Letter from Melbourne A monthly public affairs bulletin, a simple precis, distilling and interpreting public policy and government decisions, which affect business opportunities in Victoria and Australia. The New World Edition VERA'S SONG ISSUE 246 , From 1 June to about 9 July, 2020 "Let's say goodbye with a smile, dear Just for a while, dear We must part Don't let this parting upset you I'll not forget you, sweetheart We'll meet again Don't know where Don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day Keep smiling through Just like you always do 'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away So will you please say hello To the folks that I know AFFAIRS OF STATE Tell them I won't be long They'll be happy to know That as you saw me go I was singing this song We'll meet again Don't know where IN THIS ISSUE Don't know when But I know we'll meet • Virus Update • School doors revolving again some sunny day…" • Victoria and China • Woking • Public Service Secrecy • Regional Football • Somyurek • Nine towers. • Branch-stacking Inter-twinned • Factions • Victorian budget dollars join federal job support money • Letter From meLbourne Issue 246 Letter from ABOUT US Affairs of State Victoria, Australia 9 Golf Links RoadBarwon SinceMelbourne 1994. A monthly public affairs newsletter distilling public policy Heads VIC 3227 and govern-ment decisions which effect business opportunities in Victoria, P 04 08 033 001 Australia and beyond. 2,500,000 words available to search digitally. [email protected] www.affairs.com.au Contents Letter From Melbourne is a monthly public affairs bulletin, a simple Vera's song ................................... 1 Bushfires recovery ..........................9 précis, distilling and interpreting public policy and government decisions, Editorial .....................................3 Justice. Emergency services ...............9 which affect business opportuni- ties in Victoria and Australia. Governance. Policy. Politics ..............3 Planning ....................................11 Written for the regular traveller, The virus .....................................4 Melbourne ..................................11 or people with meeting-filled days, it’s more about business Party political ...............................4 Transport ...................................13 opportunities than politics. Letter from Melbourne is independent. China and victoria .........................6 Business and finance ......................14 It’s not party political or any other political. It does not have the imprimatur Health ........................................7 Media ......................................16 of government at any level. Letter from Melbourne developed a federal Education ....................................8 Agriculture .................................16 and national coverage. This spawned Letter from Canberra (www.letter- Energy. Recycling. Environment .........8 Arts ..........................................17 fromcanberra.com.au) nine years ago. The only communication tool of its type, Letter from Melbourne ABOUT THE EDITOR— ALISTAIR URQUHART, BA LLB keeps subscribers abreast of recent developments in the policy arena Alistair Urquhart graduated from The Australian National University in Canberra, in Law, on a local, state and federal level. History and Politics. He may even hold the record for miles rowed on Lake Burley Griffin. Published by A.B Urquhart & Company He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor to the Supreme Court of Victoria, and Pty Ltd trading as Affairs of State. remains a (non-practicing) member of the Law Institute of Victoria. Previously, he graduated from high school in Bethesda, Maryland, and had many oppor- Disclaimer: Material in this publi- tunities to become aware of the workings of Washington D.C. cation is general comment and not intended as advice on any particular For 30 years, he listened every Sunday evening to the late Alistair Cooke and his Letter from America. matter. Professional advice should to Alistair’s early career was mostly in the coal industry, where he became involved with energy, environ- be sought before action is taken. mental and water issues, and later in the SME finance sector. Material is complied from various sources including newspaper articles, press releases, government publica- tions, Hansard, trade journals, etc. Copyright: This newsletter is copyright. No part may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or oth- erwise), without the prior written permission from the publisher. Affairs of State respects your privacy. While we do believe that the informa- tion contained in Letter from Melbourne will be useful to you, please advise us if you do not wish to receive any further communications from us. Edited words in this edition 12869 Staff Editor Alistair Urquhart [email protected] Sub-editors: -Cheryl Lacey -Oscar Heyworth -Aiden Mocicka Design-Bronson Walker [email protected] 2 Editor having coffee with Carlton’s Percy Jones and former Herald-Sun