LETTER FROM MELBOURNE Saving you time. Since 1994. A monthly newsletter distilling public policy and government decisions which affect business opportunities in Victoria, Australia and beyond. Post election and Christmas Edition Issue 160 18 November to 15 December 2010 INSIDE Premier Baillieu Shocks all round New opposition team Upper house majority Some big policy changes Federal-state ties change Green policy focus One water minister. One transport minister Lots more rain Page 11: Morgan Poll most accurate on the Victorian State Election 18 NOVEMBER to 15 DECEMBER 2010 14 Collins Street EDITORIAL Melbourne, 3000 Victoria, Australia Well! Here we are. Who was not surprised? And prepared? Anyone? It is important to reflect on the extent of this P 03 9654 1300 surprise at various levels of government, let alone various levels of the wider community. F 03 9654 1165 [email protected] First. For the new premier and his fellow ministers and their advisers. And the related party system with its own www.letterfrommelbourne.com.au bureaucracy and large number of lay people. Much thinking/planning, and soon activity, is happening, though the new government is not quite as unprepared as when Labor won in 1999. Secondly, for the senior civil servants and also the less senior, there is probably not too much politics here, though there is quite a bit in the agencies Editor Alistair Urquhart Associate Editor Hamish Brooks and authorities and also in the judiciary and tribunals. These groups will move fast to get on with life, the life of Subscription Manager Juliette Biegler running Victoria’s government. Advertising Manager Eddie Mior Editorial Consultant Rick Brown Then there are other folk. Former premier John Brumby and his former ministers. And their advisers and other Design Steph Dang members of the ministerial teams including the media folk. These folk might not really have felt yet the full effect upon them as a team, as a party and very importantly, as individuals. And the Labor Party, internally, its members Letter From Melbourne is a monthly public affairs and general followers. bulletin, a simple précis, distilling and interpreting public policy and government decisions, which affect The Labor team has had 11 years. The former premier’s concession speech sounded as though he and premier business opportunities in Victoria and Australia. Bracks before him had picked up a basket-case state from Kennett. More importantly, he was perhaps leaving Written for the regular traveller, or people with the impression that these guys who had fallen over the line were not up to the job of looking after Victoria. meeting-filled days, you only have to miss reading Continued on page 9... the The Age or The Herald Sun twice a week to need Letter From Melbourne. It’s more about business Cover photo by professional photographer John Tozer, www.imaginsight.com.au, of Ted Baillieu in the lobby at opportunities (or lack of them) than politics. It’s not Parliament House in December 2007. Crikey.com. We keep the words to a minimum. Letter From Melbourne is independent. It’s not party political or any other political. It does not have the ABOUT THE EDITOR imprimatur of government at any level. ALISTAIR URQUHART For context. It includes events and people and society, and the weather if that is important. Alistair Urquhart graduated from the Australian National University in Canberra, in Law, History and Politics, was admitted as a barrister and Increasingly, Letter From Melbourne is developing a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, and remains a (non-practicing) federal and national coverage and also an increasing member of the Law Institute of Victoria. Before that, he graduated from synopsis of national business issues. high school in Bethesda, Maryland, and had many opportunities to become The only communications tool of its type, Letter aware of the workings of Washington DC. From Melbourne keeps subscribers abreast of recent developments in the policy arena on a local, state and For 30 years, he listened every Sunday evening to the late Alistair Cooke federal level. and his Letter From America. His early career was mostly in the coal You can read it on a flight from Melbourne once a industry, where he became involved with energy, environmental and water month or with a good cup of coffee. issues, and later in the SME finance sector. His public affairs firm works with many engineering and information technology firms, other professional association and industry groups, on a wide range of issues, in Victoria, Canberra and overseas. Urquhart visits ADVERTISE WITH US Canberra regularly. He may hold the record for miles rowed on Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin. The perfect platform to attract the attention of the INDEX who’s who of Melbourne’s STATE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS 3 AGRICULTURE 18 public and private sector. THE