“We are looking forward for the opportunity to work constructively with our Northern Rivers members of parliament in continuing to help local businesses grow and develop, said Sharon Cadwallader, Northern Rivers Regional Manager of NSW Business Chamber.

“I would like to extend our appreciation to Ian Causley and his wife June for all they have done for our community and wish them well in future endeavours.

“Local business will be hoping that the new Government moves as quickly as possible to honour its infrastructure commitment to the complete upgrade the Pacific Highway. This road is a critical piece of infrastructure for our community and has continued to act as a handbrake on the growth of our region.

“NSW Business Chamber will be lobbying the new Rudd Government very strongly for action to end the blame game between State and Federal governments.

Mrs Cadwallader said that next year was only the third time since Federation that there were not scheduled Federal or State elections. Mr Rudd has the opportunity next year to end the blame game between governments.

“The business community acknowledges the strong mandate the new Rudd Government has to implement its industrial relations policies,” Mrs Cadwallader said.

“We offer an open hand to the new Government to work with them in negotiating new workplace relations regulations that do not sacrifice productivity or return workplaces to the bad old days of industrial strife.

“The Northern Rivers is an area that is continuing to experience strong growth and will be a testing ground for how effective the new Government will be in delivering its election commitments, especially in the areas of infrastructure and skills.”

NSW Business Chamber has prepared a document for business that contains the Rudd Government’s business policies. It’s available at www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/election07

PICTURE: Flashback to Melbourne Cup Day at the Ballina RSL Club and, in what turned out to be an election omen, Kevin Rudd, pictured with Janelle Saffin, backed the right horse.

In Page, Labor’s Janelle Saffin is a $1.53 favourite as of today. The Nationals’ Chris Gulaptis is at $2.35.

In Richmond, which takes in the Ballina Shire areas of Skennars Head and Lennox Head, Labor’s sitting member, Justine Elliot, is a red-hot favourite at $1.08.

Local GP Sue Page, who is standing as The Nationals’ candidate, it at long odds, $6.

Justine Elliot’s favouritism comes as no surprise. She is well-known in the north of the electorate after winning the seat from Larry Anthony in 2004.

Sue Page is likely to poll strongly in her local area, but the big doubt is whether she has lifted her profile in the north of the electorate, which has the bigger voter base.

The big surprise in this campaign has been the strong leaning towards Ms Saffin in Page, which has been a Coalition stronghold during the reign of retiring member Ian Causley and has always been regarded as a safe National Party seat.

However, Ms Saffin is well-known in the Lismore district.

The former teacher and solicitor served for eight years in the NSW Upper House from 1995 until 2003, and spent time in East Timor as an advisor to the newly emerging government.

The boundaries in Page have changed since Ian Causely’s win in 2004. ABC election analyst Antony Green says the electorate has gained Wollongbar and Alstonville from Richmond in exchange for the loss of Nimbin and rural northern parts of Lismore City Council, and also gains Yamba from Cowper. The National Party margin rises from 4.2 per cent to 5.5 per cent.

Mr Gulaptis, 52, moved to the Clarence Valley from Perth in 1980 and is a qualified surveyor who has been Mayor of Maclean and is a Clarence Valley councillor.

Obviously, he is as well-known in the Clarence as Ms Saffin is in the Richmond River region.

Both candidates have campaigned strongly on issues affecting their local areas.

Perhaps it will be the voting power of their local support base which gets either candidate across the line.

The plan follows Labor Leader Kevin Rudd’s announcement that a Federal Labor Government would toughen trade practices laws to better protect small businesses.

“This is an issue of real concern to families and small businesses on the North Coast,” Ms Saffin said.

“Woolworths have announced that they will be establishing 56 new stores across the country over the next year — and there is talk that they will be expanding into pharmaceuticals, alcohol and banking.

“This has the potential to cut our local town centres like a ribbon.

“The last thing our community needs is these faceless multinationals using predatory pricing tactics — like ‘shopper dockets’ — to displace local jobs.

“I look forward to working closely with Mr Rudd to take action.”

Ms Saffin said that concerned local businesses had already contacted her about the predatory pricing schemes — and she pledged action.

“Everyone knows how these big corporations work,” she said.

“They move into a new area and offer all sorts of incentives to get control of the market — and once they have it, prices mysteriously start to rise again.

“It’s a con job and it’s happening right across the country.”

