inner west has very high levels of diesel pollution caused mainly by truck traffic.
The forum was also featured in reports on both the channel 7 and ABC news bulletins that evening and was also reported in all the local papers.
Please visit http://www.mtag.org.au/news.html for an extensive coverage of the forum including Dr Beer’s powerpoint presentation, Martin Wurt’s excellent short film outlining the history of the truck problem and much more.
 
Containers Out:
Labor tries to hoodwink the electorate with bogus claims
 
Recent newspaper reports (The Star 15/11) have seen Steve Bracks express support for Labor councillor Michael Clarke ’s brand new “Containers Out” lobby group. While MTAG supports the removal of container parks (in fact it has always been a part of our charter under “Longer Term Measures”, see http://www.mtag.org.au/charter.html ) we are concerned about the motivation for the spurious claim that the measures proposed by Councillor Clarke will remove 30% of trucks from our streets in two years. As stated by Steve Bracks, legitimate businesses (including container parks) can’t just be kicked out so the best that can be hoped for is that new container parks will be prevented from being created in our municipality. This is an excellent idea as it will help to cap the GROWTH of truck traffic, however, what it won’t do is to REMOVE any of the existing 20,000 trucks a day from our streets.
 
So why are Steve Bracks and Councillor Clarke peddling this claim? It’s called damage control. Mr Bracks has finally realised that people around here really are fed up and he desperately wants to make it look like he’s doing something about the problem. In reality, he’s not. It’s a bit like the height detection camera trial that was supposed to help police Francis St curfews. It was announced six months ago but according to Vicroads latest, it’s just going to be too difficult to implement. 
 
In short, we deplore Premier Bracks’ tactics; he is trying to hoodwink us into voting for Labor. No accident with the timing either which no doubt Labor is hoping will help to avoid any serious investigation of the absurdity of their claim.

Make Your Vote Count on 25th November:
Register a protest vote against Labor

Labor holds the seats of Footscray and Williamstown by more than 25%. They are two of the safest seats in Victoria LABOR CAN’T LOSE!
These record margins have led to lazy ineffective government in the inner west
 
• Let Labor know that 20,000 trucks a day in residential streets and the highest levels of diesel pollution recorded in Australia are not acceptable
 
• Tell Labor that you don’t want a toxic waste facility at Dynon rail yards and you don’t want trucks carrying dangerous toxic waste through your streets. Labor plans to build this facility in their next term; it must be stopped
 
• Tell Labor that preselecting a new member, Marsha Thompson (Footscray), who has never lived in the west is not good enough, we need someone who knows our issues
 
• Send Labor a message: that it needs to STOP placing the interests of industry over the interests of the community
 
Many of the members of Maribyrnong Truck Action Group are Labor voters who are sick of being taken for granted and are convinced that the only way Labor is going to start listening is if a few percent is wiped off their massive margins. After all, while they have done nothing in the west to ease truck volumes they have allocated $19.1 million for a truck by bypass in Plummer St Port Melbourne, which has a fraction of the trucks. Why? Because local member, John Thwaites, suffered a primary vote swing of 8.4% in 2002 elections. LABOR LISTENS TO THE BALLOT BOX. If we can get a swing of 8.4% against Labor this year, they’ll start spending here too.
 
FAQ:

But what if the Liberals got in? I wouldn’t want that.
Don’t worry. They won’t, it’s impossible; a 25% margin is absolutely safe. The only vote that counts in this election is a protest vote
 
Who should I vote for then, I’ve always voted Labor?
Vote for someone else with good policies for the west. Sadly, in the lower house, it doesn’t really matter whom you vote for because Labor will win. What’s important is putting Labor last, or at least well down the form. (In the Upper House it's different; under the new voting system your vote really will count – vote for a candidate who cares about the west).
 
Is the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group anti Labor?
No, we are politically neutral. But we want Labor to do a better job and we want Labor to live up to its many broken promises to do something about getting through-trucks off our streets.
 
Stop the Neglect of the West: Protest Rally 1PM Sunday 19th November Whitten Oval
MTAG is certainly not alone in calling for a protest vote against Labor. This rally is being organised by the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association in coalition with numerous community groups in the west from Melton to Footscray who are united in their frustration with Labor neglect. MTAG urges supporters to attend this rally.
For more details visit http://www.sunshine.asn.au/

Again we ask for your help..
Right now, send Steve Bracks an email
premier@dpc.vic.gov.au
phone him on 9651 5000, and send a quick letter to the local newspapers
star@starnewsgroup.com.au,
westletters@fcnvic.fairfax.com.au, and the times@timespublications.com.au
Log on to our website and register on our discussion forum www.mtag.org.au
Make a donation online or get a T-Shirt, whatever you can contribute email info@mtag.org.au
Forward this email to your friends so they can subscribe to this newsletter.

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Authorised by J MacDougall, 18 Taunton Dr, Cheltenham, 3192