editor Peter Coster Letter From meLbourne Issue 246 From 1 June to about 9 July, A shortage of public health professionals is being blamed for Wave 2. With a lack of contact tracers and an inability to train them at scale leaving the state more vulnerable than if the transmissions had occurred in New South Wales. Yoni Bashan, The Australian. Took three coffeezooms to write this Editorial. To Dear Readers. Stand Tall. Be careful. Look after yourself. And then you can look after Others. EDITORIAL Do not look on the virus as a curtain. At then same time, so much/so much continues A new world in Victoria GOVERNANCE. POLICY. POLITICS as usual or somewhat so. In Government. Yes. Health. Economics. Business. Smaller Society. Business. And Footy. Premier Under Fire Over State Secrecy businesses. Communities. Even Footy, State secrecy has worsened since the with a few tight plays of the ball. And on a positive note. Reflect on Vera Labor government was elected, with new Lynn. And turn her on You-tube.. Despite all this, the government and business figures showing a steady year-on-year and Society will continue to bore or plod along, ‘Til the next edition. Oh1 Complimentary decline in the release of information by or something in between. Keeping the Citicrats/ Letter From Canberra for the immediate Victorian departments and agencies. public servants and others in those city buildings editions. Chase it on your computer if Years after Labor promised to end the ‘culture with so much on their mind that they do not it does not arrive later this week. of secrecy’ surrounding freedom of information wander beyond the green paddocks and fences of in Victoria, a five-year review’s findings have Northcote. And the Trades Hall in Lygon Street. Dame Vera Margaret Lynn was an English prompted an unprecedented call by the state’s The Premier is standing quite tall. Yet, the FACTS singer, songwriter and entertainer whose FOI watchdog for a revamp of the state’s of the virus are getting more confusing with the musical recordings and performances were freedom-of-information system. Farrah Tomazin, Victorian government and its representatives very popular during the Second World War. The Age. Your Editor muses that the Victorian not always being clear/the same, as time goes by. She was widely referred to as the "Forces' Government Bookshop was a useful start for Especially with the second Stage 3 upon us. Dear Sweetheart" and gave outdoor concerts for the getting to understand government. It closed 30 media: To what extent are the Unions intertwined troops in Egypt, India and Burma "We'll June 2014., most unfortunately for the outsider. with Victorian Government decisions. Ethnic Meet Again", "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The Plaintiff Trawlers habits are all but not discussed by the media: an White Cliffs of Dover", " Vale. 18 June 2020. The Victorian government has been referred to interesting case is the city of Leicester which is the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption the only British city in lock-down at the moment. Commission over its refusal to reveal how Photo: Editor‘s mother in 1940. An Alfred Yes. The Opposition(s) chews at the many times it met with a leading class-action Nurse, the first of nine Australian Nurses to Government. In Victoria and federally. Not law firm and major Labor donor before exchange glances with the King on this occasion. enough. Perhaps a balance between screaming proceeding with a contentious move to allow Editor was attracted to this book Australian in dangerous times. Might not be able to lawyers to charge lucrative contingency fees. Women at War, in a bookshop, and immediately get in front of the media curtain...... upon opening it, this photo stared out at him. Attorney-General Jill Hennessy and her department are being investigated by the state’s The small business owner/operator is on the other side of the fence from the Victorian government and the union influence/control over so many/most/all Spring Street decisions. Reflect on our cafes and pubs. Run by individuals and families. How sad. CBD. A couple of thousand places to find a bite to eat or a glass to drink. And the Inner and outer suburbs. And in the Bush, in some areas struggling to arise from the bushfires through the continuing bureaucratic smoke. All under threat of closure, or worse. Stage 3 second time will do things to many owners and staff that the Victorian Government certainly did not calculate nor even imagine, as they are in another world. Might the unions have cared not that union-less hotels and cafes need close, for another six weeks from 8 July. And might the unions (denied by ‘the government’) have preferred their staff rather than the Army to ‘care ‘for people in quarantine in hotels. Have to say that an article in The Age suggested that Premier Jeff Kennett was responsible for removing so many staff and connections between hospitals and the health department(s), which has caused so much lack of communi- cation over the current health issues.