Ms Saffin said that, if elected, she would be lobbying for a local action plan to take on Woolworths and Coles, including initiatives such as:
Requesting an ACCC inquiry into controversial shopper dockets and ‘shelving’ policies — where producers are expected to pay for prime positions on shelves;
Opposing any attempt by the National Competition Council to allow pharmaceuticals or alcohol to be sold in supermarkets;
Consideration of mandatory labelling to disclose the ‘mark-up’ on local items sold by the major supermarkets and the length of time products have been stored before point-of-sale;
Consideration of appointing a National Consumer Ombudsman to closely monitor these multinational conglomerates and expose sharp practice; and
More funding to promote local small businesses, producers and farmers.

“This is a debate about the sort of community we want to raise our families in,” Ms Saffin said.

“Make no mistake — these multinational companies and their aggressive marketing cannot be trusted controlling our chemists, pubs and banking.”

Ballina town proper is in Page, while just up the road, Lennox Head is in the Richmond electorate.

Other areas, such as Tintenbar and Fernleigh, are in Richmond.

Here’s a list of where you can vote this Saturday. For more details, visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.

Page electorate:

Alstonville High School, Cawley Close, Alstonville.

Ballina High School, Burnet Street.

Ballina Hospital, Cherry Strret.

Emmanuel Anglican College, 62 Horizon Drive, West Ballina.

Southern Cross School K12, Chickiba Drive, East Ballina.

Empire Vale Public School, River Drive, Empire Vale.

Meerschaum Vale Hall, Wardell Road.

Pimlico Hall, 580 Pimlico Road, Pimlico.

Rous Public School, Rous Road, Rous.

Wardell Hall, Richmond Street, Wardell.

Wollongbar Primary School, Simpson Avenue, Wollongbar.

Richmond electorate:

Lennox Head Public School, 28 Byron Street, Lennox Head.

Tintenbar Public School, 28 Fredricks Lane, Tintenbar.

Fernleigh Public School, 451 Fernleigh Road, Fernleigh.

The Nationals’ Chris Gulaptis had looked set to continue the National Party’s hold on the seat, but the late swing from punters toward Ms Saffin has resulted in her being the $1.60 favourite in today’s price listings. Last week Sportingbet declared the two equal favourites, but Mr Gulaptis has blown out in the odds to $2.20.

Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said: “This is a good result for Ms Saffin, who just two weeks ago was trailing badly and was rated as a $2.60 chance.

“If this betting trend continues, Janelle Saffin looks set to resume her political career.”

Ms Saffin has spent eight years in the NSW Legislative Council.

Canberra bookmaker Portland lists both candidates at the same odds as Sportingbet Australia.

“Labor is completely ignoring crises of its own making at Lismore and Grafton hospitals. It is hard to believe the same party would be any more generous if elected Federally,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“That is why I support the Coalition’s decision to insist on the formation of community-owned local hospital boards to run our hospitals. City Labor health bureaucrats have proven time and time again they don’t deliver for the North Coast.

“The top doctor at Grafton has described his hospital as ‘clinically unsafe’ and a senior doctor at Lismore has told me children are being treated on the floor because of a lack of beds.

“We have a serious problem here that needs to be fixed by real medical doctors, not Labor spin doctors.

“It is no surprise that Labor has cancelled a long-planned visit to Lismore this Thursday by Health Minister Reba Meagher in a desperate bid to bolster its local election chances.”

Mr Gulaptis said he had rock-solid commitments from the Coalition totalling $28 million to reverse Labor’s neglect of Lismore and Grafton hospitals.

Labor says a Rudd Government will invest a total of $15 million in radiotherapy services at Lismore Base Hospital.

“Federal Labor will honour the $8 million previously committed by Minister Abbott but it will provide an extra $7 million to bring forward the construction of the radiotherapy unit from the current completion date of March 2011,” the ALP said.

“Federal Labor understands how important the radiotherapy service is to the people of Lismore and surrounding areas.”

Page candidate Janelle Saffin said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have secured this commitment from Federal Labor to fast-tracking completion of the radiotherapy service for the people of Lismore. As the founder of the North Coast Breast Screening Program and a former member of the Hospital Board, I understand how important cancer services are for the people of this area.”

Labor said: “Cancer experts predict there will be 1600-1700 new cancer cases in Lismore and surrounding areas this year alone. More than half of these patients will require radiotherapy.

“Currently, cancer patients are forced to travel for hours to Brisbane or Sydney if they require radiotherapy. This travel burden adds to patients’ pain and suffering.

“It is time that someone took charge and got this much needed service moving.