BUSHFIRES 9 JUSTICE 18 ARTS 14 MELBOURNE 19 for a copy of our media kit or information regarding advertising with LETTER FROM MELBOURNE EDUCATION 14 PLANNING & BUILDING 20 please contact Alistair Urquhart ENVIRONMENT 14 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 21 + [email protected] 61 3 9654 1300 CONSERVATION 14 SPORT 21 ENERGY 15 TRANSPORT 21 WATER 15 RAIL 21 Published by A.B Urquhart & Company Pty Ltd trading as Affairs of State. Disclaimer: Material in this publication is general GAMING 16 ROAD 22 comment and not intended as advice on any particular matter. Professional advice should be sought before action is taken. HEALTH 16 AIR 22 Material is complied from various sources including newspaper INVESTMENT 17 PORTS 22 articles, press releases, government publications, Hansard, trade journals, etc. © This newsletter is copyright. No part may be BUSINESS 17 THE WORKPLACE - INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS 23 reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, ICT 18 COMMUNITY 23 photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission from the publisher. Affairs of State respects your privacy. While we do believe that the information contained in WANTED. SENSIBLE UNIVERSITY STUDENT, MAYBE WITH A BACKGROUND IN POLITICS OR LAW, WITH SOME Letter from Melbourne will be useful to you, please advise us if you do not wish to receive any further communications from us. FREE TIME, PART-TIME, OVER SUMMER FOR A BRIEF BUT INFORMATIVE INTERNSHIP. 03 9654 1300 2 LETTER FROM MELBOURNE The first lady of Bentleigh Network conditional on improved mobile phone STATE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS Elizabeth Miller was the straw that broke Labor’s reception in regional and metropolitan areas. back when she won the seat of Bentleigh for the Surprises all round Liberals. Miller, who lives in South Yarra, is soon A fair comment On the Monday following the election, the papers to shift the 10 kilometres or so needed to live in The Age reported that Team Baillieu will consist had Liberal leader Ted Baillieu, 57, poised to the electorate she will represent. Miller had the of seven key players – two political mentors, claim victory and form Victoria’s first Coalition lucky position at the top of the ballot paper, but three Parliamentary colleagues, a chief of staff government in 11 years, after vote counting gave Liberal Party strategists believe she received a and a party state director. Former Premier Jeff the Liberal’s a commanding lead in the deciding significant boost when the party agreed to one Kennett and former federal MP Petro Georgiou seat of Bentleigh (following a Victorian Electoral of her key policy wishes – the promise to build a have been two of Baillieu’s mentors since the Commission decision to fast track the counting new railway station at nearby Southland shopping 1990s, and will continue to give advice behind of the 3,130 pre-poll votes in the seat). Following centre, The Age reported. An interesting map in the scenes. Around the cabinet table, Baillieu’s the election loss, and his eventual concession the Herald Sun, which coloured Labor seats red closest confidantes will be David Davis, Peter of defeat, Premier John Brumby resigned his and Coalition seats blue, showed a majority Ryan and Louise Asher. leadership and then from Parliament, with The of blue in the eastern and southern suburbs of Davis is one of Baillieu’s closest parliamentary Age reporting that the Socialist Left faction of the Melbourne, and a majority of red in the regional colleagues, a keen strategist, and the unofficial Labor party was preparing to push Health Minister and rural areas. leader of the small ‘l’ liberals; Ryan will be Daniel Andrews (he was elected unopposed) for Baillieu’s deputy and country springboard; while leader. The law of voting becoming vague Asher is a long-time loyalist who supported The Right’s favoured candidate was Water Minister Interesting to note the different ways that people Baillieu to become Liberal leader after Robert Tim Holding. Left-wing Regional and Rural lodge their vote nowadays. Pre-poll voting is people Doyle’s resignation in 2006. Finally, there’s Tony Affairs Minister Jacinta Allan was also in the voting before the election within their electorate Nutt, the Liberal state director, who drove the mix for promotion, with some senior party figures at a polling booth or at designated Victorian election winning campaign. suggesting she should replace Attorney General Electoral Commission locations. Absentee voting Rob Hulls as deputy leader as the ALP goes into is when one votes outside of one’s electorate on Meanwhile a rebuilding phase. Hulls will serve as Andrews’ election day, while postal voting is people voting The hiring of staff will be co-ordinated by the deputy leader, and former water minister Tim from outside their electorate before election day. Premier’s office and others nearby.