“That is why Federal Labor will expect the NSW Government to complete the construction of the radiotherapy unit by the end of 2009.

“Of the $7 million Federal Labor will provide to fast-track this project, $3.5 million will be provided up front, and $3.5 million will be provided on completion.

“To ensure the NSW Government meets the tough deadline, the radiotherapy unit must be completed by March 2010 or it will forfeit the completion payment.

“This will provide an incentive for the project to be finished within Federal Labor’s deadline so the people of Lismore can have access to this important service as quickly as possible.

“In contrast, the Nationals have only promised an extra $2 million towards this service, but they have no plan at all for when it will be delivered.”

Opposition shadow Health spokeswoman Nicola Roxon said: “I’m very pleased to be able to announce that Federal Labor will be able to bring forward this important servicefor the people of Lismore. This is thanks to Janelle Saffin’s efforts and her persistent lobbying of both Kevin Rudd and I. This is what Federal Labor’s $2.5 billion plan is all about — providing better services to local communities like Lismore.”

Labor candidate for Page Janelle Saffin says the local coastline is under real pressure from climate change and coastal growth, and coastal communities are calling out for on-the-ground support.

The Community Coast Care Program will provide grants of up to $50,000 for community groups working in Page to undertake on-the-ground coastal restoration and preventative work, including:

Habitat protection;
Restoration of coastal waterways;
Removal of invasive weeds and pests;
Dune restoration and prevention of coastal erosion; and
Preparing for extreme climate-related events and storms.

Research from CSIRO confirms climate change could have a dramatic impact on the New South Wales coast with the potential for:

Increases in the frequencies of weather events that contribute to extreme winds and storm surges; and
Rising sea-levels, increasing the risk of coastal inundation.

“Only a Rudd Labor Government will address the pressures on our precious coastline, including the impacts of climate change,” Ms Page said.

“The Howard Government has no national coastal policy or program. After 11 years of scepticism, delay, denial and inaction, Australia’s coastal communities are ill-prepared for climate change.

“Only Labor has fresh ideas to tackle climate change and protect Australia’s precious coasts.”

“The Coalition has announced strong plan to increase Australia’s biofuel production and encourage more Australians to choose biofuels like ethanol at the fuel pump,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“Ethanol is currently produced from food crops like wheat and sugar. As a result, the worldwide demand for ethanol is increasing food prices.

“Ethanol Technologies Ltd is building a pilot plant at the Harwood Sugar Mill that aims to produce ethanol in commercial quantities from feedstocks like sugar cane waste. It’s an example of what is called lignocellulosic ethanol.

“The plant will use a chemical process rather than steam distillation to produce ethanol. It will use far less energy and water and will not produce the effluent that is associated with steam distillation.

“A re-elected Coalition Government will provide $5 million to support the construction of the plant, because it will lead the way to the next generation of renewable fuel technology.

“As a result of the Coalition’s support, the pilot plant should be completed and producing ethanol by 2010.

“Our plan for biofuels will save Australian families money, because ethanol blended fuel is about three cents per litre cheaper than regular unleaded.

“It will reduce our dependence on imported fuel and will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a strong plan that will help secure Australia’s future. It’s also great news for Harwood and the wider Clarence region”

Ethanol Technologies is a subsidiary of Willmott Forests.

“Former National Party leader John Anderson has told the Australian newspaper that the views of the Nationals have been ignored by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer,” she said.

Ms Saffin said that in a candid interview with the Australian newspaper (November 8, page 7) Mr Anderson said: “There’s a little bit of a tendency to ignore what’s happening with the third party [the Nationals].”

“According to Mr Anderson it’s a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for the Nationals under John Howard and Peter Costello,” she said.

Ms Saffin says the Page electorate has been ignored by John Howard for the past 11 years.

“Even Mr Anderson thinks the Nationals have become irrelevant when it comes to representing the needs of families in regional Australia,” Ms Saffin said.

“I’d like to ask National Party candidate Chris Gulaptis to explain why his party has allowed the Page electorate to become ‘out of sight, out of mind’ under the Howard Government.

“It’s not good enough for the Nationals to come out with some promises just before an election about what they will do for Page.

“If John Howard and the Nationals are re-elected this area will be out of sight and out of mind again.

“Federal Labor has practical plans to invest in the future of this region including major infrastructure funding for the Pacific Highway, upgrading local hospitals and health services, investing in council infrastructure projects, trades training in high schools, national water security, housing affordability programs and renewable energy projects.”